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Are you doing the Eat Local Lawrence Challenge?

August 23rd, 2009 · local food

The Community Mercantile’s Eat Local Lawrence Challenge is entering its second week. The challenge, which started Aug. 16 runs through Aug. 29 as the Merc works to get more of us on the eat-local bandwagon.

If you’re still wondering why the fuss over your food source, you might want to check out the current cover story at Time magazine on the high price of cheap food.

eatlocalMeanwhile, I’m not sure if you can still sign up for the Lawrence challenge, but those who did (do?) get a button, a menu planning guide and a list of locally produced items available at the Merc. Many of those items are on my Local Sources page, and look there if you want links. (I don’t have time to insert them in this post.) And fresh produce and meats are available at the Lawrence Farmers Market. See the Local Sources for other locally owned markets that offer local foods.

You won’t go hungry if you go totally local. Here are food items that the Merc’s flier lists, in addition to produce and Merc Deli & Bakery items marked with Buy Local stickers. Even if you aren’t in Lawrence, I’ll bet there’s a lot more local food available than you realize. Of course, not all local food is produced in harmony with the environment and ethical treatment of workers and animals, but if your food is local, it’s a lot easier to find out.

Deli area

  • Goatsbeard Farm Cheeses
  • Alma Cheeses
  • Le Petit Garden Fresh Salsas
  • Perez Corn Tortillas
  • Treehouse Berry Farm Fresh Salsas
  • Treehouse Berry Farm Gazpacho

Meat area

  • Cedar Valley Farm Chicken, Duck, Lamb
  • Creekstone Farm Beef
  • Gingerich Farms Ground Turkey
  • MJ Ranch Frozen Ground Beef
  • New Grass Bison Frozen Buffalo Meat
  • New Grass Bison Jerkies & Snacks
  • Parthian Foods Pomegranate Walnut Entree Sauce
  • Wakarusa Ridge Ranch Beef

Groceries

  • Anthony’s Beehive BBQ Sauce
  • Arthur Bryant BBQ Sauces
  • Cowtown BBQ Sauce
  • Daniels BBQ Sauce
  • Hillsdale Bank BBQ Sauce
  • Jan’s Organic World BBQ Sauces
  • Night of Living Dead BBQ Sauce
  • Boulevard Brewing Co. Pale Ale Mustard
  • Pain is Good Hot Sauces
  • Pain is Good Steak Sauces
  • Fiesta Artichoke Spinach Dip
  • Fiesta Raspberry Jalapeno Sauce
  • Fiesta Salsas
  • Jan’s Organic World Salsas
  • Jumpin’ Jack Salsas
  • Margarita Salsas
  • Old Fart Salsas
  • Pain is Good Salsas
  • Pendleton’s Blue Com Chips
  • Senor Stan Salsas
  • Silva’s Corn Chips
  • Treehouse Berry Farm Salsas
  • Jan’s Organic World Salad Dressings
  • Mama Capri’s Salad Dressings
  • Treehouse Berry Farm Chutneys
  • Tripti’s Chutneys
  • Lost Trail Sodas
  • Anthony Beehive Honey
  • Little John Sherwood Farm Blackberry Syrup
  • Sweetheart Honey
  • Mama Capri’s Bruschetta Sauce
  • Cascone Pasta Sauces
  • Cascone Pizza Sauces
  • Cupini Pasta Sauce
  • Garezzo’s Pasta Sauce
  • Jan’s Organic World Pasta Sauces
  • Mama Capri’s Pasta Sauces
  • My Neighbor Stan’s Pasta Sauce
  • Bilardo Brothers Meat Rubs
  • Pantry Shelf Muffin & Cake Mixes
  • Treehouse Berry Farm Raspberry Vinegar
  • Grandma Hoemer’s Applesauce
  • Grandma Hoemer’s Preserves
  • Treehouse Berry Farm Jams & Jellies
  • Good Dog Biscuits and Treats
  • Henderson Farm Dog Shampoo Bar

Bulk

  • Annie’s Candied Orange & Lemon Peel
  • Dried Mushrooms
  • Hawley Honey
  • Locally Roasted Coffees
  • Locally Supplied or Blended Teas
  • Missouri Pecan Brittle
  • Missouri Pecans
  • Rocket Man Crunch Candies
  • Soaring Eagle Farms Whole Wheat Flour

Frozen foods

  • Ancient Grains Amaranth Pizza Crust & Flatbread
  • Ancient Grains Cookie Dough
  • Ancient Grains Good Morning Millet Patties
  • Ancient Grains Millet Carrot Bread
  • Ancient Grains Pre-Baked Cookies
  • Ancient Grains Sunny Millet Bread
  • Bread of Life Spelt Pizza Crust
  • Pieroguy’s Pierogies
  • V’s Tortellini

Bread aisle

  • Bread of life Breads, Muffins & Cookies
  • Bread of life Cookie Mixes
  • Bread of life Granolas
  • Farm to Market Breads
  • Goucher’s Peppernuts
  • Grace’s Best Sunflower Seed Cookies
  • Hometown Granolas
  • Jerusalem Bakery Pita Breads
  • Acme Grains Flour
  • Acme Grains Sorghum Flour
  • Acme Grains Wheat Berries
  • Wheatfields Breads
  • Yummy’s Pita Chips

Refrigerator case

  • Eggs
  • Green Hills Harvest Milk
  • lwig Butter
  • Iwig Cream
  • Iwig Milk
  • Central Soy Products
  • Jerusalem Cafe Products
  • Le Petit Garden Products
  • Lebanese Flower Products
  • Mediterrean Market Products
  • Mohamed’s Products
  • Tripti’s Flat Breads
  • Yummy’s Choice Products

At checkout

  • Marcon Pies
  • Nut Nation Smoked Pistachios
  • Oak Ridge Farm Inoculated Shiitake Mushroom Log
  • Sleepy Jean’s Candies
  • Tall Grass Toffee

Meat case

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Pear windfall makes fine pear sauce

August 22nd, 2009 · local food, recipes

pears

I recently received a windfall of hard green pears from Angela after a branch broke from her tree, thereby rushing the pear harvest. As perhaps you can tell from the photo, the pears were small, the round bottom portion about the size of a handball, and they weren’t yet ripe.

I let the pears sit on my counter for a week or two, but they never developed much fragrance, and they’re the gritty sort of pear anyway. Finally, I decided to sauce them (like applesauce), and a fine decision it was. Try this approach, and let me know what you think.

Gingered pear sauce

  • 2-3 pounds pears
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 generous slices fresh ginger, peeled if you like
  • 1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (see note), or to taste
  1. Quarter and core pears. Place in heavy pan with water and ginger. Cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook until soft, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.
  2. Put pears through food mill or cone sieve (my choice). Discard captured peel.
  3. Stir sugar and lemon extract into sauce. Enjoy straight or as sauce over ice cream or cake. Makes about 3 cups sauce (I think).

Please note! I wasn’t writing things down as I did this one, and enough time has passed that I’m guessing on quantities and time. BUT, this sort of thing isn’t going to be an exact science anyway. Use as much ginger, sugar and lemon as you think is compatible with the amount of pears you have. Also, the lemon flavoring definitely made the sauce tastier, but if I’d had a fresh lemon on hand, I think a tablespoon or more of lemon juice plus some grated rind would have been better.

Afterword

The pears made up a good quantity of sauce, and I thought I might freeze some for later. But it was so good, it disappeared in a few days. Hence, no photo, but it wasn’t especially pretty anyway. It looked like dark applesauce. Use your imagination.

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Tip: Cook corn in the husk

August 17th, 2009 · Cooking for one, Cooking tips, Food preparation

corn1

Can corn on the cob relieve anxiety? Probably not, but maybe writing about it will.

The project I’m working on has me in a knot of anxiety, which I hate. I’m not usually an anxious person. I do like writing on this blog, though, so as a reward to myself for a day of teeth-gnashing on the book project, I offer up this quick post on the world’s easiest way to cook corn on the cob.

1. Inspect

Peek inside top of corn ear to make sure it doesn’t have a worm. (I don’t want to cook worms.)

2. Cook

corn2

Put the whole ear in the microwave, and zap it for 2 minutes. Turn it over and zap 1 minute. Remove from microwave and wait a minute or two.

3. Shuck

corn3

Using a towel or hot pads (the ear and its contents are hot!), pull back the corn husks and pull away the silks. If you haven’t cooked a whole ear before, you will not believe how easily the silks pull off when the ear has been cooked.

4. Eat

corn4

Adding butter is optional, but I kind of like it.

Anxiety arrested

I feel better now. I haven’t tried this with more than one ear at a time. I don’t know why it wouldn’t work with more. Just increase the cooking time, I reckon.

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Roundup: Winners, food tips, tomatoes

August 15th, 2009 · local food, recipes, Roundup

It was a rough week for me, but I’ve finally caught my breath enough to offer a roundup with updates, opinion and information that’s good to know.

Updates

gp-dishScattered sushi recipe. Anyone who was around for the Japanese cooking demonstration at the Lawrence Farmers Market in June and who wondered how to make chirashi zushi (scattered sushi) can now find the answer at the Global Partners for Local Organic Foods web site. Here’s the chirashi zushi recipe, converted to American terms.

T-shirt winner. Despite my inadequate efforts to develop and promote a Food for Change Challenge, I nevertheless am awarding the prize, the cool t-shirt donated by Local Burger, to Jocelyn, assuming she sends me her mailing address. If she doesn’t it, I’ll see if I can come up with a better promotion for giving away the shirt.

We’re No. 5! And darned pleased about it. The Lawrence Farmers Market wound up getting fifth place among large markets in the American Farmland Trust’s America’s Favorite Farmers Market contest. The voting is brisker, though, and the stakes are higher in the Love Your Farmers Market contest, which has prizes including $5,000 to the winning market. Click here or on the red badge in the sidebar on this page to vote!

Good to know

plumtomatoesJealous of my tomato sauce? Follow Meryl’s lead and get “seconds” from Pendleton’s. (My Bit of Earth)

Picking winners. K-State’s Extension office provides tips for choosing your fresh local produce this time of year. Tomatoes, anyone? (KSU)

Wild things. Lawrence writer Tom King, quoting Lawrence botanist Kelly Kindscher, offers ideas and suggestions if you’d like to supplement your diet with a little wild food. (Mother Earth News)

Drying to save. Mary Pepitone writes a detailed article featuring Ann Allegre about using a dehydrator for preserving food. It includes recipes and tips. (KC Star)

Go-to gazpacho. Speaking of tomatoes, gazpacho is a great way to use them—and you don’t have to be precise about it! (Rolling in the Dough)

Opinion

Let them eat (taxed) cake. Larry Marsh suggests that if you “want to smoke like a fiend, drink yourself into a stupor and eat Ho-Hos and Ding-Dongs like there’s no tomorrow” you might ought to pay more for you bad habits, such as by paying an added tax on junk food. (KC Star)

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Make easy tomato sauce in oven for freezing

August 10th, 2009 · Food preparation, recipes

tomatoroast 009

Until last week, I’d recommended Joanne’s method of roasting tomatoes for tomato sauce, but I hadn’t made it myself (if you don’t count one attempt). Sister Lori endorsed the method heartily, so I passed it on to Lynn, who pronounced it genious… and then turned around and gave me 2 1/2 gallons (dry measure) of gorgeous organic plum tomatoes that she and her family had grown.

Hooray! It was time to try it for myself for real, and I couldn’t be happier with the approach. The photo above shows the results…and I didn’t cook all the tomatoes!

So here’s the method in recipe form. You’ll note it’s highly imprecise, but I think that’s because it can be. Do what works best for you.

Roasted tomato sauce

  • Large quantity plum or slicer tomatoes
  • 1/4 large onion per quart (dry measure) tomatoes
  • 1 clove garlic per quart tomatoes
  • Salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Olive oil
  1. Wash and trim tomatoes of anything you wouldn’t want to eat, such stem scars. Halve small tomatoes (such as plums) or cut large tomatoes into chunks. Let’s say 1-inch cubes, but larger is fine.
  2. Distribute tomatoes in large ovenproof pans with a lip to catch juices. Tomatoes don’t have to be in a single layer, but don’t mound appreciably above the height of the pan’s lip, as the tomatoes will give off juice.
  3. Peel and trim onion and garlic and distribute among tomatoes. Generously sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper, and drizzle oil over all. I stirred the mixture a little to distribute the oil and probably used about 1 cup oil for the 6 quarts or more tomatoes.
  4. Place pans on racks in 350-degree oven and roast about 2 hours, or until the tomatoes have cooked down considerably, and the onions and garlic are soft. Expect the tomatoes to be sitting in some liquid. The following photos show one of the pans fresh from the oven and a closeup of the tomatoes. tomatoroast 002
     tomatoroast 004
  5. Cool, then transfer tomato mixture in batches to the bowl of food processor and puree, skin and all. Marvelous! Transfer to freezer containers and freeze, or use as desired. Yield: A lot of tomato sauce.

Notes: It’s OK to use multiple oven racks, but try to leave room for air to circulate around the pans some. After 1 hour or so, you might want to stir tomatoes and rotate pans for more even roasting. Feel free to add herbs to the mixture as you roast for additional flavor.

Thoughts

The finished sauce had a consistency similar to commercial canned crushed tomatoes, but the flavor was much better. Yes, I could detect a touch of bitterness, no doubt due to the skin and seeds. No, I don’t care. (If you use plum tomatoes and the seeds offend you, they’re easily scraped out before roasting.)

Yes, the sauce would be more refined if you passed it through a food mill or cone sieve, and it’s perfectly fine if you want to. I took Joanne’s word and decided it wasn’t worth the effort for such a large bunch of sauce.

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Getting food outside industrial system is a challenge

August 9th, 2009 · Food selection, local food

challengeSo how about it? Did you try the Food for Change Challenge last week? Even a little bit? I hope so, because I have that cool t-shirt to send to someone.

I know I wasn’t much help in this challenge. I didn’t give you as much notice as I should have, I didn’t give enough guidance, and I didn’t report enough on my experiences.

Still, I hope you’ll forgive me and tell me what you were able to accomplish on your own. The idea here wasn’t that this little exercise would make a dent in the mammoth food industry but that it would make a dent in our communal habit of not putting a lot of thought into our food.

So how about it? Did doing the challenge—or even thinking about doing the challenge—yield any insights for you? Here’s what I learned:

  • Avoiding high-fructose corn syrup is pretty easy for me, as I eat very few processed foods. I get fresh, local and often organic produce from my CSA (Rolling Prairie Farmers Alliance), from the Downtown Lawrence Farmers Market and even from the Community Mercantile (food co-op) and Checkers (supermarket), and I buy local artisan bread that has nothing but traditional ingredients in it. On the other hand, I really couldn’t eat if I left home, or I had to assume that virtually anything I did consume included the ubiquitous HFCS.
  • Except for milk, I don’t do so well with the meat and dairy, especially dairy. I don’t buy much meat and poultry to begin with, and what I buy I usually get from most of the same local sources: the Farmers Market, the Merc and Checkers. But dairy? Well, I may not go for mass-produced cheeses, but I don’t exactly go artisan or local, either, for the most part. I buy Iwig milk and local eggs (from the market or Baumans’ Cedar Valley Farms at the Merc), but cheese, well, hmm. I like the cheese from Goatsbeard Farm, but I just can’t buy it very often because of price. For everyday items, such as cottage cheese or half-and-half or plain yogurt, I usually buy Anderson-Erickson rather than organic or local either because of availability or price. I may try making my own one of these days.

Over the last few years, I’ve moved more and more organic and local products into my grocery bag, which means I’ve trimmed spending elsewhere. I do believe the food current system is a hazard to the health of our environment, of food security and of our bodies. I guess I’ll have to look for more places to cut other spending so that my purchases do vote for a change in the current food system.

Your comment or blog post is your entry

lbshirtOK, now leave a comment below, or write a blog post about the Food for Change Challenge by the end of the day Tuesday, August 11, and send me a link via the Foodperson.com contact form. On August 12, I’ll run a post that links to your comments here and to your blog posts. I’ll draw a name from among the entries (that is, from the names of all those who participate), and I’ll announce the t-shirt winner. Even if the shirt doesn’t fit, you can give it to someone it does fit.

Your turn!

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