Omnivore's Dilemna

As an Alaskan it has been a challenge for me to understand the growing season of all things, plants and animals. In Alaska there are 2 seasons, summer and winter. During the summer you eat as much veggies as you can as the veggies are available for about 3 months if you are lucky. The rest of the year, the ground is frozen. There aren't a lot of cows or chickens in Alaska, mostly moose and ptarmigan. However, now I know why hunting season for moose is in September! As I have been learning more about food, when it is grown and where it comes from I came across this passage from the book Omnivore's Dilemna, "We should eat red meat when it's cold, but people want chicken in the winter, when we don't have it...A global food market, which brings us New Zealand lamb in the spring, Chilean asparagus in December, and fresh tomatoes the year round, has smudged the bright colors of the seasonal food calendar we all once knew by heart. But for local food chains to succeed, people will have to relearn what it means to eat according to the seasons. This is especially true in the case of pastured animals, which can be harvested only after they've had several months on rapidly growing grass (this is when they are the fattest) Feeding animals corn in CAFO's has accustomed us to a year-round supply of fresh meats, many of which we forget were once eaten as seasonally as tomatoes or sweet corn: People would eat most of their beef and pork in late fall or winter, when the animals were fat, and eat chicken in the summer."

This shed a whole new light for me on the W of W. Doesn't this sound familiar? Heavenly Father has told us, in the season thereof. For me it helps me to partly understand why we eat red meat when it is cold...the meat is better for you! I have been trying to learn which farmers are at the farmers market and how they raise their animals so that I can get the best food for our family. I know the cost is a bit more, but I have come to realize that spending money on quality nutritionally dense food is important to me as I raise my family. I want what is best for us and if that means paying more for good quality, I am willing to do that. I went to the market today and bought from Maple View Farms which is a local dairy farm and you can get their milk at Harris Teeter or Whole Foods (the chocolate milk is to die for!). I also bought free range eggs from them.

Peaches were at the market today! Yummy! I can't wait to have some with my local milk. They are delicious. I love summer!

Has anyone else read Omnivore's Dilemna? I'd love to hear your thoughts. I wish I knew of a farm close by that operates like the Polyface farm. If you know of one, please let me know.

Weekly Farmer's Market Report

There really are peaches! And blueberries arrived this week! The vendor selling peaches is down on the end closest to the main road. My friend bought some Saturday and said she had to wait about four days for them to ripen, but then they were fantastic. Only two more days to wait! I also asked about sugar snap peas at my usual stop because the ones I'd seen around the market looked old. She said they were all gone from her field as of Monday so anything I was seeing was getting older by the minute. I was going to freeze some but missed my window. Now I'll know for next year.

The Fire's In Their Eyes And Their Words Are Really Clear

The farmers market doesn't disappoint. Guess what showed up last week, BEETS! I am not a fan of the gross canned beets found on the everyday salad bar, but a good roasted fresh beet is enough to make me cry. A few weeks back nearly licked my plate in public after eating a serving of beet salad at a baby shower. It was all I could do to refrain from taking my fork, making a run for the bowl, and beating off all other guests as I devoured every last bite. I am not even over reacting, it was really that good! After begging the hostess for the recipe she finally emailed it to me today. It is so getting put on the meal plan for this week. If you have tried beets before and not liked them, I encourage you to brave up and give this dish a try, particularly following the substitution of using fresh roasted beets instead of canned beats. It made all the difference, just beet it.

Beets and Caramelized Onions with Feta
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (preferably whole-grain or coarse-grain)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb onions (2 medium), quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 (15-oz) cans small whole beets, drained and quartered (or halved if very small) I used fresh beets that I roasted in the oven instead.

3 oz crumbled feta (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup pine nuts (1 oz), toasted and coarsely chopped

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, then add 3 tablespoons oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.

Cook onions with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Add onions to dressing, then add beets and cheese, stirring gently to combine. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts.

Gourmet
September 2003

Weekly Farmer's Market Report

Sorry this is so late! Good news! There is already zuchini and yellow squash this week. I am a very happy camper. The word on the street is certain vendors will have peaches starting this weekend. We don't have freestone here until after July 4, but these are the kind you bite into and juice dribbles down your chin. Oh yeah! It's like a preview of summer!

Weekly Farmer's Market Report

I'm so excited I can hardly type! We have a new veggie - peas! I forget the names of the two kinds but there are the peas that need to be shelled, and the peas you eat pod and all. Everything else green is still there - asparagus, broccoli, lettuce. The lettuce from the hydroponic guy is amazing. I bought some for my sweetie two weeks ago to eat while I was in Houston. I opened the fridge Tuesday night to see what I had and there was a head of green leaf lettuce, still perfectly crisp and tasty. Two weeks! Just picked veggies - you gotta love 'em!

Sweet Potatoes

For those of you who have sweet potatoes out the ears, here is a website for you. Click here to check out some amazing sweet potato recipes. I can't wait to try out some of the recipes this week. Yes, I am one of those who have a few sweet potatoes I need to use up. Let me know fi you try anything. I'd love some feedback.