Help Haiti and bid on dinners at Le Pigeon, The Heathman Restaurant and Bar, Ned Ludd, Andina, Paley’s Place, EaT Oyster Bar and Biwa; Contemporary art from Portland artists Lennie Pitkin, Ed King, Raechel Allen and more…

Portland, OR (March 9, 2010) — Responding to a world tragedy is nothing new for Portlander Colleen Mendola, co- owner of the Eastmoreland Market & Kitchen. Along with artist Ed King, Mendola organized the first “Hands On” benefit in 2005 after the tsunami hit SE Asia . The art and culinary auction raised $17,000 for Northwest Medical Teams. Recently, when the earthquake struck Haiti , King and Mendola jumped into action to organize another “Hands On” benefit– this time for Mercy Corps and relief for victims in Haiti . Joining them to plan the “Hands on for Haiti” benefit is local chef and restaurateur, Jason French of Ned Ludd; Jean-Pierre Veillet, owner of Siteworks Design Build and graphic designer Paul Mazzucca.

“We couldn’t sit still and watch this tragedy unfold in front of us without trying to make a difference,” said Mendola. “We learned from the first benefit that people want to contribute and love bidding on a great piece of art or dinner with a local chef. The sense of community is amazing.”

“Hands on for Haiti ,” an art and culinary auction and benefit for Mercy Corps will be held on Thursday, April 1st from 6-11 p.m. at 1035 NW Lovejoy (the former Eddie Bauer space). The silent auction will run from 6-9 p.m. followed by live music. Tickets are $15 and include a silent art and culinary auction featuring Portland ’s best restaurants and the region’s most progressive and talented artists; as well as live entertainment. Mini sandwiches – both savory and sweet – will be available for $1 each prepared by chefs including John Stewart of Meat Cheese Bread, Karl Zenk of the Heathman Restaurant and Bar, Ken Gordon of Kenny & Zuke’s and pastry chef Lauren Fortgang of Paley’s Place. Beer and wine will be available for $4 per glass with all proceeds to benefit Mercy Corps.

Buy Tickets Now!

Tickets are available in advance for $15 online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/103572 or in person at Eastmoreland Market at 3616 SE SE Knapp Street , the Siteworks office at 1255 NW 9th Avenue in the Pearl District or at Ned Ludd at 3925 NE MLK, Jr. Blvd. Cash or check accepted. Tickets will also be available at the door the night of the event.

“Mercy Corps responded in Haiti to meet immediate needs of earthquake survivors by providing food and clean water and will continue to work to help Haiti rebuild from this massive disaster,” said Minda Seibert, Senior Community Relations Officer for Mercy Corps. “We are honored to be the charity of choice for this community wide outreach where so many talented individuals – from chefs to artists and musicians – have answered the call to help Haiti recover.”

Art Auction on First Thursday – April 1st

With many of the region’s most respected and emerging artists donating to the Haiti benefit, “Hands on for Haiti” will give novice art enthusiasts — and serious collectors — a chance to take home a one of a kind piece of art. “The art community helped make this event happen with their generous donations and recognized how important it is to come together as a community when tragedy strikes,” said artist Ed King. The evening will include art work from Pacific Northwest artists such as:

• Raechel Allen, Artist (PNCA Alumni 2003)
• Eric Balderas, Artist / Graphics Professional (PNCA Alumni 1998)
• Joe Biel, Artist/Educator
• Nan Curtis & Marty Houston, Artists
• Tim Dalbow, Artist (PNCA Alumni 1997)
• Deitrich Dassenbroch, Photographer
• Ty Ennis, Artist (PNCA Alumni 2003)
• Chris Gander, Artist / Educator (PNCA Alumni1987)
• Jef Gunn, Artist / Educator
• Stephen Hayes, Artist
• George Kelly, Photographer
• Ed King, Artist (PNCA Alumni 2004)
• Jon Langston, Ceramicist
• Mike McGovern, Artist / Educator (PNCA Alumni 2004)
• Roxanne McGovern, Artist (PNCA Alumni 2006)
• Paul Mazzucca, Graphic Designer/Arts Educator
• Raul Mendez, Artist (PNCA Alumni1996)
• Bill Park, Artist
• Lennie Pitkin, Artist / Educator
• Jacob Redmond, Artist
• Cheyenne Sawyer, Artist
• Carolyn Sheedy-Mazzucca, Artist
• Stephen Slappe, Artist/ Educator
• Charles Steeler, Artist (PNCA Alumni 1998)
• Jean Pierre Veillet, Artist/ Business Owner,(PNCA Alumni 1997)
• Nick Vietor, Artist / ceramicist
• Birte Von Kampen, Photographer (PNCA Alumni 1999)
• Christy Wyckoff, Artist/ Educator

Top Tables in Portland

The chef community has also generously donated restaurant dinners, wine tastings and cooking classes, and will prepare small bites for the event. Guests can bid on culinary packages from local hot spots Ned Ludd, Castagna, Metrovino, Andina, Biwa, Ken’s Artisan Pizza and Bakery, Le Pigeon, Biwa , the Heathman Restaurant and Hotel and Clyde Common and Olympic Provision. “ Portland chefs are more than generous when it comes to sharing their food for a cause as important as Haiti ,” said Jason French. “As a chef and restaurant owner, I know firsthand how crucial it is to stand up and try to make a difference. Bringing all my industry friends together means the party has just begun!”

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps helps people in the world’s toughest places turn the crises of natural disaster, poverty and conflict into opportunities for progress. Driven by local needs and market conditions, our programs provide communities with the tools and support they need to transform their own lives. Our worldwide team of 3,700 professionals is improving the lives of 16.7 million people in more than 40 countries. For more information, see www.mercycorps.org .

“Hands on for Haiti ” is sponsored by: Hoyt, Infinity Images, Siteworks Design Build, Lizard Lounge and the PNCA Alumni Association.

So here goes Bill! To a NEW YEAR, to many adventures and to many people at your table.

This New Year brings many thoughts to e.moreland kitchen.

How can we reach more people to understand and cherish what it is exactly that we are doing. How can we make a difference in how each and every one of you purchases  food for your table….How can we help you make these choices….. How can we convince you to shop local, to stay away from these mass produced, hormone injected products? How can we get each and every one of you to watch FOOD INC ?

We set our standards high at e.moreland market. You won’t ever be able to buy a piece of any meat less than $2.49/#….we abhor any and all feed lots. We know exactly how our poultry arrives to our case.  We only purchase locally raised and  sustainable meats. When in season, our produce is all organic and local. Right now, 60% ( in Mid January ) is all local. We are proud to support our local farmers. When not at farmers markets ( Nov. to March ) our farmers rely on us and local restaurants to keep their livelihoods. By supporting us, you help our farmers maintain until market. There are only a couple of markets in Portland that support local farmers year round. We are ONE of them.

Gathering Together Farms, Creative Growers, Cycle Crop Farms, year round.

May this new decade help you to decide new practices in the kitchen and in health.

SALUD!,

Patrick, Colleen, Jesse, Cody, Laura, Nate & Jude

I can’t help it, if a farmer winks at me, it’s like a firefighter winking at me. Kinda makes the knees buckle. I guess I’ve had this mark on me since I was a little girl. I hold my  Dad mostly  responsible. Not only did he raise us on a small dairy farm in Bayford, England for five years where we knew every one of the farmers and the cows by name, he would also take us to visit his seven uncles down in Central California every summer we had the chance to visit . Most of them were Almond farmers with acres and acres of beautiful groves. Long walks and many lessons later, five kids asking multiple questions, Uncle Rene, Dale,  and Winfred  all used to wink at us and it would always make me smile. I admired their passion for their land and the intense physical labours they endured daily to provide for their families. They never had a clean nail or a clean pair of pants between them, but they certainly knew how to laugh and they lived the walk they talked. Your food should come from as close to home as possible

After twelve years at Tuscany Grill and for the majority of that time always using local produce, it wasn’t until we opened this store that I personally got to develop such great relationships with our own local farmers.  I can listen to each and every one of  them for hours. Each person is so dedicated to their land, to the organic efforts that they practice,and to bringing to our table the freshest produce available in the N.W.  I’m amazed and in awe when I get the opportunity to talk to them. Why anyone would buy bulk from Mexico or outside of Oregon right now is just  mind boggling to me. We are some of the very luckiest people on this planet and for it to be so affordable is such a grace.

Our  neighborhood, down here in S.E. is pretty darn fortunate. Our farmers produce on a semi small scale, providing most of Portland’s upscale restaurants with their fresh ingredients. Because we are not a major chain, or a large grocery, they are also able to provide us with their premium produce. I don’t  think there is any other store in Portland  on the small grocery scale, aside from Pastaworks on Hawthorne, that works with so many local farmers. I’m really proud of that.

This post is just a shout out to all our wonderful hard working men and women in the fields. They work day and night to bring us the best available. Some are outside Eugene, some are near Corvallis, and one is practically right in our own back yard……  Gathering Together Farms, Creative Growers, Nature’s Fountain Farm, Sweet Leaf Farm, Greenleaf Farms and Cycle Crops Farm. I am so excited for this season and what it brings.

Remember, if you can’t make it to the farmers market, know that our market has what is available and what is in season right now!  If you have your own plot, bring in what you can’t use, we gladly have a communal crops table. Bring what you have, take what you don’t.

e.moreland market & KITCHEN makes fresh mozzarella daily. Get that basil in the ground and enjoy a Caprese salad with house dried sun dried tomatoes. Our fantastic tomatoes are a good seven weeks out, but we can dream of them! I love Oregon..

We are making fresh soups, salads and meals to go with the local produce provided in our store.

Happy  Spring! Happy Planting!

This email is a celebration of you and the fact that we love Rudy Fernandez of the Blazers and we will be celebrating his outstanding rookie NBA  record breaking 3 pt. shots this season with his own sandwich,

The 3 Point Rudy

Because Rudy is from Espana we will commemorate a  ” Bocadillo de Calamares con Jamon Serrano y Queso Mahon on Friday and Saturday for lunch.

Also, we just hit the news wave, check us out at wweek.com/story.php?story=12424&hood=7

The Port of Portland and KGW are holding a contest called “Be a Local Superhero” to promote nonstop overseas flights from Portland. William’s parents thought it would be fun to make a short video, and it  ended up being chosen as one of the 3 finalists. The overall best video is being chosen by public vote, and that’s where you come in. William really wants his parents to win the four tickets so that he can go to Europe too. William’s 2 favorite items at Eastmoreland Market & Kitchen are the arancine and the tortilla espanola, and he would love to experience them first-hand in Spain and Italy (although we are all pretty certain that it doesn’t get any better than what Pat & Colleen are serving up right here in Portland). So please see his video and vote.

http://www.kgw.com/contest/flypdx/

William and his parents thank you in advance!

With the unemployment rate in Oregon at over 10% and rising, more Oregon families are experiencing hunger for the first time. As a result, local food resources are being taxed to the breaking point. Blog for Food is an effort on the part of Oregon bloggers to help by raising funds for the Oregon Food Bank, the hub of a network of 915 hunger-relief agencies in Oregon and Clark County, Washington. And when you donate, please enter “Blog for Food” in the “Tribute Gift: In honor of:” space on the donation form so we can update you on how it’s going. Thanks for helping those less fortunate!

We look forward to 2009 as change is around the corner . We have been at the store for one year and so much has happened during that  short time.  Twelve years owning Tuscany Grill in N.W. Portland, we never imagined owning the little store in our own neighborhood. Circumstances and a leap of faith landed us where we are. We wanted to change the store to reflect what we really love but also wanted to keep the spirit of what it has always been. After twelve months of butchering, stocking, ordering and cooking, we are finally coming into what we envisioned eighteen months ago. We love this store and have come to know so many wonderful people because of it.

Thank you for your continued support and we wish you and your families a very Happy New Year!!

Pat, Colleen, Jesse, Carlos, Jon, Cody and Nathan

In addition, you can always build your own sandwich, but with these options, we don’t know why you would want to.