I was cracking open a bulb of garlic last night to use in my and Adam’s supper, a bulb that my Mom grew in her garden, and it got me thinking about local food and wondering what a local-food-eater would be eating this time of year. This garlic is in great shape at the end of April, no little green sprouts yet, but the potatoes I used for the mashed potatoes were getting a bit black in spots. Mind you, the potatoes weren’t local, but from SuperStore. (The bag of “Farmer’s Market” brand Russets just says “Atlantic Harvest/Product of Canada” for a source.)
I’ve definitely gotten away from my local food habits, mainly since I moved out of my mother’s house two years ago. It was a lot easier to eat locally when she was doing so much of it already, and had two big freezers full of her own garden produce. I have no excuse, though, really: I simply have given in to the convenience of going to one big grocery store once a week to buy what I need to eat. I really want to make an effort this year to eat more local food and support the local food economy, and that will mean a bit of pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and also learning some new stuff.
So I’m curious, for those of you eating a mainly (or at least partly) local food diet: this time of year, when the gardens haven’t started yet, but there is still some food that is stored, what are you eating that’s local? Educate this gal!
Hi Leah,
The local food we are eating now from Cape Breton:
Frozen from last season: All of our meats (including lamb, beef, chicken and pork), strawberries, blueberries, mint, garlic scapes, spinach, cranberries, rhubarb, frozen vegetable and chicken stock (we use this for soups and curries), sauteed mushrooms, pesto, tomatoes. (Although I think we are almost out or are out of tomatoes and mushrooms.)
Pantry: Dried beans, soy beans, jams, jellies, applesauce, maple syrup, honey, dried herbs, garlic, onion, carrots, potatoes (although they are getting soft and sprouting now), sea salt, pickles, sun-dried tomatoes, lard, garlic powder. I’m sure there are other things I am forgetting…. walnuts… we have one jar of tomato sauce left but it’s to give away, and I think we still have a jar of pickled beets.
Fresh: Right now probably just eggs and salad greens, although I could pick some chives today and probably will for my salad!
If I include Nova Scotia we are eating apples, cheese, butter, and so on.
Maintaining a local diet all year requires some planning ahead, and I think most importantly a deep freezer.