Ferment happy hour to explore "forgotten fruits" Wednesday at Orpheum

The state of the American food system could drive any local foodie to drink. But at least picky eaters don’t have to booze it up alone. The informal, free Ferment happy hour brings local food activists together once a month in the fall and winter to do what they do best—drink and eat. Naturally, these aren’t just any old eats--no meatballs, drumsticks, or tortilla chips here. Each month features a different artisanal food or producer, which only makes sense given the crowd. Past meetings have featured chocolate, squash, cider, items made from goat’s milk, and on one bizarrely sensuous occasion, garlic.

Ferment's next gathering—taking place Wednesday, Oct. 7 at the Orpheum Lobby (and marking Ferment's move to that venue)—offers a peculiar theme, even by the standards of a group that once put on a tasting of local butters: "forgotten fruits." That is, a selection of fruits that used to be common here but aren’t anymore, and small-batch preserves. The East Side's Quince And Apple preserve-makers will showcase heirloom apple, pear, and red currant preserves made from fruit sourced directly from farmers. They’ll pair these preserves with local cheeses and Potter’s crackers. Cindy and Dale Secher of Carandale Farm, local leaders in non-traditional fruit crop growing, will also be there to share samples and to discuss growing such unique fruits as aronia and sea berry. Pair it with a glass of your more traditional happy hour beers and wines, and the anguish of processed food may not seem so bad after all.