Farmer's Market
October 01, 2007
Fall is upon us and the harvest is at a farmer's stand near you. This weekend, I had the privilege to enjoy my local farmer's market. The height of the market may
vary where you live, but October is filled with an array of squash, potatoes of all colors, onions of all kinds, the beginnings of corn, ripe pumpkins, and the tailings of hot and sweet peppers. To my surprise, cucumbers and eggplants are also in full bloom, along with hearty heirloom tomatoes and "early girl" egg shaped tomatoes.
At my farmer's market, I found so much amazing produce (almost all of it organic and grown within 25 miles) that after purchasing lemon cucumbers, purple haze garlic bulbs, and yellow pear tomatoes, I decided to seek out one of the farms selling produce at the market -Abbodanza Organic Seeds and Produce.
Buying from your local farmer's market or roadside farmer's stand is not just about "buying locally" in the sense that you are supporting local growers and farmers, (a good thing) rather, I propose that purchasing power is really about modern-day social change.
Next time you eat, consider how far every item on your plate had to travel to reach your fork. One website shows a breakdown of certain produce and the miles it travels to reach markets in Chicago, Illinois. Pretty amazing to consider that a commonly consumed product lik
e apples travels an average of 1500 miles before you get to eat it (makes me cringe to think of my morning coffee and banana habit). Another article from the BBC explains in a much more in-depth way how your food choices impact the environment due to the energy it takes to transport.
If environmentalism is not high on your list of concerns because you are barely making ends meet, consider your pocket book. It is no secret that high fuel costs are driving up the cost of food and fueling inflation. Purchasing produce, meat, and dairy from local growers means your food has a lower price tag that excludes excess fuel costs. Cost benefit analysis is still part of the environmental equation, however. As a child, I remember my parents purchasing a quarter of a cow each year from a cattle rancher who corn fed his beef, and raised them not more than 20 miles from our house. The best part is that he butchered and packed the meat for us to enjoy all year long. My parents purchased meat this way, not to save the environment, but to save money. They were able to purchase a larger quantity of high quality beef and feed five children in a much more cost effective manner than buying meat each time they needed to prepare a meal - and who knew? They also reduced quite a bit of carbon emissions and prevented wasted packaging in the process.
vary where you live, but October is filled with an array of squash, potatoes of all colors, onions of all kinds, the beginnings of corn, ripe pumpkins, and the tailings of hot and sweet peppers. To my surprise, cucumbers and eggplants are also in full bloom, along with hearty heirloom tomatoes and "early girl" egg shaped tomatoes.
At my farmer's market, I found so much amazing produce (almost all of it organic and grown within 25 miles) that after purchasing lemon cucumbers, purple haze garlic bulbs, and yellow pear tomatoes, I decided to seek out one of the farms selling produce at the market -Abbodanza Organic Seeds and Produce.Abbodanza - literally "abundance" - is a Community Supported Agricultural co-op located in Lafayette, Colorado. The farm is supported by the community of Lafayette as part of an initiative where voters approved the leasing of open space for organic farming. Thomas Open Space, located at 1640 W. Baseline Rd in Lafayette between 95th and 287, is now home to Abbodanza farms for the next three years. The farm stand is open on the weekends, through Halloween, and features produce like none other. I purchased two large cardboard boxes worth of produce - everything from potatoes, to shallots, and pie pumpkins. The presentation of eggplants, however, is what really won me over. Every variety of eggplant I could name was on a table in front of me in the many shades of purple, green, and white it can be.
Buying from your local farmer's market or roadside farmer's stand is not just about "buying locally" in the sense that you are supporting local growers and farmers, (a good thing) rather, I propose that purchasing power is really about modern-day social change.Considering the impact your food has on the values you hold near and dear may rearrange your purchasing habits. For some people, religious values, or morals may dictate food choices, but for me, a consideration of the environmental impact my food choices have is what primarily dictates whether I'll buy strawberries out of season, or purchase shell fish (I'm land locked!).
Next time you eat, consider how far every item on your plate had to travel to reach your fork. One website shows a breakdown of certain produce and the miles it travels to reach markets in Chicago, Illinois. Pretty amazing to consider that a commonly consumed product lik
e apples travels an average of 1500 miles before you get to eat it (makes me cringe to think of my morning coffee and banana habit). Another article from the BBC explains in a much more in-depth way how your food choices impact the environment due to the energy it takes to transport.Produce aside, the environmental impact of meat production is quite scary. If you never considered vegetarianism out of ethical concerns, you may rethink your position if you are concerned about your "carbon footprint" or the emissions caused by the production and consumption of meat. One recent article from the Guardian (a British newspaper), "Meat production 'beefs up emissions,'" had this to say about meat production: "Producing 1kg of beef results in more CO2 emissions than going for a three-hour drive while leaving all the lights on at home, scientists said today."
If environmentalism is not high on your list of concerns because you are barely making ends meet, consider your pocket book. It is no secret that high fuel costs are driving up the cost of food and fueling inflation. Purchasing produce, meat, and dairy from local growers means your food has a lower price tag that excludes excess fuel costs. Cost benefit analysis is still part of the environmental equation, however. As a child, I remember my parents purchasing a quarter of a cow each year from a cattle rancher who corn fed his beef, and raised them not more than 20 miles from our house. The best part is that he butchered and packed the meat for us to enjoy all year long. My parents purchased meat this way, not to save the environment, but to save money. They were able to purchase a larger quantity of high quality beef and feed five children in a much more cost effective manner than buying meat each time they needed to prepare a meal - and who knew? They also reduced quite a bit of carbon emissions and prevented wasted packaging in the process.
If you've never been to the farmer's market, or wonder whether you'd like to rekindle those pre-school days of visiting the pumpkin patch and picking your own jack-o-lantern, I suggest you go to Food Routes to find local markets, stands, growers, and producers in your neck of the woods. Taste the difference, and let me know what fun places you find. For now, I'll be haunting Abbodanza until Halloween.
Labels: farmer's market, food, harvest, local, produce, shopping
Grocery Shopping, Again.
March 29, 2006
I’ve been getting some “but I don’t have that in my fridge” comments lately, and so I’ve decided to post a second blog on grocery shopping for dummies. I suggest that you first read my blog from November 7, 2005 on “Mysteries of Grocery Shopping Solved” before you read this one. That blog provides everyone a list of pantry basics and a typical grocery list I make when I go to the store.
Now that you are refreshed with a basic course in how to stock your pantry, here are some tips for grocery shopping that may help you spend your money and time wisely.
1. Plan your meals. Yes, before you head out to the store, and after you’ve stocked that pantry, you need to decide “what am I going to eat this week?” You should consider whether you like to pack lunches, and how often in a week you like to cook. I cook every night and I pack a lunch everyday. So go through this food blog and pick out 7 things you want to eat. Here is an example of a weeks worth of dinners: Pot Pie (11/28/05); Whipped Potatoes & Veg (11/30/05); Linguini & Olive Oil Trio (10/30/05); Minestrone Soup (10/27/05); Purple Potato Salad (12/01/05); Vegetarian Posole (1/28/06).
I also like to buy a big bag of salad, blue corn tortilla chips for snacking, fruit for breakfast/dessert, and I stock up on tea, coffee, and sparkling water (soda is not only harsh on your stomach, but it is filled with empty calories and rots your teeth).
2. Make a list. Now that you’ve planned your meals, go through each recipe and find out what you need to buy (remember, you should have a stocked pantry). You will be surprised by the repeat ingredients. Depending on how many people you are feeding, be sure to consider that my meals usually feed 2 for dinner with enough for leftovers the next day for 2. Compare that list with what you already have, and cross off things you don’t need.
3. Pick a grocery store. As stupid as this sounds you need to consider how much you want to spend on food. I buy most of my groceries from Whole Foods or Wild Oats, which tends to be very expensive; but I found that Safeway is now marketing cheaper organic products I like to buy. In the end, your budget will dictate whether you can splurge on quality, or confine yourself to quantity/price.
4. Expect to grocery shop once a week. Grocery shopping is fun - really! Be sure not to go on an empty stomach and try to find a grocery store you like (I like Whole Foods because they give free samples of everything while you shop; they have large aisles; they have a juice bar). The better your store, the better your experience. Going once a week will also help you budget better (you can evaluate at the end of the week how much you have spent on food). You will also waste less food (Americans toss away about %14 of groceries each year, contributing to the $75 billion dollars in food waste annually).
Now that you are refreshed with a basic course in how to stock your pantry, here are some tips for grocery shopping that may help you spend your money and time wisely.
1. Plan your meals. Yes, before you head out to the store, and after you’ve stocked that pantry, you need to decide “what am I going to eat this week?” You should consider whether you like to pack lunches, and how often in a week you like to cook. I cook every night and I pack a lunch everyday. So go through this food blog and pick out 7 things you want to eat. Here is an example of a weeks worth of dinners: Pot Pie (11/28/05); Whipped Potatoes & Veg (11/30/05); Linguini & Olive Oil Trio (10/30/05); Minestrone Soup (10/27/05); Purple Potato Salad (12/01/05); Vegetarian Posole (1/28/06).
I also like to buy a big bag of salad, blue corn tortilla chips for snacking, fruit for breakfast/dessert, and I stock up on tea, coffee, and sparkling water (soda is not only harsh on your stomach, but it is filled with empty calories and rots your teeth).
2. Make a list. Now that you’ve planned your meals, go through each recipe and find out what you need to buy (remember, you should have a stocked pantry). You will be surprised by the repeat ingredients. Depending on how many people you are feeding, be sure to consider that my meals usually feed 2 for dinner with enough for leftovers the next day for 2. Compare that list with what you already have, and cross off things you don’t need.
3. Pick a grocery store. As stupid as this sounds you need to consider how much you want to spend on food. I buy most of my groceries from Whole Foods or Wild Oats, which tends to be very expensive; but I found that Safeway is now marketing cheaper organic products I like to buy. In the end, your budget will dictate whether you can splurge on quality, or confine yourself to quantity/price.
4. Expect to grocery shop once a week. Grocery shopping is fun - really! Be sure not to go on an empty stomach and try to find a grocery store you like (I like Whole Foods because they give free samples of everything while you shop; they have large aisles; they have a juice bar). The better your store, the better your experience. Going once a week will also help you budget better (you can evaluate at the end of the week how much you have spent on food). You will also waste less food (Americans toss away about %14 of groceries each year, contributing to the $75 billion dollars in food waste annually).
Labels: shopping
Mysteries of Grocery Shopping Solved
November 07, 2005
Despite the fact that everyone eats everyday, not everyone knows how to cook for themselves, much less how to grocery shop in order to make a meal. I hope this post will allay many of your grocery shopping fears, dispel supermarket myths, and give you good advice on how to approach what may seem an arduous or daunting task.
First, it is important that you have a kitchen stocked with your basic needs. Every year when I went back to school, my mom would send me away with a list of “kitchen basics” I’d need for cooking everyday. Mom, if you are reading this, perhaps you can post this special list. I cannot attempt to recreate that list here, but among the most essential cooking items, one should always have the following pantry items in stock:
Flour – use white unbleached, a small pack is fine
Olive oil – get a large bottle, I like dark green varieties
Vegetable oil – you need this to guisar your beans, fry your taco shells, etc.
Vinegar – this is a summer item, I prefer red wine vinegar
Salt – Kosher salt is the best for cooking and dining, large flakes make everything yummy
Sugar – again, as a bulk item, you can buy as little or as much as you like.
Beans – yes, if you don’t have these in stock, you must be living la vida loca. I like beans of all shapes, sizes, and colors – I don’t discriminate. Staple and yummy varieties include the pinto bean, black bean, and red bean.
Lentejas – lentils to you non-Spanish speaking folks. Lentils in green are my favorite and make a great soup or substitute for rice when eating fish.
Canned Tomatoes – you can never have enough of yummy canned whole tomatoes.
Pasta – whatever your fancy, you know at the end of the month, you will be eating this – don’t forget sauce if you like the red stuff, or at least olive oil
Rice – another fabulous and versatile staple. If you burn your rice or undercook it, or don’t have a ½ hour to spend babysitting it on the stove, get instant, or partially cooked rice varieties. I use a par-cooked wild rice and long grain white and brown rice often.
Garlic – buy it dry or buy it fresh – I think fresh is always best. Susan says: “Make sure to look on the bottom of the garlic clove to ensure that no black dust is present around the center – this is yucky mold.”
Spices – these are up to you, but I cannot live without pepper, chile piquin (the small whole red chilis used on pizza), cumin, fresh ginger, coriander, basil, oregano. I often buy or use fresh herbs when available.
Papas – papas (potatoes) are like pasta – plenty of carbs, really really cheap, and delicious by themselves or part of another dish. I like russets for baking and mashing, reds for roasting, small fingerlings for tossing in olive oil.
Bullion – bullion is usually a compact cube of some variety of stock and you should have some in your cabinet. I prefer vegetable stock in the juice form out of a box or can. Chicken is always a good thing. Tomato and fish bullion is also available in the Maggie or the Knorr brands (although with a lot of MSG).
Wine – not only to drink, mainly to use for cooking everything. I buy three bottles and go through them all in one – one and a half months. I buy the 3 for 10 dollar bottles of white wine. This is clearly not on my mother’s list!
Well mom, if I forgot something, please add it to this list.
After you got your basics, grocery shopping becomes a lot easier – you are shopping for things that go well with your basics. I organize my list around a vague idea of what I want to cook. Each item you buy should be versatile and be able to go in more than one dish. My veggie list looks like this:
Spinach or Swiss Chard – good for spinach pie, lasagna, chard and garbanzos, or pasta
Mushrooms – need I list all of their uses?
Onions – white are the tastiest
Garlic – again, fresh
Squash – of any variety
Green Lettuces – I like butter lettuce especially for salads
Cucumbers – in salad or by themselves
Carrots – a food basic for soups and such
Celery – don’t need a full head, but it goes in so many things
Bell peppers – in all colors if I can
Tofu – yuck to some and mmmm to me, I prefer extra soft for soups
Green Beans – by themselves or with rice, oh so luxury
Broccoli – again, alone or with pasta it is fantastic
Italian parsley - flat leafed and always cheap, this runs about 99 cents a bunch
Fruit:
Bananas and apples (honey suckles are in season)
Canned:
Tomatoes, garbanzo beans, other beans when lazy, corn, tomato paste.
Frozen:
Stop buying pizza. I love frozen peas. I also like to buy frozen pasta raviolis, rice or udon noodles for soup, pie crusts (Marie Calendar crusts are great).
Dairy:
1 pint of whipping cream, block of parmesan cheese, 4 sticks of unsalted butter (not the fake stuff).
Okay, this extensive list will help you cook many of the things already on my blog. I promise to note special ingredients for weird dishes which usually consist of curries and miso based soups (in lieu of beef or chicken stock). Also of note is that I don't buy a lot of dairy like cheese and milk - this is because I am lactose intolerant and prefer not to torture others with my bad smells.
First, it is important that you have a kitchen stocked with your basic needs. Every year when I went back to school, my mom would send me away with a list of “kitchen basics” I’d need for cooking everyday. Mom, if you are reading this, perhaps you can post this special list. I cannot attempt to recreate that list here, but among the most essential cooking items, one should always have the following pantry items in stock:
Flour – use white unbleached, a small pack is fine
Olive oil – get a large bottle, I like dark green varieties
Vegetable oil – you need this to guisar your beans, fry your taco shells, etc.
Vinegar – this is a summer item, I prefer red wine vinegar
Salt – Kosher salt is the best for cooking and dining, large flakes make everything yummy
Sugar – again, as a bulk item, you can buy as little or as much as you like.
Beans – yes, if you don’t have these in stock, you must be living la vida loca. I like beans of all shapes, sizes, and colors – I don’t discriminate. Staple and yummy varieties include the pinto bean, black bean, and red bean.
Lentejas – lentils to you non-Spanish speaking folks. Lentils in green are my favorite and make a great soup or substitute for rice when eating fish.
Canned Tomatoes – you can never have enough of yummy canned whole tomatoes.
Pasta – whatever your fancy, you know at the end of the month, you will be eating this – don’t forget sauce if you like the red stuff, or at least olive oil
Rice – another fabulous and versatile staple. If you burn your rice or undercook it, or don’t have a ½ hour to spend babysitting it on the stove, get instant, or partially cooked rice varieties. I use a par-cooked wild rice and long grain white and brown rice often.
Garlic – buy it dry or buy it fresh – I think fresh is always best. Susan says: “Make sure to look on the bottom of the garlic clove to ensure that no black dust is present around the center – this is yucky mold.”
Spices – these are up to you, but I cannot live without pepper, chile piquin (the small whole red chilis used on pizza), cumin, fresh ginger, coriander, basil, oregano. I often buy or use fresh herbs when available.
Papas – papas (potatoes) are like pasta – plenty of carbs, really really cheap, and delicious by themselves or part of another dish. I like russets for baking and mashing, reds for roasting, small fingerlings for tossing in olive oil.
Bullion – bullion is usually a compact cube of some variety of stock and you should have some in your cabinet. I prefer vegetable stock in the juice form out of a box or can. Chicken is always a good thing. Tomato and fish bullion is also available in the Maggie or the Knorr brands (although with a lot of MSG).
Wine – not only to drink, mainly to use for cooking everything. I buy three bottles and go through them all in one – one and a half months. I buy the 3 for 10 dollar bottles of white wine. This is clearly not on my mother’s list!
Well mom, if I forgot something, please add it to this list.
After you got your basics, grocery shopping becomes a lot easier – you are shopping for things that go well with your basics. I organize my list around a vague idea of what I want to cook. Each item you buy should be versatile and be able to go in more than one dish. My veggie list looks like this:
Spinach or Swiss Chard – good for spinach pie, lasagna, chard and garbanzos, or pasta
Mushrooms – need I list all of their uses?
Onions – white are the tastiest
Garlic – again, fresh
Squash – of any variety
Green Lettuces – I like butter lettuce especially for salads
Cucumbers – in salad or by themselves
Carrots – a food basic for soups and such
Celery – don’t need a full head, but it goes in so many things
Bell peppers – in all colors if I can
Tofu – yuck to some and mmmm to me, I prefer extra soft for soups
Green Beans – by themselves or with rice, oh so luxury
Broccoli – again, alone or with pasta it is fantastic
Italian parsley - flat leafed and always cheap, this runs about 99 cents a bunch
Fruit:
Bananas and apples (honey suckles are in season)
Canned:
Tomatoes, garbanzo beans, other beans when lazy, corn, tomato paste.
Frozen:
Stop buying pizza. I love frozen peas. I also like to buy frozen pasta raviolis, rice or udon noodles for soup, pie crusts (Marie Calendar crusts are great).
Dairy:
1 pint of whipping cream, block of parmesan cheese, 4 sticks of unsalted butter (not the fake stuff).
Okay, this extensive list will help you cook many of the things already on my blog. I promise to note special ingredients for weird dishes which usually consist of curries and miso based soups (in lieu of beef or chicken stock). Also of note is that I don't buy a lot of dairy like cheese and milk - this is because I am lactose intolerant and prefer not to torture others with my bad smells.
Labels: shopping
