May 17, 2010
-
The Quest for Local
In this day and age, I can pop into any big box grocery chain (Kroger, Food Lion, WalMart –never–, Giant, etc.) at any time of day, during any time of the year, and find juicy red strawberries that have been shipped to Virginia from California.
Ironically, it is not nearly as easy to find strawberries that have been grown here in Virginia.
It is, in fact, the local strawberry season. In years past, we have driven 45 minutes to pick our own berries and had a wonderful time doing it. Now that our lives are busier than they were in the preschool years, this is not the most convenient way to get strawberries.
I can go to the suburban Farmer’s Market to buy my local strawberries — but it is only open on Saturday mornings (which for now are jam packed with soccer games) and on Wednesday afternoons during homework time. Getting there is not impossible, but it is not convenient.
Today I was at a local, family owned grocery store that sort of markets itself as a permanent farmer’s market — signs advertise “Richmond’s Freshest Produce,” but that isn’t the same as “the freshest produce from the Richmond area, I suppose. I stopped in there for something else, but decided to stroll the produce aisles for anything local. All I found were some “local spring onions,” which I didn’t really need. I found some yams from North Carolina — I decided to count those as local and bought some. And that was it.
I drove across the road to Whole Foods and scoured the aisles for local produce. Here’s what I got:
Finally, some local strawberries. Local, but not organic. All the organic fruits I found were from far and wide….as far and wide as South America. I also got some kale from Virginia, some “pesticide-free, local hydroponic lettuce” – which is from West Virginia. Is that really local? And there are my North Carolina yams.
It makes complete sense to me that eating local food is good for people and good for the environment. But doesn’t it get overwhelming trying to decide between local food treated with pesticides (which are being linked to cancer and ADHD in the press this week) and far away food labeled as organic? And as a mom who is so used to the culture of convenience, it is hard to remember that if I want local produce, I need to be in a certain place at 3pm on Wednesday or 4pm on Thursday.
All of this is making me re-think our decision to scrap the vegetable garden after our pathetic crop last year. Not to mention that grocery shopping is becoming my full-time job, what with all the label reading for food allergies, trying to get good prices, local vs. distant, organic vs. conventional, tasty vs. not!!!!
Anyone have any good recipes for kale?
Comments (11)
There is a local restaurant here that makes a delicious “local vegetarian” plate consisting of crunchy, pan-fried kale (mmmmmm!), quinoa, sauteed portabello mushrooms, some misc. roasted veggies and a pomegranate reduction. DE—LISH—USSSSS.
So I don’t have a recipe but I recommend frying it to a crisp.
Local eating is a big problem. There is yet another restaurant here starring a locavore chef who is trying to do all local, organic foods and the food is good but not predictable. I mean, she can only make what happens to be locally, organically available on any given day, right?! Not a great model for business success either, I don’t think. Tiff does the CSA thing. I think that’s a great produce alternative. You’re very close to some sustainable farms.
Yes, don’t you have CSA programs? I’m surprised at the Whole Foods selection. Are you saying that you HAVE local farms, but that their produce is not accessible in the stores? or that they’re not organic?
@DrTiff - I don’t know what I’m saying. How’s that for an answer??!! I think it’s early in the growing season, so there is not yet wide access to local growers in the grocery stores. There are farmer’s markets going on, but I just haven’t made it to any of them yet this year due to hectic weekends and afternoons. The local stuff I found today was not organic, but I suspect at least some of the farmer’s market produce will be. We definitely have the CSA option, but I am concerned that it would be too much stuff for us and would lead to waste. I may give it a try at some point, but for this year I really wanted to just try to buy local in the markets. So far, it’s proving to be a challenge – but I’ll give it time and get in the habit of hitting the farmer’s markets.
@ordinarybutloud - That all sounds delicious. And guess what I made for dinner tonight? Kale chips….which is essentially “oven fried” kale. It was so good – except that I over salted it. Easy though — just wash/dry/spread on parchment lined cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt….but less salt than I did tonight! Bake at 375 for about 10-12 mins. Yum!
@turningreen - Luckily, our current CSA has regular, small, or fruit-centric boxes, so there are different options. We get a large fruit-centric box, but it still is a LOT of veggies and FORCES us to eat everything and try new things and new recipes.
Growing season?? what’s that?
@turningreen - our farmer’s markets are also on Wed. early afternoon & Sat. mornings. Is the schedule federally mandated or something?! I never go… well, the CSA thing, but also we have local produce available at Safeway and almost the entire produce section of WF is local/organic.
@DrTiff - blah, blah, blah Ms. California!!!!
Kale chips?! interesting. I was going to say that there isn’t any such thing as a tasty kale recipe. hehe. I hear you on the growing season. We are just putting in the tomatoes and it is supposed to get down to 45 tonight… I talked my husband out of the Gilligan’s Island episode where they had to keep the tiki torches lit to prevent the last orange tree from freezing…
I love kale, and often eat it in the morning, sauteed and scrambled with a couple of eggs. Also good shredded up with cabbage and carrots for a tangier coleslaw.
Since we will be moving to a house with a HUGE yard…we will be growing our own veggies and some fruit…given these economic times, it makes sense.
My dad has a GREAT (according to him, I’ve never tried it) kale soup recipe, I’ll try to get it for you. I can give you some good CSA info for next year too, they are full for this year.
I feel your frustration with local strawberries in particular. We have planned 2x already this year to go out to the local berry farm, but it’s such a hike and we’re so busy that we haven’t made it. Our 3rd plan to go is this Friday, but with all the rain we’re getting it might not be worth slogging thru the mud with a woman who is 8 months pregnant! Plus it might rain that day, ugh. I just want those berries!!
that is very cool ! try to get your own indoor garden at http://www.tigerhydro.com ! they are online wholesale mega store …key words: hydroponic hydroponics, ballasts, ballast, reflectors, reflector, HPS bulb, Metal Halide Bulb, general hydroponics, advanced nutrients, big bud, bud blood, t5 reflector, t5 bulb, reverse osmosis, garden, indoor gardening, gardening, botanicare, hydroton, grow king, harvest king, halo reflector, can fan, can filter, vortex i came in like a lamb, but i intend to leave like a lion, black friday, thanksgiving, hydroponic, ballast, grow tents, wholesale,