Suburban Foraging: Two Families Eat Only Local

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We intended to conserve fossil fuels by limiting the distance our food traveled to reach our tables. However, because the distribution system for local food is neither extensive nor coordinated, we did make lots of extra trips to pick up items from various suppliers. This was somewhat at odds with our intent, and we had to take the cost of gas into consideration.

At times, even though we paid a higher price for local food, we considered it a bargain. This was in part because the quality and flavor were so much better. But we also felt it worth paying more to help preserve small family farms and support locals who minimize environmental damage.

Putting It All Together

Eating locally allowed us to see the unique culinary possibilities of our region, and taught us to stay creative and flexible in the kitchen. Sometimes, the vendor we were counting on didn’t show up. Sometimes, supplies just ran out, or the weather brought crops to a premature end. Early on we learned not to get frustrated, but let available foods lead the way.

In the process, we came to love the simple pleasures of seeing the kids eat three plums for a snack instead of cheese curls and making toasted cheese sandwiches with local cheddar on homemade bread. We also relished bringing gourmet meals to the table from our local bounty.

Kristi’s French beef stew using Amish meat, her own herbs, local red wine and bacon from Cibola Farms was the star of a dinner that included cabbage and tomato salad, and spaghetti squash sauteed in butter, garlic and onions. Family visiting from Montana enjoyed local breakfasts including French toast made with goats’ milk and butter, and spelt pancakes.

One of the favorites at Renee’s house was her sausage ragout, made with sweet Italian or rosemary-garlic-lamb sausage, fresh tomatoes, sweet corn right off the cob, and whatever fresh pea or bean was in season. Real old-fashioned buttermilk became, and remains, a staple in her house for pancakes, scones and cornbread.

At our end-of-experiment feast, everyone gobbled up award-winning goat cheeses from FireFly Farms, of Bittinger, Maryland, while sampling a variety of local wines, and beer from Franklin’s, a microbrewery just down the road from our homes. Dragon tongue beans, red peppers, shitake mushrooms, herbs and pastured chicken thrown in a big pot produced a great stew. Blue potatoes, on discount at a local co-op, slathered in garlic and roasted, were a big hit with the kids.

Now that our one-month test is over, we’ve gone back to a few non-local items, like bananas and store-bought pasta. But we’ve retained a lot of our new habits, too. Once you get used to farm-fresh food, regular store-bought fare tastes remarkably bland. We’re aiming to get more freezer space and planning to preserve more. We are really excited about the delicious fresh grain and bread-baking prospects too.

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THE FARM TO TABLE COOKBOOK - THE ART OF EATING LOCALLY'

Ivy Manning

Hardcover

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