slow food

today marks the 2 year anniversary of when we began kismet at 207 barre street in montpelier vermont.. we purchased the existing business and went from the signing to the bank to the space, where we and our wee children lifted tiles, took down partial walls and began deep cleaning and organizing.. it has been a slow process, but hearty and fluid and fast moving..
today marks the first vice-presidential debates involving a woman.. unfortunately, the woman representing the "woman" is not my favorite.. i feel concerned and intrigued and nervous... where is this world headed? a question bigger than me, i guess, bigger than any of us alone, i guess.. but together, together we steer---but where?

ok.. that was deep, but, you know life is deep and dark sometimes, and like raw unsweetened chocolate, or hot peppers off the vine, not un-enjoyable...just have to know what to do with it, i suppose. so with the awareness that our current food and fuel crisis are at a critical point, owning a restaurant has become a heavy and serious matter.. kismet is doing fine, which continues to bring me comfort, but i still feel like our success is completely dependant on others.. how do we give back, when we can only just give to ourselves? we give what we can--but what if that is only a little bit? how do we make this work, show that little things matter, feel the success of our success when our success is so vague?..
we step up, like ballerinas on toe, yogi's on one foot, or eager lucid farmers in february with lights and seed in hand in a dark basement, we do what we feel called to do, we stretch a bit further and try something brave..
in honor of all that everyone who supports kismet has done for us in the last year, in honor of all who have waited patiently for us to evolve, in honor of all those who are suffering financially, we have decided to stretch and experiment a little further..please read below- i think you may find this interesting,
we have decided to do something different....
i have so much more to say on this subject (and i haven't even touched on the snail picture in the top right hand corner)- but i will say that slow food, small communities, big risks, and trust are involved-- and everyday, we all know it applies to us..
read on:

In our work at kismet, we have been very fortunate in our experience.

We are surrounded by beautiful foods, an energetic and joyful community, and the constant reflection of ourselves through good work.

We have been blessed to have this opportunity to fulfill our vision,

and are constantly reminded that the success of this business

relies most crucially on the success of our relationships.

The relationships we have with our employees, neighbors, customers, farmers and food producers have given us immeasurable support and inspiration,

and we have learned so much through the simple work of co-habitation.
At the moment, most everyone we know
is being affected and is concerned about current fuel and food costs.

We too, are concerned,

and hope to do our part in offering support to our local farmers and friends

who may struggle the most this year.

Single Mothers ourselves,

we understand how critical every bit of help can be,

and understand that there are many Vermonters each year who have to sacrifice purchasing quality food in order to pay for heat or transportation.

This is why

this winter,

we will match donations and purchase one CSA each month for a local family.

You are invited to participate,

and we hope that you will join us in making sure that our friends and neighbors are fed well, while constantly making an effort to make more friends and broaden our neighborhood.
With love, Crystal & Alanna


Make a contribution to our CSA lottery, and each month we will match the contributions and purchase a CSA for a local family.
How it works:
For each contribution of $5.00 or more
You will make a nomination of someone you would like to see receive a free CSA
(it’s o.k. to nominate yourself)
Give us your contact information
Each month we will match $200.00 and purchase a CSA from a local farm.
Read our blog to find out who will receive the CSA each month.


Do you have ideas of other ways we can help?
We’d like to hear your ideas.
Send us an email at kismetkitchen@yahoo.com.