The $5 Challenge at Local Roots
I headed off to Local Roots Wooster yesterday to buy food for the $5 Challenge. There so many options of things to make that would have cost me way below $5 per person. The cabbages are in season and the local butcher had fresh brats, braised cabbage with brats would have been less than $10 for everyone. The zucchini and squash are nearing the end of their season so ratatouille would have made a very inexpensive dish for a crowd. There were tons of fresh eggs begging to made into fresh light pasta with a simple butter sauce. I finally settled on an old classic, something that is make so much better when made with love and care in the Slow Food way with quality ingredients, no boxes or cans and a extra little time to make it flavorful. What did I decide to make? Watch the video and find out. (keep watching, there are a few bloopers at the end of the video)
It’s not too late to join, head off to your local farmer’s market this morning and see what ingredients are available. Cook some something delicious and share it with friends since good food is made better by good company because the $5 challenge isn’t just about food that’s inexpensive, it’s about building your community and sharing good food with others.
Do you have a favorite local market or farm?
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Buy Local or Small + Free Soap
One of the things I’ve been trying to do more and more is to find local or small businesses from which to purchase the things I need. This is a wonderful way to cultivate community, especially when you can find things locally. I have also found Etsy to be a wonderful resource in finding small businesses. For example: I am in need of a few more wooden cooking utensils as I have just acquired some enameled cast iron cookware. I could purchase this set on Williams Sonoma, or I could find a few lovely pieces on Etsy, like these that I’m considering. I know if buy from Etsy I’m supporting a guy who does this as a hobby, he gets 100% of the money I send and I like knowing that.
This year I’ve been searching for my holiday gifts from local or small businesses. It has been amazing the wonderful things I’ve found for all those on my list. I won’t mention what specifics since I haven’t given them yet. Sometimes you stumble across something while at the farmer’s market that is just perfect. Local Roots Market in Wooster, OH (which is the main farmer’s market I go to) has an artisan fair this time of year just for Christmas and I’ve found a few wonderful things there.
Miranda, one of my readers (you probably recognize her, she comments often) and her husband have a business called The Relic Jar. They sell soap and very interesting gourd art. Her soap is made of all natural ingredients some that she grows in her own organic gardens in Texas. She generously offered to give a bar of soap to one of you in order to encourage you to buy local/small business not only during the holiday season, but all year long. All you have to do to is to comment on this post and you’ll be entered. PS – Miranda also has an illustration business with lovely things, check it out at Miranda R. Muller Illustrations.
Have you found any wonderful holiday gifts from a local or a small business?
Random.org chose our winner for this contest:
Kim won the soap from The Relic Jar.
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Loving the Local Life
It’s been a few years now since Mr Chiots and I started to focus on eating as locally as possible. In our quest we’ve discovered so many wonderful farmer’s markets, farms, stores and we’ve made so many new friends along the way. I especially love the Local Roots Market in Wooster, OH. They opened last winter and have been a wonderful resource for us, especially during those long winter months when it can be so difficult to find fresh local vegetables. I grow as much of our food as possible, but my small gardens limit me and sometimes there’s a lull in the harvests.
Last week I purchased these beautiful little heads of organic Banzhaf Red Lettuce “Roxy”. I got 10 small heads of lettuce for $3.50, which we ate up in 2 meals (the photos are of a few heads). We topped them with some homemade passion fruit vinaigrette, homemade cheese and some of those dried cherries I made.
I must buy some seeds for these as they’re quite beautiful and quite tasty, the texture is quite good. Since a local farmer is growing them, I know they’ll do well in my area. I love that they labeled the variety so I can grow them myself if I want to. I found some seeds for this lettuce over at High Mowing Seeds.
What local seasonal foods have you been enjoying recently? Have you ever started growing something you bought from a local farmer?
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Quote of the Day: A Carrot is a Carrot
“Even though most people can easily discern the quality difference between brands of automobiles or appliances, that same astuteness, with the exception of visible cosmetic quality, does not seem to be applied to vegetables. The myth has been successfully planted in the public mind (possible for the benefit of the homogeneous supermarkets) that biological quality differences do not exist and a carrot is a carrot is a carrot.”
Eliot Coleman (The Winter Harvest Handbook)
Once you start eating fresh local or homegrown vegetables, you can easily tell the difference between them and homogenous supermarket vegetables. The ones at the grocery store may be more perfect, without blemish, all shaped the same and all look the same. But an ugly tomato from my garden is certainly more lovely than a supermarket tomato. And can you get any better than fresh sweet corn from the side of the road?
Can you tell a difference between supermarket fruits and vegetables and those from the farmer’s market or your back yard?
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Local Roots Market in Wooster, OH
On Saturday I was able to head back to Local Roots Market in Wooster, OH. They closed for a few weeks over the holidays to do some improvements to their location. The cafe is finally open, serving coffee and some delicious food. They have a small kitchenette area where producers can cook samples of their products.
The most interesting change they made was to make the market more like a grocery store. The items have bar codes and you pay for all your items at a checkout lane, which is very convenient. At first I wasn’t sure if I would like this set-up, but it is very nice. They have all the meat and dairy in a few coolers. They’re on-line ordering system is up and running as well. This is a high-tech farmer’s market.
Many of the growers were attending a grower’s convention so there weren’t any fresh greens at the market, but they’ll be back next weekend. I was still able to fill 2 baskets with potatoes, onions, shallots, fresh mushrooms, whole grain flour, popcorn, dried beans, raw milk cheeses and a few baked goods. One of the things I was really happy to find was flour from organic grains grown locally. I bought a bag and I can’t wait to make something with it. But the best item I found was some organic free-trade coffee roasted by a local guy!
Year-round markets like this will encourage more people to eat locally. I think one of the main hurdles to local eating is the availability of food during the winter months, especially here in Ohio. If you don’t can or preserve food, it can be difficult to eat locally all year long. Year-round farmer’s markets will really help the local food movement.
I’m happy this market is doing so well because it will save me some time in the summer. I won’t have to can or freeze as much if I know there’s a local source for fresh vegetables during the long winter months. I will gladly support local growers and purchase fresh greens from them throughout the winter. I’m also happy to see that they offer non-food items. You can buy local wool yarn, roving, soap, lip balm, and even powdered dish washing detergent a local person makes!
Do you have any year-round farmer’s market in your area?
A big thanks to Mr Chiots for going with me and taking all these photos. And YES I wrote this post while watching the Olympics last night but ran out of time to put in photos, that’s why it’s posting later this morning :)
