USDA funded research out of the University of
Connecticut looked at perceptions and misperceptions of local and organic food
with comparisons of US and Canadian consumers. Overall, it found that consumer
misperceptions regarding organic and local are widespread. US consumers were
more likely to believe local was organic. One in four US participants perceived
organic to be a characteristic of local com-pared to one in five Canadians.
Another 17% said organic and local were the same thing. Researchers reported
“participants in our study often showed naïveté, thinking when they buy local,
there are no pesticides in the product or that organic is local when it is
not.” This is striking because when
participants were asked how knowledgeable they were on characteristics of local
and organic, the more they thought they were knowledgeable, the more
misperceptions they had between local and organic.
While
many suggestions of how to incorporate a local food-sourcing plan into your
lifestyle can be found on the internet, a CSA member shared her 4 top tips with
us last season:
“Accentuate the positive. Don’t set yourself
up for failure by creating ironclad rules. Focus instead on what you are trying
to accomplish. Sourcing anything locally is a success, especially if you would
never have thought to do so before.
Every time you buy something from a local producer, you are creating a
positive ripple in the local economy.
Get a reality check. Go
to your usual grocery and ransack the shelves looking for locally produced
foods. Your cart may have about two items rolling around in it by the time you
get to the checkout. Don’t worry; you have just learned something (in very
concrete, unforgettable terms) about how far most food is shipped before
someone eats it. You have accomplished something.
Ask questions. Produce managers in
supermarkets can be a great source of information. Most of them do the buying,
so they can tell you the source. You’ll find that some stores are much more
committed to localism than others. And
if you can make it to a farmer’s market on the weekend, a couple of queries can
reveal fascinating details about where your food comes from. Finding out the
story makes the process of preparing and eating food far more pleasurable.
Make every choice count, whether it’s
local or not. If you commit to eating better, you
have to make some decisions about the sourcing of your food. Let’s take coffee
as an example. You might take the opportunity to quit your 3-cups-a-day habit,
or you might replace your jarred instant with fair-trade organic whole beans.
You take something in your kitchen that’s questionable at best and replace
it with something that actively does some good.”
As consumers, when we become more
educated on organic, local, natural and other descriptors, we demand more
accountability in the products we purchase, appreciate the integrity of third-party
verification, and are more confident in the foods we feed to our family. Certified
organic is the most stringent holistic food production system in the world, and
is third party verified as such. Of all the attributes one can use when
sourcing, USDA organic certification does provide a benchmark. Locally sourced,
high quality food benefits the local economy. Put the two together and choose
local AND organic, you’ll have the best of both!
In Your Share
Broccoli
Celery
Sweet Corn
Cucumber
Green Beans
Kale Greens
Kohlrabi
Yellow Squash
Green Zucchini
Recipes
Potato, Squash, & Goat Cheese Gratin, serves
six, our thanks to a CSA member for sharing this quick-to-prepare recipe from
thekitchn.com. She used lemon goat
cheese and half-n-half with fantastic results.
2 medium yellow squash, about 1/2 pound
4 small to medium red potatoes, about 1 pound
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces goat cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon thinly sliced basil or thyme leaves (optional for garnish)
4 small to medium red potatoes, about 1 pound
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces goat cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon thinly sliced basil or thyme leaves (optional for garnish)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 1 1/2
to 2-quart casserole dish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Use a mandoline or chef's knife to slice the
squash and potatoes into very, very thin slices, 1/8-inch or less. Toss the
sliced vegetables with the 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl.
Place 1/3 of the squash and potato slices in
the bottom of the dish — no need to layer them squash-potato-squash; just
spread evenly — then season with salt and pepper. Top with half of the goat
cheese, scattered evenly in large chunks. Repeat with another 1/3 of the
vegetables, seasoning again with salt and pepper and topping with the other 1/2
of the goat cheese. Finish by layering on the final 1/3 of the vegetables and
seasoning with salt and pepper.
Pour the milk over the entire dish. Top with
the parmesan cheese. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 15
more minutes, until the top browns. Scatter on the fresh basil, if using.
Benedictine
Process 1-2 peeled cucumbers in the food
processor and drain processed cucumbers in a metal strainer or using a cheesecloth. Once drained, mix cucumber puree with 8 oz.
of room temperature cream cheese and mix well.
Season with garlic powder or salt.
Serve on toast with lettuce, tomato, and bacon for an Elmwood Stock Farm
favorite. Benedictine can be enjoyed as
a sandwich spread, or as a dip for raw veggies or crackers. Store in the refrigerator.
Country
Green Bean Bundles
1 pound green beans (washed and ends trimmed)
1/3 red bell pepper
1 clove of garlic
1 small onion
7oz bacon
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp mustard powder
½ tsp onion powder
1 ½ cup beef broth
1/3 red bell pepper
1 clove of garlic
1 small onion
7oz bacon
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp mustard powder
½ tsp onion powder
1 ½ cup beef broth
Peel the bell pepper with a vegetable peeler
and finely mince it along with the onion and garlic. Pre-boil the beans in very lightly salted water until they are
‘al dente’, so to speak and rinse in cold water when done. To make a roux based sauce, mix 2 slightly
heaping tbsp flour with 1 tsp mustard powder and 1/2 tsp onion powder and give
everything a good stir. Heat 2 tbsp
butter and cook the onions over low heat for about 5 minutes while stirring
occasionally. Then add the bell pepper
and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the flour mixture to the roux and cook on low for 1-2 minutes and
then mix in the beef broth. Dip 5-10
beans in the sauce and wrap in bacon.
Beans can be grilled or baked/broiled in the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake 10-15
minutes or until golden brown. Flip
bundles to evenly brown the bacon.
Note: You can make these beans
without the bacon and add or omit any ingredients that you wish.
Curried Zucchini & Couscous, our thanks to a CSA
member for sharing this Eating Well recipe, makes 4 servings; she added white raisins with
winning results!
2 T extra-virgin olive
oil
2 medium zucchini or
other summer squash, diced
¼ C finely chopped
onion
1 C water
1 T lime juice
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground
pepper
1 C couscous
1 C grated carrot
¼ C slivered almonds,
toasted
Heat oil in a large
saucepan over medium heat. Add zucchini and onion and cook, stirring
occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large
bowl and set aside. To the pan, add water, lime juice, curry, cumin, salt and
pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in
couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a
fork. Add the couscous and carrot to the bowl with the zucchini; stir to
combine. Serve topped with almonds.
Waldorf
Salad
3 apples chopped (peel on)
1 bunch celery chopped (leaves can be included
or not)
¼ C walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sour cream
Combine apples (approx. ½ inch chunks), celery
and walnuts in a mixing bowl. In a
small bowl combine the mayonnaise and sour cream and fold in the apple
mixture. Transfer salad to a bed of
lettuce and serve immediately.
Zucchini
Butter, recipe
found on Food52 online. It makes about 2 cups, and can be enjoyed on toast, or as a side
dish all summer long whenever you have squash or zucchini! Thanks to a CSA member for sharing!
2 lb zucchini or assorted summer squash (feel free to use less or
add extra -- cooking times will vary)
¼ cup olive oil or butter
2 minced shallots, garlic, or combination of both
salt and pepper
Coarsely grate the zucchini.
Let it drain in a colander for 3 to 4 minutes or until you are ready to begin
cooking. To hasten cooking time, squeeze the water out of the zucchini by
wringing it in a clean cloth towel.
