Local Eating and Then Some...

There is yet another reason to love the folks over at The Urban Frog...Karen decided to organize Green Bay's own version of One Local Summer and the challenge is on!!!

I went in today to stock wallets and took the pledge!  I vowed (with my hand on the frog) to eat at least one meal per week made from ingredients grown or produced no farther than 100 miles from my home.

Change doesn't have to be all at once and that's so hard for me to learn...I tend to want to do everything 100 percent and right away...which invariably leads to letdown when I fail to meet my own expectations. However, pledges like this one are great stepping stones for me...I can do one meal a week. 

They have a goal of 500 pledges...and I challenge anyone reading this (local or not) to try. This means using your local farmer's markets and shopping around a bit, but it's worth it. Shopping and eating locally means not only do the farmers benefit, but the environment does too...less energy and fossil fuels are burned to get the food to you. It makes sense to put your food dollars into the local economy.  Plus, you get a free gift when you sign-up...(Karen, I put mine back since you had already given me one. I couldn't be that greedy!!)

I recently read about Heather Menucucci's latest project. It's based on the Japanese proverb/philosophy that for every new food we eat, we gain seven days of life. Where do I take the pledge! :) 

I mention this because eating local doesn't have to mean making your menu smaller. When was the last time you picked up fresh morel mushrooms and had them sauteed in local herbs and local dairy butter? How about purple heirloom tomatoes? What about locally grown hot pepper mint jam on locally raised lamb kabobs. What? Those things don't do it for you? What about homemade cherry ice cream sweetened with local honey?

I look at this not only as an opportunity to eat local, but to try local foods I haven't.

If you have kids, this can be a fun way to get the family involved...ask the kids to come up with ideas and be prepared when they catch on and begin vetoing yours! "Mom, even if the cookies are made locally, the flour and sugar aren't local, so we can't have them. Get with the program"  Oh. I'm still unclear on this.

Head on over to the Urban Frog and sign-up.  If you're not in town, then perhaps you can start something in your area.

Even doing one meal a week, I'm proud to say that many of our meals are hybrid anyway. Tonight we had Cattleana Ranch ground beef seasoned with non-local seasonings, local red and yellow tomatoes, local asparagus, local greens, non-local rice, local cheese and local tortillas (but, the tortillas will not be purchased again..they have tons of crap in them and even if made locally, they're owned by Hormel...always read the label).  So this meal was a blend...I made hot tortilla wraps with asparagus in the center...never before would I have tried putting asparagus in what is basically a taco!

 

The leftovers will make a giant salad when added to more greens tomorrow night.

By the way....Heather is making a documentary where she introduces people to new foods and then films them chatting about what they want to do with their seven days!  Brilliant!  I plan to try new foods every day and increase my lifespan...it sure beats exercise.  Agahahaaha! Just kidding!.     

Comments

[Christine Marie]

OK...you talked me into it. I am going to try to do this...once a week:
LOCAL DAY/NIGHT.
It will be fun and challenging and healthy on many levels.

By the way, sorry you got rained out...but you have a lot more to look forward to!

[Brenda Kula]

You are oh so right! I've got to get on the ball and head out to the local farmer's market. We all need to be more aware of what we eat and buy and feed our pets! Thanks for the lovely inspiring reminder!
Brenda

[ambika]

Gosh, I admire your dedication to slow food. I really need to make time to do this. With all of the farmer's markets in my area, it really shouldn't be that hard.

& that frog is adorable.

[michelle]

The new food idea is a great one. That's part of the reason why I joined our CSA. Basically to force myself to try 'strange' vegetables that I wouldn't normally buy. So far....Strange Vegetables 1.....Michelle 1. Radishes I still don't care for but the kohlrabi was pretty good!

[lucy]

I wish I could do more of this but our farmer's markets are few and far between. The only one that is in town now is only open Saturdays from 9-12 and the produce stands are more than 15 miles from me. I hope more produce stands start to pop up as more and more people try to eat local around here. With gas prices it seems that locally grown eating and the neighborhood grocery stores will become the way of life once again.