eat local challenge

succotash!

2006-09-04T09:11:00.000-04:00

herbed corn & edamame succotash
adapted from eating well magazine [based in charlotte, vt!], summer 2004

1 1/2 cups fresh shelled edamame [i got mine from open heart farm at the shelburne farmer's market]
1 tbs oil [olive or sunflower or whatever your exception may be]
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups corn kernals [about 4 ears]
3 tbs dry white wine [rhubarb could work...when my non-localvore side comes out, i use saki, drinking a bit as i cook] or water
2 tbs cider vinegar
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
2 tbs chopped fresh basil
salt & pepper to taste

rinse edamame pods well and drop into a large pot of boiling water, cooking for 3-5 minutes, until beans have lost their raw taste.

drain and cool under running water. once pods are cool enough to handle, shell.

heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. add bell pepper, onion and garlic.

stir frequently, cook until vegetables start to soften, about 2 minutes. stir in corn, wine or water, and edamame. stir frequently, cook for about 4 minutes.
remove from heat and stir in vinegar, parsley, basil, salt and pepper. serve warm but i think it's even better cold and leftover the next day.

it looks so much better with red pepper, but i could only find local green peppers in the co-op yesterday. there is some purple basil in there though.

muffins=true love forever

2006-09-03T09:33:00.000-04:00

muffins played a key role in my finding extra special local happiness all month. i like the convenience of the individual serving size. note that my serving size is generally between 3 and 5 muffins.

it took me about a week into the challenge before i realized i was hardly eating any grains thus i rarely felt full and often felt weak. muffins saved my life.
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my top 3 muffin memories:
1. corn muffins [always]
2. keri's maple spice muffins
3. failed fresh raspberry muffins
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corn muffins have been my, well, bread and butter. i adapted the recipe from the angelica home kitchen's southern-style cornbread. i made them first thing in the morning before work or late at night just before bed. i ate them warmed from the broiler smothered in butter and honey or topped with sweet currant, blueberry and honey sauce. i also broke them up and put them in things like soup or baked beans. they are good friends with cheddar cheese as well.

here's the super simple recipe:
1 cup cornmeal [butterworks is the best!]
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour [i've been using white spelt]
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp sea salt

preheat oven to 350. oil a 12 seater muffin tin. whisk together cornmeal, flours, and baking powder. in a seperate bowl, combine the milk, oil, maple syrup and sea salt. combine wet and dry ingredients and mix thoroughly, taking care not to overmix. pour into muffin cups [they only fill about 3/4 of the cup, though of course you could make fewer, bigger muffins] and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. please note: i've never timed them so i'm not sure how long they really take. this recipe is actually for corn bread.
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one afternoon i was riding my bike down my street toward downtown when i heard someone yell my name. i turn and look across the street and it's keri. i recognized her long blonde hair first. she was on her way to my house to deliver maple spice muffins she'd made that day. so dang sweet! i put the foil wrapped plate in my bike basket and continued on my way. keri was actually en route to a potluck, but my house was on the way. i think she said she got the recipe from mad river valley localvores, but i'm not sure. here's the one i found [it's actually for a cake]:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup buttermilk or sourmilk [1 cup milk + 1 tbsp cider vinegar]
3/4 cup maple syrup, grade B
2/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs beaten thick and fluffy
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves

preheat oven to 350. in a bowl combine all the dry ingredients. mix melted butter, maple syrup, sour milk together. beat eggs until light and fluffy. add eggs to milk mixture. add milk/egg mixture to dry mixture. pour batter into greased muffin tin [or 13x9x2 baking pan]. bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean again, check the times because i'm not sure. cool on a wire rack.
variation: you can also omit the spices and have a maple cake.
recipe by our own champlain valley localvore, nicole carpenter.
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last saturday i went raspberry picking at adam's berry farm with emily. i came home and made muffins using an old standby muffin recipe. for some reason, they weren't sweet enough and i over cooked them. i'm going to try again today and will keep you posted. in the meantime look at these beautiful berries! and there were so many frogs and monarch butterflies!

sunkissed salmon colored berries!

the muffins weren't a success but fresh berries and cream were at the bbq-turned-dance-party last saturday night.

monarchs

i counted about 18 frogs within about a 3 foot space at the edge of the field.

Last supper.

2006-09-01T11:56:00.000-04:00

A couple days ago I made agnolloti, stuffed them with roasted carrots and stuck them in the freezer. I really like making pasta. It takes maybe 45 minutes or so, makes a bit of a mess. But I like eating pasta so making it is fun. I tend to screw up the first two rows of agnolloti when I make them until I get the hang of it. I make it from Keller's French Laundry cookbook so I don't do the whole "make ravioli and call it agnolloti" thing you see on the interwebs. Of course, I also don't really know what I'm doing so it could all just be crazy.

Anyway...Last night, around 9 or so I took them out.

I wanted to sauce them with this curry emulsion thing from the cookbook. Never really done something like that before so I figured it would be fun. It was. The sauce uses creme fraiche, heavy cream, scallions and curry, and of course a stick of butter.

When the sauce is done it's tossed with the agnolloti and served. Garnished here with chops of scallion that has been blanched in a big pot of water (I forgot to add lots of salt to the water but it still helped the little guys get green).

I got a little sloppy as I was scooching them onto the plate so it's a bit messy, sorry Keller.

Overall it was pretty damn tasty. The curry emulsion was very very subtle; not like take-out Indian food. So the warm curry delish was then contrasted with the clear taste of the roasted carrots in a pleasant and delicate way. Yum. And I still have more agnolloti in my freezer.

g-lo

up we step

2006-08-31T08:14:00.000-04:00

1. First things first: Can we give angelica and mr. ben and big ole clap on the back for a fantastic blow-out on Friday night? If that's not local goodness, then I don't know what is. (*Unless it's bumping into your local friends in front of said pizza palace in the wee morning hours. You know who you are).

2. In lieu of many separate conversations about the potential social/economic/enviornmental impact of our "study", I'd like to plan a post-challenge sesh to hash out some of the "where do we go from here" questions. How about Viva Espresso? How about Tuesday, September 12th? Or Wednesday? Or Thursday? I work until 5:00, so it may have to be cocktails instead of caffine. Vices any which way are fine with me.

3. I have ignored multiple requests for recpies. Why? Because I'm a lazy sloth. In no particular order:

PHOEBE-TINI (or, if you're feeling particularly friendly, Phoebtini)

I. Simmer equal parts blueberries (frozen or not) and strawberries (frozen or not)and 1/4 c chopped fresh basil with 1 TBS - 1/4 c sweetener (I think honey is a little less abrasive)
> or any other fruit you're partial to
II. Mascerate fruit until it forms a syrup. If you've got the equipment and time, force the mixture through a sieve or food mill and reserve the juice.
III. Remove your chilled martini glass from the fridge.
IV. Drizzle 1/4 c. syrup along the edge and into the base of your glass.
V. Top with a healthy amount of VERMONT WHITE vodka (or other in-state liquor)
VI. Garnish with a full basil leaf and consider yourself the luckiest bastard this side of the citrus line.

PHOEBE'S BLUE AND PINK BUCKLE

I adapted this recipe from the GOURMET's blueberry and nectarine version:

For the topping
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits (Flack Family Farm)
1/3 cup honey (Shelburne Farms)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (Champlain Valley)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the batter
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened (FFF)
2/3 cup maple syrup (Shelburne Farms)
1 teaspoon vanilla (i didn't have this, but if you did, you could add it...)
1/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (Champlain Valley)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs (Shelburne Farms)
2 cups blueberries, picked over and rinsed (Pelky's)
2 peaches, pitted and cut into 1-inch wedges (Shelburne Orchards)

Make the topping: In a small bowl blend together the butter, the honey, the flour, the cinnamon, and the nutmeg. The mixture will be VERY sticky, and form kind of a paste. Stick this in the fridge.
Make the batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 2-3 quart baking dish or 10 x 2 cake pan.
In a small bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter and the maple syrup and beat in the vanilla. Add eggs one at a time. You'll want to integrate the eggs slowly so that your mixture stays light and fluffy. It's best if the eggs are room temperature. Fold in your dry ingredients until just barely mixed. Fold in fruit.

Spread the batter in your dish. Distribute topping in teaspoon-sized dallops over top of cake. Bake the buckle in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean and the topping is crisp and golden. Serve the buckle with whipped cream, if you've got it.

4. Choclate party, anyone? I'm thinking a flourless chocolate tart, or individual chocolage bombs. I imagine we'll need mucho red wine. I'm thinking a Malbec or a great Pinot Noir. And of course, some espresso to cut through that chocolate.

5. We are so blessed, in so many ways. See you all on Friday.

pho.ebs

slippery slope...and local hope

2006-08-30T21:34:00.000-04:00

i have not been posting regularly at all these last few weeks. which is right in line with the last two weeks of the eat local challenge for me as well. i have been unable to resist homemade chocolate zucchini cake at work. and while traveling in michigan i bought a box o' cookies at whole foods and was unable to restrain myself. fell into the ol' habit of eating 4 at a time, say 4 times in one hour. and suddenly i fell down a big ol' slippery hill and could only stop rolling completely in the comfort of my own kitchen.

on one hand, i feel some guilt. mainly because i set out to fit into parameters that, in the long run, i am not up for fitting into. on the other hand, i feel nothing but inspired, amazed, and energized by food and friends and seasons and sharing and connecting.

things i plan to maintain beyond the august eat local challenge:
*
cooking nearly every day [reducing my processed food consumption BIG TIME]
*
noshing on homemade snacks [corn muffins, granola, popcorn, local fruit...]
*
curbing my refined sugar intake [and feelin' fine!]
*
enjoying blueberry, pear, and rhubarb wine [hey i still want a phoebe-tini]
*
using local flour and corn meal exclusively
*
using local dried beans as much as possible
*
buying the local applesauce even though it's not the organic applesauce
*
picking lots o' blueberries
*
making new things like crackers and tortillas
*
using honey in baked goods
*
calling producers to get the scoop on sources
*
eating local tempeh more often than non-local tofu
*
hosting awesome bbq-turned-dance-parties
*
sharing it all with my friends!
*
over the next few days i'll be catching up on my recipe posts. and then we'll all have to lay down some plans for cookbook creating!

thank you, seamonsters, for being so totally awesome & rad.

late research

2006-08-30T01:10:00.000-04:00

surfing the web tonight, found a couple of interesting local food things in VT.

there is a tea company in waterbury that grow & make their own herbal tea blends (and they also sell other non-local teas) - vermont liberty tea

and i just read about an all local diner in quechee gorge (used to be in barre). has anyone been to this place? - farmer's diner

yum yum....

peace,
greg

npr local foods podcast discussion

2006-08-30T00:48:00.000-04:00

hey guys,
my brother passed this on to me.
interesting discussion with brian halweil & jennifer wilkins.

download an mp3 of the broadcast here

brian halweil has written a book called 'Eat Here:Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket'. looks like a good one.

peace,
greg

Some things I'll miss once the challenge is over.

2006-08-29T16:33:00.000-04:00

As we grind into the final days of the Eat Local challenge I figured I might make a list of things I'll miss. Sort of the inverse of the "little gripes" we've all been doing/having throughout the challenge. In no particular order:

Some food-centric gathering of friends every every week

Bowden Valley Rhubarb Wine

Mandy's Herbal Tea

Getting really excited to wake up early and drink... peppermint tea at that place in the Old North End

A good excuse to grill every night

Using lots of honey and maple syrup instead of processed sugar

Thinking about cooking again (I haven't been living up to my foodie self for about four years)

That blueberry wine that tastes like a Cabernet

The excitement about finding out some small local producer I hadn't heard about before

How about you? What will you miss?

g-lo

Potato Salad

2006-08-28T17:59:00.000-04:00

Boil some potatoes.

Put some some rhubarb wine on the stove, reduce it in half.

While those things are boiling away, chop up a little shallot...

and scallions.

So tasty I could almost eat them. The scallions are from the Co-op. Who knows where they were grown but they were local. The shallots came from Craig's garden. You don't know how happy I am to have shallots in the house.

The potatoes are done. Time to take them out and chop them.

Then like so. You want them to be in firm little chunks that won't turn into mashed potatoes.

Do not be tempted to put potatoes that will just turn into mush into your salad. If you are like me, you can snack on these potato shmushes while you finish the salad.

Put the survivors in the bowl.

Remember those tasty shallots and scallions?

Throw them in the bowl, mix. But be gentle with it. No mashed potatoes.

Remember that wine your reduced by half? If you're like me you drank the other 3/4 bottle of wine just as soon as the chopping was done, in which case you might not remember. Here's a reminder:

Pour the wine in gently, like so:

Then put in some olive oil too, stir gently gently!

Hmmm. What else can I do?

And.... the finished product.

If you had a chance to taste it, let me know what you'd do different next time. Thanks. g-lo

Dog River Farm Corn

2006-08-25T18:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Meg and I went out down by Montpelier and on our trip we passed one of those handy honor-system farm stands. I had three bucks cash and Meg had 4 bucks. I chose to buy some blackberries (they were alright but some were a bit tasteless and the others were okie-doke, nothing to write home about).

But the corn, on the other hand. 4.50 for a dozen or 50 cents each... Perfecto. Sweet, crunchy, fresh. Best corn I've had in a couple years. Makes me wish I wouldn't have bought the berries and instead put that fifty cents towards more corn.

Eat your peaches

2006-08-24T11:58:00.000-04:00

Maybe I'm just feeling a little denied as of late, but today as I was purusing the local options at the Market, it dawned on me that one of the things I've really missed so far this summer is peaches. I know Champlain Valley Orchards just started producing peaches, so they are available locally, but I feel sad and disheartened that I have yet to have a peach (local or not), and it's already the end of August. Whose fault is this? Mine, of course. I guess I should have gone down to the Valley and gotten some peaches already. But I didn't, and now I wish I lived in California, where the fruit just falls off the trees and into your hands.

On a better note, I agree with Mandy's sentiment about wanting to stay away from processed sugar as much as possible, even when the challenge is over. One thing I've learned over the month is that maple syrup and honey are excellent substitutes, and many things already employ them as sweeteners, so all you have to do is look. Yeah, informed consumers!
~p

Fridge Pickles and Eating Nonlocal

2006-08-23T14:32:00.000-04:00

I am too tired today after a late night in Montreal to take a photo of my fridge pickles (see Meghan's blog), but I thought I'd share the recipe, which was shared with me by my sister, who got it from an Indian cookbook. It's very simple, and you can vary your pickles to your heart's content.

First, pick a jar. That way you know how many cucumbers to pick or buy! I used two huge ones from Lewis Creek Farm in a medium jar and had to eat a couple of pieces that didn't fit.
Second, cut the cucumbers up in the pickle shape you like. Silver dollars or spears, whatever.
Third, let the cucumbers "sweat" in a sprinkling for salt for an hour at room temperature. While the pickles are sweating, crush garlic and/or onion, saute if you'd like and pick spices or veggies for your pickles. I used black and red peppercorns and dill with raw garlic for a spicy flavor.
Once the cucumbers have sweated, stuff them into the jar with your spices and pour vinegar over the top. Push down any cucumbers that are sticking up. Put them in a fridge and wait a couple of days. Then eat them. Yum.

Yes, Greg and I were in Montreal last night, and we are going out of town again, which basically means the challenge is over for us. In Montreal, we both ate some chocolate (among other things, like tofu, brown rice and peanut sauce), and this morning I woke up grouchy and hangovery and thirsty from the sugar. It's nice to know that that refined cane sugar really is junk. It really does make me feel lazy, angry and depleted. I think I'll do my best to stay away from it from now on, though it is an important ingredient for frosting in its powdered form.
And to all the seamonsters, dudes, post some stuff while we're outta town!
Much love - Mandy

Blueberry Scones and Tortillas

2006-08-19T11:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Greg was frustrated by his limited breakfast options, so I whipped up some scones. They satisfied his sweet tooth and mine.
There are no photos, as we ate them too quickly!
I adapted these from a blueberry-lemon scone I make sometimes, though these localvore ones turned out better!

1 1/2 cups flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat bread flour from Gleason's and 1/2 cup white spelt from Champlain Valley Mill)
3/4 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup and 1 T of butter
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup apple cider (add more if batter looks too dry)
a sprinkle of cinnamon on the top

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter, then add the rest, mixing well. Divide dough into 6 round pieces and place on a greased cookie sheet, flattening them out a bit. Or use a scone pan. Sprinkle on the cinnamon. Bake for about 15 minutes or until they get a little brown on top. Yum time!

The taste and texture was more like coffee cake, which we liked, since they weren't as dense and buttery as scones sometimes are. They were more crumbly and cakey. I would make more, but I need to lay off the butter!

Tortillas

Last night, we revisited our old favorite, burrito bar. We usually eat this meal - with seasonal variations - at least twice a month. This week's included Butterworks beans with fresh local garlic and oregano, corn off the cob, carrots, cilantro, onions, greens and Greg's homemade salsa, plus Shelburne Farms one year cheddar (which thanks to Angela we're up to our necks in). The tortillas are easy to make. Here is my technique with wheat flour:

2 1/2 cups flour (I like whole wheat, the nuttier the better, though they turn out really soft if you cut it with spelt)
2 T olive oil
2/3 cup warm water
1 t salt

In a food processor, combine all ingredients until dough gathers into a ball. Add more water as needed (I usually need more with whole wheat flour). Form into about 12 balls. Use a glass, rolling pin or tortilla press to flatten into shape. I find the tortilla press works great if it's buttered, and a glass or pin work great if there is wax paper between them and the dough. You can also use your hands. My 'tillas average 5-6 inches in diameter.
Cook over medium heat in an ungreased frying pan. Consistent heat is the key. Tuck them in a towel when they're done to keep them nice and toasty.

For corn tortillas, I use this technique:

2 cups of cornmeal, ground as fine as possible (Butterworks requires a run through the food processor)
1 cup of warm water
a pinch of salt

Combine ingredients until dough forms a ball. Knead on floured surface for 3-4 minutes until smooth. Cover and let sit for at least one hour at room temperature. Proceed as with the wheat tortillas.

Both wheat and corn tortillas store well wrapped in plastic or a towel for a day or two. We like them toasted with honey for dessert or as "beanadillas" for lunch. Yum, that's what I just ate (plus 4 slices of the best watermelon - in my opinion - we've had so far this month - sugarbaby from Jericho).
Peace - Mandy

Local goes global

2006-08-17T16:53:00.000-04:00

I liked the idea Mandy spit out about checking in around our half-way point. Funny how things that begin as a fun challenge can easily run headlong into a deep rut. Not that I feel I'm in one, but eating local no longer presents an exciting culinary challenge--instead, I feel that I know what I can eat, and I eat it. That said (and I know I've already said this several times), I think this challenge would be really different/extraordinary if you had nine months to prepare and no job.

But it sounds like I'm whining, which I'm not. I got so excited to see the fresh crop of local apples that I nearly fell over sideways. And while I do love food during all months of the year, this challenge REALLY makes me appreciate food again, which is a gift.

Mandy sparked the idea of taking this challenge a little broader (i.e: what could they grow at the Intervale that would benefit localvores), and I am totally on that boat. At a recent potluck I was dialoging with a fellow grower. Together (after several Phoebe-tinas made with local vodka), we thought of all kinds of ways this challenge could benefit local growers. We are, as localvores, a vast sea of knowledge about local food sheds, community involvement and potential demand. Let's do something with this information! I've been thinking about a survey to hand out to all localvores in VT, just to gather information that could be useful for growers, markets and distributers. Anyone interested in talking more about this?

~phoebe

Honey Honey Honey Wine

2006-08-16T18:44:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, Angela, Emily and I went out to Adam's Berry Farm and picked some blueberries to make blueberry te'j, which is a kind of Ethiopian honey wine (mead) that uses wild yeast. We brewed it up (honey, water and blueberries in a bucket), put a lot of good vibes on it,

and in a few days, it looked like this:

Bubbles! It was pretty dreamy. We waited until it started smelling yeasty and was foaming and then strained out the blueberries and poured it into bottles to ferment and age.
One of the bottles is a traditional-style glass jug with an airlock. The other is a smallish peach nectar bottle. At first, we tried a balloon over the mouth of the smaller bottle, but it burst after a while, so I switched it to a plastic bag and rubberband. I check them everyday to make sure there are no fruit flies and changed the water in the airlock once in a while.
These two sat side by side for one month, and gradually the bubbling has slowed and the mead has become cloudier. Also, significant amounts of beautiful, grey, chunky yeast has settled to the bottom of both bottles. Today, after some egging on by Meghan, the queen of experimental vinegar, I tried them.

The smaller bottle is very alcoholic and quite strong. It also has a decent bubble to it. The bigger bottle is milder, more honey flavored and a lot less alcoholic. I decided to take the airlock out and try the plastic bag and rubberband method on the big bottle for a couple of days to see if I can capture a little more bubble. Generally, though, decent for the first attempt, and I feel buzzed but not sick and am not going blind right now.
Sweet honey wine. I can't wait for everyone to try it! I even think I might try again. Eventually, I could get good. What should I call my te'j company? I think I'll call it Mandeep's Magical Rotgut.

Peace to all - Mandy

scrumptious bean burgers

2006-08-16T17:46:00.000-04:00

last night mandy made up some bean burgers, they were delicious.

bean burger = butterworks beans, corn off the cob, garlic, onion, and flour
with some shelburne 6 month cheddar, digger's mirth greens, and tomato.
all on a couple slices of trukenbrod broa do milho hearty corn bread.
ketchup and mustard and some madhouse munchies chips wouldve been great with it too. oh well, gotta wait a couple weeks for that....
peace,
greg

h'made 'za n' ap'le d'mplin's

2006-08-15T18:05:00.000-04:00

last night before the burlington drone society gathering, we had some pizza bread type of thing. very tasty. and apple dumplings for dessert after an hour of droning.

pizza with brattleboro mozzarella, red potatoes, rosemary, oregano, fresh garlic and tomatoes on my half. champlain mills homemade white spelt crust i believe.

good ol' apple dumplin's.

this blog seems like its becoming mandy and greg's eat local blog. c'mon, i know there are other folks out there. let's hear what you've been eating / creating and start posting something. pictures are nice too! if you forgot the password to the blog and you want to post, get in touch with me.

peace,
greg

meghan's sunday waffle brunch

2006-08-14T15:43:00.000-04:00

yesterday, we had a lovely brunch at meghan and gahlord's place. nice to have a fancy breakfast, it was like going to penny cluse but better.

the spread - scrambled eggs, sauteed oyster mushrooms & onions, tomatoes, potatoes (cheesy and plain), chard, yellow watermelon, belgian style waffles with maple syrup (choice of two grades!), whipped cream, raspberry/currant sauce, and red & blue currant / berry sauce. and it was all local!

i housed half of my waffle before remembering to take a photo of it. ooops.

let there be Pizza On Earth!

2006-08-13T01:24:00.000-04:00

angela, jen, phoebe, mandy and i took a trip out to charlotte to eat pizza at pizza on earth on thursday night (they only make pizzas on tues and thurs night). they are making a couple of all local pizzas during the month of august. a wonderful little place on a farm. great atmosphere, good 'za. i cant wait to go back to try their other pizzas and baked goods and gelato and bread.

the vermont scenery...

the 'local yokel' pizza - red, orange, green peppers, fresh basil, scallions, and mozzarella with basil oil sprinkled on top.

same 'za as above but with tomatoes and without basil oil.

do i really want it?

2006-08-11T19:03:00.000-04:00

i want to make myself the most beautiful chocolate cupcakes right now because:

1. i started my period yesterday.
2. i haven't had any in nearly two weeks.
3. i miss ben a lot.
4. chocolate is a comfort food and it fills a void when i am feeling, well, uncomfortable.
5. it's friday night.
6. both 3 and 4.
7. all of the above.

I just want some f-ing, g-d f-ing PEANUT BUTTER to put on this TOAST!!

2006-08-11T17:05:00.000-04:00

Let's have a ten day check in, shall we?
How's everybody doing out there?
Are you like me and about to go nuts for nuts?

Lately I am in full recognition of the futility of this exercise and thinking it's less fun. Then I think about all the people all over the world that eat the same old shit everyday and feel really ashamed to be hollaring about wanting peanut butter and chocolate covered gummy bears. So now I'm sucking it up, and since variety is the spice of life, I am going to have to work really hard this next week to dream up some creative solutions to my redundancy problem. Anyone having any awesome meals?

That being said, what are people missing? Anything you think we could grow locally? We at the Intervale are keeping a running tab of things we could have but don't because they're not available. I'd love to gather all of your insight on this for our "market research."

Also, anybody cheated? I won't name names, but I've seen some soda drinking and some gelato eating as of late, which I fully support 100%. What is life without a fancy tipper in your sipper with the sun going down over beautiful Vermont on a clear August night?

So as we round out week two, let's check in. What's happening out there in localland?
Mandy

taco/burrito dinner

2006-08-09T13:18:00.000-04:00

last night, mandy, angela and i had an excellent taco/burrito dinner bar which is a semi regular dinner at our house. it was very easy to do on the localvore diet.

mmmmmm. want a taco?

homemade flour tortilla with butterworks beans, shelburne cheddar / neighborly farms jack cheese mix, homemade salsa (tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, & cilantro), shredded carrot, and sauteed colchester shiitake mushrooms. and a side of greens.

and for dessert.....strafford maple ice cream with champlain orchards peaches!

Gleason Grain

2006-08-08T17:33:00.000-04:00

Success! Beautiful oven spring.

A local sour loaf with a toasty crust. even better with butter and cheese. chewy, and won't fall apart in soup. Will trade for local food! ...even bread.

Love, Stefan
41 N. Willard

granola making party

2006-08-08T14:00:00.000-04:00

someone over at meghan's blog dissed us for having a granola making party. personally, i had a great time at seth & allaire's wonderful new house and the granola turned out delectable. i enjoyed it thoroughly this morning with some sheep's milk yogurt, maple syrup and fresh blueberries. so poo on you....haha!

here are the trays of granola going into the oven. we had a few variations on the same granola theme - some with maple and honey or maple and butter and a batch or two with a cooked blueberry mixture added in.

the lovely dinner we ate while waiting for the granola to bake.
sauteed eggplant, zucchini cakes with zucchini, egg, onion, hot pepper, cheese, etc. these were delicious! and a salad with greens, radishes, cucumbers, purple string beans, and mini carrots with a simple dressing. some leftovers from stacy's mexi dish on sunday night. there were also some grilled burgers for the meat eating folks. and some boyden white wine for the drinkers.

blueberry dilip that mandy made for dessert.

here is the granola fresh out o' the oven.

allaire & stacy scraped the granola off the baking sheets for distribution.

seamonster family dinner pt. 3 - photo edition

2006-08-08T13:54:00.000-04:00

here are a few photos from sunday night's dinner. i forgot to take pictures of the corn chowder, biscuits, apple pie and ice cream, and the herbal sun tea. oh well.....

stacy's mexican inspired dish - peppers, onions, fennel, black beans, cumin and more.

chris' homemade salsa / pico de gallo and vinegary cucumbers.

mandy's bean dip with carrots and cucumbers.

starting the day off local

2006-08-08T07:28:00.000-04:00

I had a delicious all-local breakfast this morning...honey-sweetened granola from the fabulous granola-making party last night, with some blueberries and milk. I think I will continue this granola production long after August!

Here is our basic recipe in case anyone missed the party or was outside watching the thunderstorm:

2 1/2-3 cups oats
1/2 cup sweetener (honey or maple syrup)
1/2 cup lipids (olive oil or butter)
roughly 2 tablespoons of mashed blueberries
optional vanilla or almond extract (for the Marco Polo exception people)

Mix the sweetener and lipids together first, then combine with other ingredients. Spread on a baking sheet and bake 30-45 minutes, stirring once or twice, at 300 degrees.

The maple/butter option turned out the best, in my opinion. Good luck!

seamonster family dinner pt. 2

2006-08-07T17:24:00.000-04:00

I also thought it might be good to post the cracker recipe, though the majority of s'monsters copied it down, correct? I think there was an impromptu recipe swap while I was making the chowda!

These crackers taste sort of like cheezits and are satisfying to localvores because of their salty, snacky crunch! They're also easier to make than you might expect. Long live crackers!

Corn Crackers (from "The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book")

1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t chili pepper
2 T cheddar cheese, grated

1 T oil
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used skim!)

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking soda and chili powder. Stir in the cheese. Mix the oil and buttermilk in a separate bowl. Add to the dry ingredients, forming a soft, moist dough. Add a little more milk if it's kinda dry (mine was and I did). Form into two balls.
Use two well-greased large baking sheets without sides (or in my case, a smallish pan with sides, though it is not recommended that you use the back of a pan). Flatten the balls one at a time, and with persistence, roll them to cover the baking sheets. The thinner, the better, so soldier on! Use a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap on top to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin (or in my case, the pint glass). With a pizza cutter or other utensil, score the rolled out dough into cracker-sized pieces.
Bake for 5-10 minutes, being careful not to let them get more than delicately brown. Break them up and enjoy!
This recipe can make as many as 80 two-inch crackers, so roll them thin! And share!

seamonster family dinner

2006-08-07T13:43:00.000-04:00

Thank you, everyone, who came to our family dinner last night. I hope it left you feeling as warm and fuzzy as it left me.
Here's that biscuit recipe:

**Easy Biscuits**

2 c flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 c butter
3/4-1 cup sour milk (milk + 1 tsp vinegar)

Preheat at 450. Sift dry, add butter and sour milk, mix until "just mixed". Grease that cookie sheet or muffin tin! Bake 12-18 minutes. Makes 6 biscuits.

Maybe if we're lucky, Greg will post a play by play!

I started the day today with a strawberry and blueberry yogurt smoothie - yum. Now what's for lunch?!

Peace,
Mandy

blueberries!

2006-08-06T13:04:00.000-04:00

mandy, angela and i went down to adam's berry farm in the intervale yesterday afternoon and picked almost a whole flat of blueberries. the pickin was a little slim but im glad i didnt miss the blueberry season. they are so delicious. also adam's a great guy and we should all support his farm.

peace,
greg

[almost] midnight snack

2006-08-05T23:30:00.000-04:00

**blueberry cornmeal muffins**

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups flour [i did about 1 cup whole wheat pastry, 1/2 cup all purpose]
dash o' salt
1/2 cup honey [the recipe really calls for 3/4 cup but i was feelin' more on the mild side]
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup apple cider
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup blueberries

preheat oven to 375. stir together cornmeal, flour, salt and baking soda. add the oil, milk, juice, honey, vinegar, and berries. mix gently until just mixed. spoon into greased muffin tins and bake until a toothpick comes out clean...abut 30-ish minutes. makes 12 muffins. adapted from "how it all vegan!"

i just ate two.

today mandy and i ventured down to montpelier for a little change of coop scene and to visit the farmer's market where we had all-local pizza courtesy of nofa-vt. back ib burlington, we picked blueberries at adam's berry farm with greggae. i didn't have a camera for any of this. lame. oh yeah and my dinner was awesome: thinly sliced red potatoes, corn off the cob, garlic, kale, and basil--all mixed up together. the tates, corn, and basil were all leftovers from last night's grill-on. i sauteed all these guys in butter of course and added some salt and pepper. i took a photo of this but can't find ye olde camera cord. honestly, i didn't look very hard.

eureka! at the burlington farmer's market i bought 3 melons--yellow and pink watermelon and the cutest l'il muskmelon i've ever laid eyes on. at the montpelier farmer's market i got petite zukes with their lovely blossoms still intact. they're quite elegant actually. like tiny fancy ladies.

gd saturday lunch

2006-08-05T16:58:00.000-04:00

after a leisurely stroll around the farmer's market and a few cups of bao zhong tea at dobra (my exceptional treat!), i made my way back home for some lunch.

scrambled eggs (thanks angela!) with tomato and oregano and does leap trappist goat cheese. with 2 slices of turkenbrod spelt bread, toasted and buttered, of course.

what a beautiful day.
peace,
greg

angela's all local BBQ potluck

2006-08-05T16:44:00.000-04:00

a great all local potluck last night at angela's place.
the pictures tell the food story...

aziza kindly brought over baskets full of intervale veggies. kale, cucumbers, peppers, string beans, tomatoes, basil, flowers, etc etc. thanks aziza!

mandy's spontaneous cookies (see recipe below). maple oat cookie goodness worshipped by the deprived seamonster sweettooths.

a bunch of grilled veggies. delicious!

phoebe made some potato and beet chips. they were a hit.

mandy's polenta with herbed gravy.

here is the boyden riverbend red wine that gahlord sourced out.

and greg's slaw made from carrots, cucumber, fennel and daikon.

thanks to grillmaster gahlord for tending the coals and to everyone else that came out and brought yummy food. fun times!

peace,
greg

mm mueseli

2006-08-05T08:59:00.000-04:00

I have been eating the Que. rolled oats soaked in Strafford creamline mixed with large spoonfuls of Butterworks Jersey yogurt. I eat it after a half hour soak. No cooking in the morning!
I also like a generous pool of maple in there.

Blueberries and an overnight soak would probably be excellent.

I wonder if the steel cut oats would like to be soaked?

Megan Foster (i'm new)

peanuts?

2006-08-05T01:36:00.000-04:00

i emailed a bunch of farms today inquiring about different things after exploring different products on localharvest.org

i got an email back from fat rooster farm in royalton VT.
they are trying to grow peanuts there (tennessee red variety).

the bad news is that the peanuts wont be ready for another 2 months or so.

a man can dream about a little peanut butter, cant he?

oh well.
still pretty cool though.

peace,
greg

p.s. also waiting to hear back from mt. independence organic farm in orwell VT - apparently they have cherries and soy beans!

Mandy's Spontaneous Cookies

2006-08-04T23:15:00.000-04:00

Here's my best guess before bed:

1 cup maple syrup
3 T butter - softened
1/4 cup apple sauce (or add a little more butter and an egg)

2 cups flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t sea salt
3/4 cup oats
a dash on cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Weakly cut the butter into the maple syrup, then add the apple sauce (or egg) and stir. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and oats and combine. If needed, add more liquid or dry ingredients until the dough looks like cookie dough. Bake them up and hope for the best.

Much love to all of you happy, tipsy localvores out there.
Mandy

gd & mf - day three

2006-08-04T12:02:00.000-04:00

day three dinner = yummy!
huge salad with digger's mirth mixed greens, tomatoes, sweet corn, goat cheese, and carrots. i made a nice dressing with olive oil, local apple cider vinegar, fresh garlic and dill. it was rocking and you know i love me a good salad.
and in the upper right corner some fingerling potatoes with a simple pesto of basil, garlic and olive oil.
mandy proclaimed "potatoes are the new pasta!"

and for dessert, mandy made a delicious maple ice cream with a little cinnamon sprinkled on top.

mandy can talk about mandy's mix n' mash style later.....

peace,
greg

Booze report

2006-08-04T11:46:00.000-04:00

Alright... I've pretty much given up on the beer thing. I might try to make my own but even then it wouldn't be done until Sept.

But there is good news.

It comes in the form of Boyden Valley Winery. Last night I went trolling the Co-op for local wines and there it was: Rhubarb Wine. Yes I know that sounds scary. But it isn't. It's damn tasty like a dry white wine (but not super acidy). It's not a girly sugarfest (and I use girly in the non-gender-specific way here). It's tasty.

I gave the winery a call this morning to ask about their other wines and where the fruit comes from. The helpful woman on the other end of the line said that all of their fruit except blueberries comes from Vermont. They make four reds and two whites in addition to their hooch err fruit wines.

Also, Shelburne Vineyards Arctic White, Riesling Dry, Meach Cove Red, New World Red, Nocturne, Vidal Blanc, and Rhapsody are made from local grapes, some of them organic. Not all the wines listed will be available in August, the Vidal Blanc, for example, is an ice wine.

G-lo

Gleason Grain

2006-08-03T21:40:00.000-04:00

I have 25 lbs of gleason grain and i will make a local sour loaf in exchange for other food. Red Hen was right - i have detected a gluten deficiency so the loaves will not rise as high. i have two sour loaves going in tonight at about 10pm. we'll see if it's good.
love, Stefan
41 N. Willard

granola test

2006-08-03T17:56:00.000-04:00

this morning i woke up at 6am for some unknown reason. i decided to try to make some granola ahead of seth & allaire's granola party coming up. it was pretty easy.
about 3 cups oats, 3/8 cup each of honey and maple syrup, 1/4 cup olive oil, and some salt and cinnamon.
mix it all together and spread out on a large cookie sheet tray. bake in the oven at 250 degrees for about 1.5 hours. stir it about every 15 to 20 minutes. the granola turned out a bit chewy (i think because i used too much honey / maple syrup). but after it cooled it was more like granola and very yummy with some strafford milk for breakfast!

peace,
greg

ugh, it's pesto season!

2006-08-03T15:28:00.000-04:00

Help!
i am in a dilemma: i love pesto, and i am currently wealthy with basil. Any ideas on what i might be able to substitue for nuts? I'll use SF cheddar and olive oil (my exception), but what on earth will work for that delicious nutty flava?
pining for pesto,
phoebe

McMuffiscuit

2006-08-03T14:07:00.000-04:00

We all knew I couldn't go more than one day before I started in with my experimental baking. Yesterday I tried to make blueberry-honey muffins, but I had nothing to replace the eggs (thanks to Angela, I now have local a'sauce HOLLA), so I decided to make "oat eggs" and roll with it. I also had to use butter, which was bizarre and really flavorful. I am used to silent oils.

The batter was more like cookie batter than muffin batter, and I contemplated calling it cookies, but it did puff a little in the oven. And the flavor? Flaky, butter and blueberry explosions, aka McMuffiscuits. They're odd but good, more biscuit and muffin and kind of mealy in a good way.

On August 1st, I thought for sure I loved butter. But the butter novelty has already worn off. How many veggies fried in butter can a girl eat? Add to the list my delicious lunch: shikake mushrooms from Colchester, Rhapsody tempeh (leftover), my coworker Travis's green beans (which he eats out of a coffee cup he carries around - hilarious), fingerling potatoes, corn and cabot cheddar. I call it "McCorn Hash."

I think when this month is over, I am going to be a vegan.

- Mandy

food food food

2006-08-03T09:44:00.000-04:00

yesterday for lunch i found a great use for overgrown zucchini: mini baked pizzas!
if you take nice large round slices from the center of the zucchini, brush them with olive oil, put them on a cookie sheet and then bake them with (local)cheese, basil and tomato slices, you have yourself a very nice and tasty treat. They're fairly quick to bake in the oven and they taste great chilled as well!

other highlights include a delicious nicoise salad: SF lettuce greens with fresh SF tomatoes, blanched SF green beans, hardboiled SF eggs, hotroasted SF potatoes with dill and a dash of maple syrup / oliveoil dressing. Delicious~!
-phoebe

gd & mf - day two

2006-08-03T07:50:00.000-04:00

ill try to make this a daily post. we'll see what happens.
i wont bore you with descriptions of us eating the same things.
so here are a couple of our highlights from day two. day two was good.

late afternoon smoothie snack:
strawberries from adam's, butterworks yogurt and champlain apple cider.

dinner:
butterworks white beans (i did a 2 hour hot soak which worked really well) sauteed in some olive oil with local garlic and diggers mirth fresh dill.
steamed kale from lewis creek farm (i think)
i threw in some digger's mirth tomatoes again for added flavor.
champlain valley goat cheese

youll notice in the top of the picture a nice loaf of bread. this was a huge score at city market yesterday.
turkenbrod makes breads from local grains and ingredients. we bought the spelt loaf (pictured above) and a whole grain cornbread loaf. they get their spelt and wheat from quebec. and all the other ingredients are from VT or part of the marco polo exception. hooray! for turkenbrod! now im wondering if those ladies that sell spelt bread at the north end farmer's market use local spelt as well. ill have to ask them next week.

mandy will be posting pictures of the blueberry muffiscuits she made. haha.

peace,
greg

apple-o!

2006-08-02T21:54:00.000-04:00

i like being a local foods detective. today i called vermont village cannery to see where the apples for their awesome unsweetened sauce are grown. i chatted with a lovely gentleman who excused himself for editorializing from the get go. but oh the things i learned! their organic sauce is hardly local since they do a pretty decent volume. insert impressive numbers and stuff here. but oh how they wish it was entirely vermont grown! he said if there were more organic apple growers they would buy every last apple! he went so far as to encourage me to write a paper or give some sort of presentation on how there really is a market for organic vermont apples. he seemed a bit frustrated...wanting to do something the company really stood behind but not being able to because of a much larger picture.

side note: i've been reading "epitaph for a peach" which chronicles 4 seasons on a family peach farm in fresno, california while the farmer/author, david mas masumoto, works to transition his orchard to organic. i have dog eared many a page in the book. last night i dog eared the one that read:

"supporters of 'environmentally friendly' agriculture encourage us farmers to talk with our neighbors and tell our story. what can i say to the hmong refugee family if they lose both a strawberry crop and the ability to put food on the table? i refuse to become a missionary. i simply want to remain friends my neighbors as we share common ground."

basically he says the only farmers that take risks are those that can afford them.

ANYWAY. back to vermont village cannery gentleman...he did say that their non-organic/all-natural line of applesauces use all locally grown apples from south hero! hooray! next i called city market to see if they carried it and they do! the customer service rep there was super helpful as well, even telling me which aisle i could find it in. but i was a little frustrated after being transferred to the bulk section where i heard vague responses to my questions about their lack of local cornmeal, beans, and flour. i was counting on this supply...what if they don't get anymore for a few weeks? and did other localvores stock up apocalypse style? because that's a little annoying.

i was sharing that frustration with a coworker yesterday when she said that she went to buy garlic from our staff farm stand at work and it was all gone. sheepishly i admitted to buying 5 bags of it. then i gave her one. hey, i would have given her more but that's all she wanted!

anyway, day 1 & 2 of the challenge went well. but i kept finding myself in, well, challenging situations. this surprised me as i have never been on a diet or really had to say no to foods except those that, say, gross me out. in fact, i love to say yes to food! but on hot work days when coworkers all go for ice cream it feels weird. i am proud of the eat local challenge and being part of it, but it's just a realm i've never been in. the realm of wanting to eat treats, but saying no. and then my coworkers apologize. which isn't necessary, but i could see myself responding the same way if the ol' tables were turned. so then do i make sure i'm never in those "let's go out for beer and french fries" situations [which honestly don't happen too often anyway] or do i make sure i'm always prepared with my own snacks and such. OR do i only hang with other localvores? of course not, but i can see how it would make things a little less challenging at times.

on to the super yummy parts: for dinner last night and lunch today i had pureed white beans with roasted garlic, sage, and butter. topped it all off with purple, yellow, and green beans, sauteed with garlic, onions, and more butter! i also made zucchini muffins to snack on alongside plain yogurt, maple syrup and frozen blueberries.
these things came from: shelburne farms, butterworks farm, adam's berry farm, hillsboro sugarworks, cabot, river berry farm, half pint farm, and my kitchen window!

i'll post some recipes soon.

xoxo.angela

pizza! pizza!

2006-08-02T15:52:00.000-04:00

was just reading about this place, Pizza On Earth in charlotte (on hinesburg rd).
never heard about it before.
they are making an all local pizza in august.

"Crust will be made from Champlain Valley Mills flour from across the lake, tomatoes, basil, and garlic will be supplied by Dave here at Stony Loam Farm ( where most of our vegetable toppings come from anyway), and cheese from Carlton at Champlain Valley Creamery in Vergennes."

maybe we should make a trip down to charlotte at some point to try the pizza and support their effort?
a pizza odyssey if you will....

apparently flatbread is not making a 100% local pizza yet. their crust is still using non-local flour. but i guess they are trying to sort something out so that they can make an all local pizza.

i love 'za,
greg

The Beer Report

2006-08-02T15:22:00.000-04:00

So I finally got off my butt and made the call to Otter Creek to get the skinny.

I talked to one of the guys over in brewing and he said that basically there's not enough/any barley growing in VT to be useful to commercial brewing. In addition, all the commercial hops grown in the US are in the Northwest. He also pointed out that Wolavers would probably be the worst situation as they have to get organic hops from Europe.

He said to check with small home-brewers etc, which maybe I'll do. He also said it would be possible to homebrew maybe a Wit/Wheat beer using only local ingredients as we do have wheat and some small hops patches. But commercially, it's a wash.

Guess it's time for me to start making a batch of hooch.

G-bop

Farm Field Trip

2006-08-02T15:06:00.000-04:00

Today being day two of eating local I made a trip to City Market. In my past I have put deliberate thought into what substances I have put into my body, diary, soy etc. But today while I was searching for my food I actually felt larger connection to Vermont and putting back in the economy/community. Although, this was a wonderful experience the thought of making a field trip to some of the farms still sticks in my mind. I think it would only add enthusiasm to eating all local if I was to able see where my flour and possibly dairy are produced. Anyone who would like to tag along is welcome. Date and farm TBD. ssstacy

gd & mf - day one

2006-08-02T12:51:00.000-04:00

day one was a success.
it wasnt too hard to eat all local.
although i had a bad headache all day probably from not eating enough sugar or caffeine or from the heat or all of those things.

breakfast:
i had a bowl of butterworks maple yogurt with some oats and blackberries, sweetened it up with a little more maple syrup.

lunch:
had a sandwich - bread made by meghan (thanks so much!), cabot cheddar, and pete's greens baby spinach, and a glass of champlain apple cider

dinner:
mandy whipped up a great little dinner. she sauteed some rhapsody tempeh with some local garlic and colchester shiitake mushrooms. then she cooked up some local fingerling potatoes in a cheese sauce made from cabot cheddar and strafford milk.
i added some digger's mirth greens and tomatoes to my dish. yummy yummy.

then we went to the roxy to get cool and watch strangers with candy. it wasnt too good. pretty corny and not really funny. but it was nice to cool off

dessert:
you know we cant do without it!
blueberry icecream - strafford milk, adam's blueberries and some local honey.

peace,
gd

local harvest website

2006-08-02T12:15:00.000-04:00

hey folks,

www.localharvest.org

i found this website a while back.
it helps you find out where your local farms, farmer's markets, co-ops, csa's, restaurants, etc are in your area.
or anywhere in the country.
it focuses on local grown and/or organic foods.

and this link allows you to search within a radius of your zipcode
all in area

might be a good way to track down those missing items.

peace,
greg

ahhhh sugar...dodododododo...ahhhh honey, honey...

2006-07-30T10:39:00.000-04:00

Here are the sugar substitutions all ye localvores requested.

Honey: 3/4 cup of honey for each cup of granulated sugar, then reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup and add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees. Honey tends to make things darker and chewier.

Maple Syrup: Substitute 3/4 cup maple syrup plus 1/4 t baking soda for each 1 cup granulated sugar and reduce liquid by 3 tablespoons. Use a lighter grade if you want to avoid a heavy maple flavor.

And a personal tip from me - I often use apple sauce to replace some of the fat and sugar in recipes. If something calls for 1/2 a cup of oil and 1 cup of sugar, for instance, I might substitute 1/4 cup oil. 1/4 cup apple sauce and 1/2 cup sugar. I find that the apple sauce is sufficiently sweet. But then again, I bake like a hippy.

Mandy

welcome!

2006-07-30T10:17:00.000-04:00

hello and welcome to our eat local challenge blog. for more information on the challenge please visit: http://www.eatlocalvt.org/.
you can access the calendar of events here: http://freecal.brownbearsw.com/Seamonsters?Op=ShowIt&Date=2006-08-01.
here we will document recipes, substitutions, and whatever the heck else we feel like.
happy eating!