SATURDAY 2/12: Alexandria Kleztet Concert at Passport to the World Festival

Creative Cauldron’s Passport to the World Festival of Music, Dance, Art & Story continues on Saturday, February 12 with a concert by The Alexandria Kleztet at 7:30 pm at ArtSpace.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students & seniors and can be purchased at the door or in advance at www.creativecauldron.org

ArtSpace Falls Church is located at 410 S. Maple Avenue in the Pearson Square building.  Free parking is available in the garages at 410 and 400 S. Maple Avenue.

SUNDAY 2/13: Story Theater Presentation at ArtSpace

Creative Cauldron will present a Story Theater Presentation at 4 pm on Sunday, February 13 as part of the Passport to the World Festival.

The program will feature Eastern European and Jewish music and influences and is designed for families with children.

General admission tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door.

Creative Cauldron at ArtSpace is located at 410 S. Maple Avenue in the Pearson Square building.  Free parking is available in the garages at 410 and 400 S. Maple Avenue.

MONDAY 2/14: Memorial Day Grand Marshal Nominations due

The 2011 Falls Church City Memorial Day Parade & Festival Committee is seeking nominations for the Grand Marshal of this year’s parade. Please contact Jenny Paxton in the Recreation & Parks Division at 703-248-5199 (TTY 711) or jpaxton@fallschurchva.gov with nominations or questions.

CITY MEETINGS: January 31 – February 4

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Monday 1/31: City Council Work Session.  Falls Church Community Center, 7:15 pm. 

Town Hall Meeting.  Falls Church Community Center, 7:30 pm.  Public input session on budget options and line of service impacts.

Tuesday 2/1: Economic Development Authority.  Training Center, 7:00 pm.

Budget Public Hearing No. 2.  School Board Central Office,  800 W. Broad St., Suite 203, 7:00 pm.

School Board Work Session No. 2., Central Office, Room 203, 8:00 pm.

Wednesday 2/2: Recreation and Parks Advisory Board.  Falls Church Community Center, 7:00 pm.

Thursday 2/3: Human Services Advisory Council. Oak Room, 6:45 pm.

Long Range Financial Working Group.  Magnolia Room, 7:30 pm.

Friday 1/4: City Council Economic Development Committee. Oak Room, 7:30 am.

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FOOD: Getting To Our Roots

By KATHLEEN NIXON
Falls Church Times Staff

January 28, 2010

Many bemoan the fact of winter vegetables; namely root vegetables and hardy greens. I may be the only person who rejoices in parsnips, carrots, and potatoes! I look forward to the late fall and early winter when I can roast, sauté and add to my soup vegetables that have real character. Sure the tomato and zucchini are lively, and are reminiscent of warmer days, but I like having a vegetable that stands up to a variety of cooking methods and gives me a few surprises.

My first surprise was parsnips. I listen frequently to people as they wander around a farmer’s market and many will comment as to what is wrong with that carrot that is all white? Parsnips fell out of favor eons ago, and I am very glad that many a chef and restaurant are embracing this root vegetable with character.

Why do I say character? Imagine your surprise when you roast a vegetable and it caramelizes giving you a sweet tang when you are expecting tart or worse, blah. This paired with the creamy consistency of a fresh potato and you complete the surprise. This was my first impression when I threw some parsnips into the Farmer’s Market stew and then bit into the parsnip. Tang, sweet and delicious paired with creamy – yum!

Parsnips tend not to look very pretty as they are white vegetables grown underground and tend to look rather wild. Because of this people don’t give them a second thought but nutritionally they deserve another gander. Parsnips contain potassium and folate which are beneficial to the heart and have large quantities of fiber; low in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol levels as well as being a rich source of vitamin C.

There are many varieties of potatoes and I will touch on those later when I am about ready to plant mine, but the ones that we have available now are the Yukon Golds. These do a nice job either being roasted and added into a stew or boiled and creamed for mashed potatoes or soup. Potatoes seem to be a maligned vegetable as we are all familiar with baking potatoes. Many associate the potatoes with the toppings that seem to be a “no- no” for anyone trying to watch their weight. Remember it is not the potato but the butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, salsa and chives that are the problem. Potatoes are also high in Vitamin C, vitamin A,  folate, calcium, potassium, low in cholesterol, low in saturated fats with trace amount of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids; many of the great things we are all looking for in our diets.

And finally carrots, another surprising root vegetable that does well being roasted or made into soup. One of the great things I love about farmer’s markets is the new varieties of carrots that are coming back. This fall we saw Solar Carrots from Tree and Leaf farms which are a slightly more yellow than orange carrot that is very sweet. I fell in love with this carrot and was so enamored that I ate most of my purchase while still strolling through the market. There is also the Atomic Carrot which has a nice red striping and has a very high source of lycopene.

All root vegetables like to stay cool and dark just like the ground that they were grown in. Many root vegetables take anywhere from 3 to 6 months to grow and can be stored in the right environment all winter long. I put my potatoes in the ground in March and harvest them in late August. Last year we planted carrots in late September and were able to harvest them under all the snow that we had last year. So if you pick up root vegetables, stock up on a few extra and store them in a cool, dry place. Many of us have cabinets that are pretty cold as they are exposed to the outside walls and this is a good place to store them. Just don’t forget about them!

When I started moving away from shopping at the grocery stores and only from the farmers markets, I had to learn how to prepare dishes more seasonally. My first foray included a root vegetable stew straight from the market. Typically after shopping the morning at the market, I will come home and put a few vegetables in my Dutch oven; typically, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and parsnips. Cut them into two inch size pieces and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400 for 45 minutes. I usually go and do other chores and then come back to the stew. Pour chicken, beef or vegetable broth about 2 cups over the roasted vegetables and add in Cibola Buffalo Hot Dogs that are frozen. Keep in the oven for another 10 minutes and then add in either or both kale and mushrooms. A nice hearty stew for a cold winter’s afternoon paired with some nice bread and cheese from the market there is nothing better to take away the chill and nourish the body and soul.

Art and Frame Celebrates Ten Years in Falls Church

 

The Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Networking Mixer was a real party this month.  More than 55 Falls Church business leaders and community members gathered at Art and Frame of Falls Church (111 Park Avenue) to celebrate the business’s 10th year in operation in the City. 

In remarks to the crowd, owner Tom Gittins said Art and Frame “makes life worth framing” and that he expects “the 11th year to be a memorable one!” 

Gittins shared his pride in achieving the ten-year milestone by giving  the party guests more than $3,200 worth of gifts and prizes including gift certificates to Art and Frame of Falls Church,  caricatures by Marie Cheek, anniversary cake from Kendall’s Cakes, and appetizers catered by Meat In A Box.

SUNDAY 1/30: Tales of India Story Theater at ArtSpace

Creative Cauldron’s Passport to the World Festival presents a story theater on Sunday, January 30 at 2 pm with tales from India that is ideal for families with children.  

Tickets are $5 general admission and can be purchased at the door or in advance at www.creativecauldron.org

Creative Cauldron at ArtSpace is located at 410 S. Maple Avenue in the Pearson Square building.  Free parking is available in the garages at 410 and 400 S. Maple Avenue.

SATURDAY 1/29: Indian Dance at ArtSpace Falls Church

Creative Cauldron’s Passport to the World: A Festival of Music, Dance, Art and Story travels to India with The Spilling Ink Project on Saturday, January 29 at ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 S. Maple Avenue.

The dance group weaves tales from Indian folklore and mythology into traditional South Indian classical dance forms.

Tickets for the 7:30 pm performance are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors & students.  The Spilling Ink Project will conduct a free workshop at 4:00 pm on Saturday.

Tickets can be purchased at www.creativecauldron.org

Creative Cauldron at ArtSpace Falls Church is located at 410 S. Maple Avenue.  Free parking is available in the garages at 410 and 400 S. Maple Avenue.

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