Winter Recipes for Cold Snowy Days

If you're anywhere in the northeast right now, you're probably in the middle of dealing with Winter Storm Nemo, our latest blizzard. You also might be trying to come up with a good weekend pass time that doesn't just involve shoveling the driveway.  Assuming you haven't lost power (and if you're reading this you must be somewhere with electricity) now might be a good time to try out a new recipe or two.  Below are some great cold season recipes courtesy of Kristiane's Organic With the Seasons newsletter.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Ham and Garlic

• 1 (1 ounce) slice white bread
• 3 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 1/4 cup finely chopped country ham (about 1 ounce) (don't eat meat?  This recipe is just as good without it!)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Place bread in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until crumbly. Sprinkle crumbs on a baking sheet; bake at 425° for 5 minutes or until golden. Reduce oven temperature to 375°. Set aside 3 tablespoons toasted breadcrumbs, reserving remaining breadcrumbs for another use.
3. Combine sprouts and next 5 ingredients (sprouts through garlic) in a 3-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray, tossing to coat. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until sprouts are tender and lightly browned on edges, stirring twice.
4. Combine 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over sprouts. Serve immediately.

Lentils with Wine-Glazed Vegetables

• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups dried lentils
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cup chopped pealed celeriac (celery root)
• 1 cup diced parsnip
• 1 cup diced parsnip
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh or 1 tablespoon dried tarragon, divided
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2/3 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Combine water, lentils, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Remove lentils from heat, and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a medium cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celeriac, parsnip, carrot, and 1 1/2 teaspoons tarragon, and sauté 10 minutes or until browned.
3. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, tomato paste, and garlic; cook mixture 1 minute. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 
4. Stir in mustard. Add lentil mixture, and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf, and stir in butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons tarragon, and pepper.

Click here to find these recipes and more online!

Below is a recipe that I'm trying out today, using winter root vegetables from my winter CSA share from High Hill Orchard in Meriden.  Maybe I'll bring some leftovers on a snow hike on Sunday, another great winter pass time.

Lamb Shanks With Wheat Berries And Parsnips

Sweet, nutty parsnips and earthy, chewy wheat berries turn this just-beyond-basic version of classic shanks into a one-pot meal. There is some advance preparation. The recipe is adapted from Cooking with Shelburne Farms by Melissa Pasanen and Rick Gencarelli (Viking Studio 2007).



T. Susan Chang for NPR
Makes 4 servings

• 1 1/2 cups hard, red wheat berries, soaked overnight in water*
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 meaty lamb shanks, about 1 pound each
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 large carrots (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium parsnips (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a knife and peeled
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juice
• 2 cups chicken stock, preferably low sodium

* Wheat berries are available at most natural foods and specialty stores and in the natural foods section of some supermarkets

1. The night before cooking the lamb, put the wheat berries in a large bowl and cover them with cold water.
2. Tie the rosemary, thyme and bay leaf up in a cheesecloth bag and set aside. Pat the lamb shanks dry and season them with the salt and pepper to taste.
3. In a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, brown the shanks, in batches if necessary so as not to crowd the pan. (Or, brown the shanks on a foil-lined baking sheet under the broiler. See "A Note On Browning," above, in story inset). Cook, turning periodically, until a nice crust has formed, 8 to 10 minutes total. Remove the browned shanks to a plate.
4. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add the carrots, parsnips, onion, celery and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring, for 7 to 9 minutes until the vegetables are turning golden. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up any brown bits. Simmer 5 minutes and then add the herb bundle, tomatoes with their juice, and chicken stock to the pan, along with the drained wheat berries. Bring the pot to a simmer and cover. Simmer on the stove for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Return lamb shanks and any accumulated juices to the pot. Put the covered pot in the oven and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the lamb and wheat berries are tender (the wheat berries should still have a little bite to them).
6. To serve, present the shanks whole, or shred the meat off the bone in the kitchen and serve plates of wheat berries and vegetables topped with the shredded meat and cooking liquid.

View the whole article from NPR with more lamb recipes here.


However you spend your snowy weekend, make sure that it's safe and cozy!
-Melissa

Caroling to Support Locally Grown Food

Spread holiday cheer while also spreading the word about locally grown foods! During this holiday season,  let's take a moment to think about where our food comes from and reflect on why it's important to buy locally grown, sustainably produced goods - through song!

TIS THE SEASON FOR THE FEASTIN'
Lyrics by Bob Waldrop (edited for Connecticut)
Tune: Deck the halls with boughs of holly

(1) Tis the season for the feastin',
Connecticut Grown Foods are good to eat!
Taste nutrition can't be beaten,
Connecticut Grown Foods are good to eat!
Nurturing the land and people,
Farm and city joining hands.
Tis the season for the feastin',
Connecticut Grown Foods are good to eat!

(2) Care for people and creation,
Connecticut Grown Foods are good to eat!
Hope throughout the bio-region,
Connecticut Grown Foods are good to eat!
From our farms onto our tables,
we will bless the way we eat!
Care for people and creation,
Connecticut Grown Foods are good to eat!

(3) Healing nature with earth's beauty,
Connecticut Grown Foods are good to eat!
Wisdom, joy fulfilling duty,
Connecticut Grown Foods are good to eat!
Eating with the changing seasons,
Chasing the CAFOs from our land!
Healing nature with earth's beauty,
Connecticut Grown Foods are good to eat!

(4) Social justice, sustainability,
Connecticut Grown Foods are good to eat!
Economic viability,
Connecticut Grown Foods are good to eat!
These our values, govern always,
They will take us forward far!
Three in number the core values,
Connecticut Grown Foods are good to eat!

Happy Holidays!
-Melissa

Scrambling to Find the Perfect Holiday Gift?

There's been a lot of talk lately at the CT NOFA office about holiday gift giving and the staff's various levels of gift-buying/making completion. The holidays are a busy time of year, and that can mean there's not a lot of time available to buy or make meaningful gifts for loved ones. After all, no matter how well-intentioned or thoughtful our holiday gift-giving plans are, there are still only 24 hours in a day. Last year, a time crunch meant my husband had to make the vast majority of gift decisions in our household, but this year I was spared the stress of a last minute gift-buying bonanza because I knew where to look for locally-made products. If you are in the midst of wracking your brain for unique gift ideas, consider buying locally-produced items from Connecticut farms and winter farmers markets.

The USDA National Farmers Market Directory has seen a 52 percent increase in winter farmers markets this year. This, of course, means more opportunities to buy locally produced in-season foods for your holiday cooking. Winter markets, however, are also great places to go for unique locally-made gifts for family and friends. Items available at the markets can include fresh and preserved fruits and vegetables, dairy, meats, baked goods, eggs, nuts, honey, soaps, wool and fiber, Christmas trees, and holiday decorations. If you're throwing a holiday party, a larger market can literally cover all of your bases, providing food, decor, and gifts for the event. Check out a list of markets that feature at least one CT NOFA member farmer here, or click here for the CT Department of Agriculture's full holiday list.

Even if you can't make it to a farmers market in time to buy holiday gifts, many farms also offer goods for sale in the winter from farm stores and online. The second option is especially helpful if you're really busy - just don't forget to order far enough in advance to account for shipping time. Each farm sells their goods a little differently, so check out our Farm and Food Guide here to find farms in your area that you can visit.  You can also use the Guide as a database of farm websites that you can peruse when shopping online.

However you choose to complete your holiday shopping, don't forget to have fun and feel the spirit of the season! Have a great afternoon!
-Melissa

Peak Fall Foliage is Coming Up!

Within the next few weeks, peak foliage in Connecticut will roll through the state from north to south, (check out CT DEEP's interactive foliage map here) and that means cold weather is on its way.  In fact, that cold weather is closer than you might think.  According to the National Weather Service, the first freeze of the season is happening overnight tonight.  I know I'm going to go out and pick the last of my peppers before the sun sets, but what I haven't decided yet is what I'm going to do with them.  Sounds like I'm in need of either some food preservation techniques, or a good recipe, right?

For the last year or so we have been sharing guidelines for winter food storage, recipes for cooking fall and winter foods, and farming and gardening tips for the off-season in the Winter Food Project section of our Gleanings eNewsletter.  With winter literally on our doorstep, now's a perfect time to start reviewing our enewsletter archive and our Winter Food Project webpage to refresh your memory about all the information that's available.

Below are some of the recipes we've featured in Gleanings.  Try making one this weekend with some of your harvest, or from food you purchased at a local fall event.

Have a bountiful weekend!
-Melissa

Winter Food Project Gleanings Recipes

• From the 2012 Getting Started in Organic Farming Conference:
  • Holcomb Farm CSA Coleslaw
    If you are longing for some warm weather foods as winter drags on, this is a great way to use winter foods to make a traditional summer favorite. Holcomb Farm's winter CSA provides all the vegetables for the slaw.
    
    -cabbage
    -carrots
    -onion
    -organic oil
    -white wine vinegar
    -salt and pepper to taste
    -lemon
    
    Grate or chop all ingredients and combine in a large bowl.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.

• Hearty Veggie Soup - VEGAN

For a traditional winter dish, you can't go wrong with this one. The version we had at the conference had homegrown organic veggies.

-kale

-tomatoes

-carrots

-peas

-celery

-onions

-edamame

-parsnips

-garlic

-parsley

-kidney beans

Chop up ingredients as finely or coarsely as you want and combine in a large soup pot. Cook on medium heat until all the veggies are tender and have released juice - you can always add some vegetable stock if you want a thinner soup.

• Dutch Kale Dish - From Johan van Achterberg, a longtime farmer and board member from Easton. He wrote that this was the way his mother made kale.

-Peel and boil 4 good size potatoes for mashing with some butter and milk; add salt before cooking.

-Remove the leaf part from the kale stem (about 12 stems) and shred the greens. Cook the greens for about 15 to 20 minutes so it is tender.

-After draining the water add the kale to the mashed potatoes; mix well and season to taste.

-For real flavor fry bacon, cut into small pieces and add the bacon and some fat to the mix.

-Ring Belogna (PA Dutch) or sliced Kilbasa are a great supplement.

-For the best flavor kale should not be used until it has had some frost.

• Kale and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes - From Wild Carrot Farm LLC, a CT NOFA member organic farm

For this recipe, be sure to wash the kale well - dirt and grit hides in the leaves. Chop the kale finely to avoid floppiness in the potatoes, and avoid over mixing the kale into the potatoes as that will add a green tinge to the dish. You can use either peeled or unpeeled potatoes for this recipe.

-3 lbs potatoes, cut into large chunks

-sea salt

-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

-4 cloves garlic, minced

-1 bunch kale, large stems stripped and discarded, leaves chopped

-1/2+ cup warm milk or cream

-freshly ground black pepper

-5 scallions, white and tender green parts, chopped

-1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish (opt)

-fried shallots, for garnish (opt)

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, chopped kale, a big pinch of salt, and saute just until tender - about a minute. Set aside.

Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or fork. Slowly stir in the milk a few big splashes at a time. You are after a thick creamy texture, so if your potatoes are on the dry side keep adding milk until the texture is right. Season with salt and pepper.

Dump the kale on top of the potatoes and give a quick stir. Transfer to a serving bowl, make a well in the center of the potatoes, and pour the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with the scallions, Parmesan cheese, and shallots.

Serves 6.

• Jerusalem Artichoke & Roasted Garlic Vichyssoise - From CT NOFA board VP John Turenne's Sustainable Food Systems

4 pounds            Jerusalem Artichokes, washes & scrubbed, diced 2 inches

1 pound              Leeks, white and light green part only

8 cloves              Garlic, Roasted

1/4 cup               Olive oil

1 quart               Vegetable stock

2 Tbl.                 Thyme, fresh

2 cups                2% low-fat milk

As needed          Salt, kosher and fresh cracked peppercorns

1. Split the leeks lengthwise and wash well to remove all sand and grit. Slice them thinly.

2. Sweat the leeks in the olive oil without browning them.

3. Add the Jerusalem Artichokes, roasted garlic, thyme and vegetable stock and bring to a simmer.

4. Simmer until the Jerusalem Artichokes are tender, approximately 45 minutes.

5. Purée the soup in a food processor, blender or with an immersion blender; season with salt and pepper.  Add milk and return to low simmer to heat through for 5 minutes.

6. Serve hot or chilled.

Yield: 4 quarts

• Deb's Dried Apples - From the CT NOFA Office Manager Deb Legge
  
  
  Slice your favorite unpeeled apples into 16 slices. (One of those corer/slicer gadgets makes the job go a lot more quickly.) Sprinkle with a small amount of lemon juice, if available. For seasoning, use a mix of mostly cinnamon, with a bit of nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves to your preference. Arrange in a single layer in each dehydrator rack and dry for 20-24 hours. Store in glass jars.

Enjoy the Bounty of Summer All Year!

It's nearly August! The bounty of summer is in full swing, and in Connecticut there is no shortage of delicious, fresh, and varied produce to put in our kitchens. Produce, however, has a pesky habit of going bad over time, especially when you're dealing with highly perishable fruits like berries. This month, when all the tomatoes in your garden are ripening at the same time and you have more access to fresh local produce at the market than you know what to do with, use some of these methods to preserve the harvest so you can enjoy it all year!

Drying: Out of the three major food preservation options, drying is the most economical. It requires the least amount of energy input, and much of the work is done in the background while you're off doing other things. Here's an article by Jean Nick from Rodale that details the process of dehydration, complete with tips and recipes sure to make your mouth water.

Canning: Canning takes some time and skill, but it's the only way wet foods can be preserved without refrigeration. If you want to learn how to can just about anything, peruse this blog by Canning Granny. She provides a wide variety of recipes and tips from her own kitchen and from readers' submissions.

Freezing: Freezing is arguably the easiest food preservation technique, requiring relatively little time or preparation, but it requires a lot of freezer storage space and, therefore, a lot of energy. Good Housekeeping gives a good introduction to freezing, including what not to freeze and how to properly prepare and wrap food for freezing.

And if you want to learn more in depth guidelines and tips, the Cornell Extension has a great webpage about all three food preservation techniques. Check out our webpage as the summer draws to a close to learn about our fall food preservation workshops as they are scheduled.

Have a bountiful day!
-Melissa

It's Almost Summer Farmers Market Season!

As you know from our Winter Food Project, farmers markets aren't just a harvest-time occurrence.  They happen year-round across the state, and a whole host of them will be opening up in May and June and run through the fall.  A listing of the markets where our members sell goods can be found on our website, and you can also view a complete listing of markets on the Department of Agriculture website.

And don't forget, markets don't just sell produce!  You can often use a farmers market as a one-stop shop for all your grocery needs, from delicious fresh fruits and vegetables, to meat, seafood, dairy, sweets, coffee, baked goods, prepared foods, and even some inedible items like wool, beeswax, and crafts.  Give your local market a phone call or check out their website to learn more about their vendors.  Going to a market is a wonderful way to get your grocery shopping done while having a great time and heading home with the freshest goods available!

CT NOFA will be tabling at many upcoming markets this spring through fall.  Check out our website and sign up for our Gleanings eNewsletter to receive regular updates on where we will be and when.  For now, however, here is where we are confirmed so far:

Ellington Farmers Market
Saturday May 12, 2012
9:00-12:00pm
Arbor Park on Route #286/ Main Street
Ellington, CT

Downtown Milford Farmers Market
Saturday July 7, 2012
9:00-1:00pm
58 River Street
Milford, CT

Manchester - CCC Farmer's Market
Thursday August 9, 2012
3:00-6:00pm
35 Oakland Street
Manchester, CT

Higganum Village Farmers Market (tentative)
Friday August 10, 2012
3:30-6:30pm
Higganum Green (intersection of Routes 154 and 81)
Higganum, CT

Stay tuned for more and have a great afternoon!
-Melissa

Starlight Gardens Workshop on Greenhouse & High Tunnel Growing

On the first day of spring, CT NOFA hosted an on-farm workshop in Durham, Connecticut with David Zemeslky, owner of Starlight Gardens.  David grows greens through the winter in his 6 high tunnels.

 David shows the group his crop rows, and explained how he fertilizes (Starlight Gardens is certified organic), how he prepares the beds for tomatoes, pest control and adjusting for changing climate.

 These are David's carrots, which he planted in November and left covered for the winter!

 Low tunnels are an affordable, fairly easy method for season extension even for small growers.

More low tunnels! The black bags are filled with compost instead of sand, he uses them to weight down the plastic.  When they break he just leaves the compost on the beds!

 This is a large high tunnel that the National Resources Conservation Service helped fund.  David explained that this greenouse seemed especially successful because of its east-west orientation, allowing it to get more sunlight in the winter.

 John Bartok, Professor Emeritus from the UConn Agricultural Extension discussed greenhouse design and construction.  He told the group about new technologies being developed to control greenhouse and hoop house temperatures and to irrigate these spaces.  He provided guidance on how to ventilate greenhouses as well.

David's organic mole and vole control enjoyed all of the visitors. He was a very friendly addition to the workshop.

After the workshop beginning farmers (those with 10 years of experience or fewer) had lunch together to talk more to David and Ty Zemelsky and discuss challenges in farming.  David shared his lovely greens for the salad at lunch!

For more information on our workshop check out Ty Zemelsky's post about our workshop!

Have a wonderful weekend! Happy planting!

Best,

Kristiane

The Coventry WinterFresh Farmers' Market

Coventry WinterFresh Market Sunday, February 12, 2012

Sunday, two of our staff members, myself included, went to table at the Coventry WinterFresh Farmers' Market in Coventry, CT, out by Tolland and the University of Connecticut.  The event was wonderful - as someone who had never been to the Coventry Market before, I was thoroughly impressed by both the turnout of attendees and the selection of goods for sale.  It may be the end of winter - that tricky time of year when stored produce from the fall starts to run out while it's still too early to begin planting many summertime favorites - but that doesn't mean you can't find a variety of delicious options from local producers.  In this respect the Coventry Market is a real winner.  The locally grown and produced goods really cover all bases, from seafood to greenhouse and storage produce, to diary, meat, baked goods, and even hot sauce!  Not to mention the stands selling inedible items like beeswax candles, clothing, and cutting boards.  This market is a great example of what CT NOFA is trying to promote with its Winter Food Project: increased access to safe, healthy, local food throughout the year.  The first step in that process is to get the word out about what is available year-round in the state, so tell your friends about this and other winter markets listed on our website.

Here is a brief description of the Winter Market, as provided by the Coventry Market's website:

A photo of me next to CT NOFA's table and display board

Coventry WinterFresh Farmers’ Market brings you more than 30 local farmers and specialty food producers, from 11-2, Sundays, at Coventry High School, 78 Ripley Hill Rd. in Coventry, Connecticut. Running from November 20 through the end of February, our WinterFresh Market makes it easier to eat seasonally and locally through the depths of winter. We offer the freshest, tastiest food grown and produced in the state every Sunday, in a warm, indoor setting with good parking and easy access. We’ve lured the best farmers and food producers in Connecticut! We think you’ll be impressed! 

This was a great event for us to table at because it not only served as an easy informal way to reach audiences that didn't previously know about CT NOFA and our programs, but also was a wonderful opportunity to do a little grocery shopping!  If you'd like to come table for CT NOFA at a farmers market this spring, send me an email.  We have many volunteer opportunities coming up at markets and outreach events across the state, especially as Earth Day in April draws closer.  Volunteering for us is fun, educational, and often delicious!

Have a great afternoon!
-Melissa

Can you have fair, green, affordable, and healthy food all at once?

What do you think?  The folks at Slow Food USA are vehemently divided on the subject.  Last August, after electing a new president, Slow Food started the "$5 Challenge", a pledge to share a fresh, healthy meal for under $5 per person as an alternative to a fast food value meal.  This marks a change in direction for Slow Food, as they were originally an organization that believed consumers should be willing to pay more for their food.  Proponents of this new outlook believe that the old way of doing things preached too much to the choir, and was often elitist, classist, and exclusionary.  Critics, however, argue that competing financially with fast food companies and big agribusiness is nothing more than a race to the bottom - an unsustainable effort that sacrifices the livelihoods of small scale farmers and food producers.  Personally, I can see both sides of the debate.  Not everyone can afford to pay more for the organic items sold in stores, but it's also dangerous to apply fast food economics to slow food situations.

However, you don't necessarily have to pay a lot more for healthy organic food.  Offset packaging and transportation costs by buying goods from your local farmer's market or CSA program.  Visit a farm and pick your own.  Or start a garden, either in your yard if you have one, or in containers if you don't.  You'll be supporting the local food movement, helping the environment, being kind to your wallet, and doing your health a favor.  Check out our Winter Food Project webpage and CT Farms and Food webpage to learn more about farms, markets, and CSA programs in your area all year round.

Read a Chow article here to learn more about the Slow Food debate and let us know what you think either here or on Facebook!

How Much Did you Eat This Holiday Season?

Maybe it was more than you think.  According to NPR's food blog, The Salt, the average American ate nearly one ton of food last year, much of it as cheese, sweets, potatoes, and corn.  The data, compiled by the US Department of Agriculture, estimates that, per person annually, we consume on average a whopping 630 pounds of dairy (including 31 pounds of cheese), 141 pounds of sweeteners, and 185 pounds of meat.  The 273 pounds of fruit and 415 pounds of vegetables may seem to make up for all that, but unfortunately most of the fruit figure is water weight and a large portion of the vegetables are comprised of corn and potatoes, two of the least healthy vegetables out there.  All of this accounts for a grand total of 2700 calories per person per day on average, quite a bit more than we need.  Of course, you might be well below that number, but these averages speak to a very clear consumption problem in the United States and a heavy reliance on subsidized and processed foods. 

This winter, skip the prepackaged and processed foods and buy a bag of produce from your local winter farmers market.  It will taste delicious, will be easier on your budget than you think, and will help your local economy, the environment, and your health.  Check out our Winter Food Project webpage for details.

Wishing you a healthy and sustainable new year!
-Melissa

Not All Organic Farms are Created Equal

We generally think of organic and sustainable as going hand in hand, but in the produce department this isn't always the case.  The New York Times featured a front page article on the 30th questioning the sustainability of many organic produce farms, focusing mainly on those farms in Baja, Mexico that are technically organic, but don't often match up with what we would typically consider environmental sustainability.  Organic tomato farms on the Baja Peninsula have depleted the water table in the area to the point where local subsistence farmers can't grow food because their wells are dry.  Additionally, tomatoes produced in this region overwhelmingly serve the United States market, meaning that they are shipped long distances at fossil fuel costs rivaling those of conventional farms.

How should we as consumers respond to this?  Buy local!  If you live in a cold winter climate, reduce your intake of warm-weather produce in an effort to eat more sustainably.  If the northern United States didn't have such a high demand for tomatoes all winter, we wouldn't be so reliant on imports.  Eating local winter food can be just as delicious and satisfying as eating imported hot-weather foods, and is also better for the environment and your local economy.

If you want to eat local this winter but aren't sure how to get started, check out our Winter Food Project webpage for recipes, winter CSA programs, and winter farmers markets in Connecticut.

Watch the New York Times video about sustainability here.

Happy New Year!
-Melissa

Winter Farmers Markets Expand to More than 1,200 Locations for Fresh Local Foods

According to the USDA, the number of winter farmers markets in the country has increased by 38 percent since 2010, from 886 to 1,225 total markets nationwide.  This means winter farmers markets account for 17 percent of the total number of markets, a promising and currently growing figure.  The USDA believes that much of this growth can be traced to the adoption of hoop house technology by small farmers as a way to lengthen their growing season and continue to offer fresh fruits and vegetables into the winter.

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan gives some encouragement to those who are considering offering produce into the winter months: “Consumers are looking for more ways to buy locally grown food throughout the year.  Through winter markets, American farmers are able to meet this need and bring in additional income to support their families and businesses.”

If you're thinking about starting a farmer's market and want to learn more about the support the USDA can provide you, check out the article here.  If you're looking for a winter farmers market or CSA program near you (a great way to have delicious, healthy, local food year-round while supporting your local economy) or if you want to try out some new winter food recipes, check out our Winter Food Project webpage here. 

Happy Eating!
Melissa

Why Our Winter Food Project is Important

The winter, more than any other season, is a time when many Americans eat more packaged, processed foods as local farmer's markets dwindle and access to fresh produce is often limited to factory farmed crops shipped in from far away.  It's cold and dark out, and if cooking isn't your strong point, it's easy to get sucked into the convenience of prepackaged, non-local foods.

I recently read a post on Farmer's Market titled Forgotten Food: How We Lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes From, How to Cook It and What It Tastes Like that gives a brief synopsis of Ann Vileisis' Kitchen Literacy.  This book chronicles America's food system, from its beginnings in 1700s agrarian society to the broken and disconnected monstrosity that it is today.  As it turns out, America's transition from a society that had immense accumulated food knowledge to a nation where people often say food comes from "the grocery store" wasn't an easy one.  Our ancestors fought against much of the commercialization and industrialization of food, leaving us a legacy not of complacency, but of activism.  We owe it to ourselves and to our rich heritage to become reacquainted with where our food comes from, how to prepare it, and what it should taste like.

It is in this spirit that we started our Winter Food Project.  After all, if we can develop a more personal relationship with our food in the toughest and leanest of seasons, we can do it at any time of the year.  I encourage you to check out the resources available on our Winter Food Project page, and visit a winter farmer's market in your area.  Access to whole, local food doesn't have to be seasonal, and we don't have to sacrifice flavor and nutrition just because it's wintertime.

Create a Slow Food Thanksgiving!

With Thanksgiving only 3 days away, cooking and celebrating is on everyone's mind, and for those of us who are spearheading the cooking this year, the task may seem a bit overwhelming.  But fear not, holiday kitchen crusaders, for there are resources you can use to make your holiday run smoother and be more eco-friendly.  The folks at Slow Food have developed a guide complete with recipes, information, and helpful tips that will help you have a more delicious, less time consuming, and more sustainable Thanksgiving.  Check out these tips for saving time and money while boosting the nutritional content, flavor, and appearance of your cooking.  And the list of recipes is very comprehensive, taking into account both vegetarian needs and what to do with the leftovers after the big day.  The guide also delves into the history behind the holiday, avoiding the sugar coated story often taught to us through advertising and the school system. 

A couple weeks ago, I posted about the advantages in buying a local, organic, sustainable, or heritage turkey.  Slow Food's guide also has information and resources about sustainable and heritage turkeys, and in my opinion elegantly describes why it's ultimately in your best interest as a consumer to go this route.

Thanksgiving is, as a modern holiday, a time to celebrate the bounty and joy of life with family and friends.  We live in a fast-paced technologically advanced society, but that doesn't need to overwhelm us this holiday season.  Finding the time to relax and enjoy your local harvest is not only good for the economy and the environment, but good for you as well.

Wishing you the best of luck in your pre-holiday preparation,
-Melissa

A Great Recipe from Mindy Kannon, Prepared by One of Our Members

Nutritionist Mindy Kannon offers a variety of great recipes on her website. The following recipe was given to me by a CT NOFA member who made it for our Annual Meeting potluck lunch, but was unable to attend the event because of the snow.





Sweet Potato, Walnut and Green Bean Salad on Baby Arugula
Serves 8. Active time 35 minutes, plus 20 minutes for roasting potatoes.

Tangy Yogurt Dressing:
½ cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 tsp dijon mustard
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
8 cup of baby arugula
sea salt and pepper to taste

Salad:
2 Lbs of sweet potatoes
1 tbsp rosemary
2 cloves garlic
2 cups trimmed and halved green beans
1 cup coarsely-chopped walnuts
¼ cup fresh parsley

Mix the dressing ingredients in the blender until smooth. Set aside.
Scrub sweet potatoes with a vegetable brush. With skins on, dice into ½" cubes.
Toss with olive oil, rosemary and fresh garlic. Put potatoes on a cooking sheet or pizza stone. Place in a 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Periodically check the potatoes and flip with a spatula. Remove when golden brown. Cool.
Steam green beans until tender. Immediately rinse under cold water to stop cooking so they remain crisp. Let dry.
In a bowl, toss potatoes, beans, walnuts, and parsley with dressing.
Arrange over baby arugula. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste.

This delicious and easy salad supplies you with an incredible array of nutrients. Walnuts are high in anti-oxidants and are the richest source of omega-3s. Arugula is a great source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, calcium and vitamin K. Parsley contributes iron, potassium and vitamin C.

Our Annual Meeting was a great event! If you missed it because of the weather, or for any other reason, or if you made it and want to attend more of our events, check out the CT NOFA website, or the Organic Land Care website to learn more about upcoming events, including our OLC Annual Gathering, OLC Accreditation Course, and CT NOFA Winter Conference.

Have a great week!
-Melissa

How to Buy a Delicious and Ecologically Sustainable Turkey

Photo: Brandon Siedel/ Shutterstock

With Thanksgiving only a few weeks away, the time has come for many Americans to start searching for the perfect bird.  If it's your turn to cook this year, and you want to make sure you can compete with Aunt Janice the chef and Uncle John who's been cooking turkeys for 30 years, consider choosing a sustainably raised turkey from a farm near you.  You'll be boosting your local economy, helping the environment, and your turkey will taste better than its factory farm-bred cousins.  The Mother Nature Network lists a few tips on getting a bird that will wow your guests and promote sustainable healthy living:

If you're part of the majority of Americans who don't shoot their own turkey, be aware of where the bird you're buying comes from.  If you get your poultry from a farm, farmer's market, or CSA, talk to the farmer and find out how the bird was raised.  If you're buying from a grocery store, talk to the butcher or store manager, or carefully read the labels on the bird's packaging.  Some labels are more reliable than others, so make sure you're informed.  For instance, a label claiming a bird was "free range" realistically means almost nothing since an animal that's only been allowed outside for five minutes a day can be considered free range, and even that rule is not enforced by any organization other than the manufacturer.  A great resource to check the reliability of labels for all kinds of foods can be found here.

If you are looking for superior flavor, buy either a heritage, organic, or sustainably produced turkey. Sustainable agriculture isn't just good for the environment and for livestock; it's also good for your taste buds.  Ninety-nine percent of all turkeys raised in the United States are Broadbreasted White, a variety that has been bread to have abnormally large amounts of breast meat.  This means that the birds can't walk or breed properly, and, according to the UN, without artificial insemination by humans the entire species would go extinct within one generation.  Raised in confinement in extremely crowded conditions, they are fed a steady diet of grain and antibiotics rather than the grubs, bugs and grasses they should eat and could eat if they were allowed outdoors.  It's no wonder that in blind taste tests, factory-farmed Broadbreasted White turkey proved to be inferior in flavor to sustainably produced, organic, and heritage breeds of turkey, but conventional wisdom still dictates the false notion that Broadbreasted White turkeys raised on large factory farms taste the best.  Heritage turkeys are breeds that were around before Broadbreasted White existed, and many of them originated in America.  Organic birds are raised without growth enhancers or antibiotics, and eat organic feed.  Sustainable is a term that's a bit harder to pin down, but basically refers to farmers who treat their land, animals, and workers with respect, so that the farm will remain sustainable for generations to come, hence the name.  Although sustainable has no legal regulations like Certified Organic, sustainable farms often exceed USDA Organic guidelines.

In the end, the key is to buy local.  The best way to know for sure how your turkey was raised is to buy it from a local source, where you can literally see the conditions that the birds are living in.  Buying local is good for your regional economy and it's easier than you think.  Local Harvest and the Eat Well Guide are both great resources to search for a farm near you.

Happy Hunting!

-Melissa

Connecticut's First Frost

Snow forecast for October 29!

If you haven't already had one, you probably are in for our first frost here in Connecticut!  The snow predictions are a little surprising, but now is the time to winterize your garden (literally, today is probably your day.)

The Tolland, CT Patch just posted this article "Fall is Time to Split" about how fall is the time to divide your plants.  The article, by Alice Blair, focuses on dividing hosta and heuchera (or coral bells).

There are many techniques to protect the crops you planted in August, September and early October for the coming frost.  Here is a pretty comprehensive list of options:

http://www.humeseeds.com/falwint.htm

If you have planted your fall crops: remember back to our "Planning for the Fall and Winter Harvest Workshop" in September. 

If you were thinking about protecting your vegetable garden, now is the time! Shannon demonstrated how to create row covers, using metal or plastic frames and then using plastic or reemay to create a blanket for your plants.  

Our permaculture specialists, Cynthia and Stewart Rabinowitz at the Center for Sustainable Living in Bethlehem showed participants of the Permaculture Workshop all the ways that they insulate their plants from frost and snow through the winter. They used old sliding glass doors to create cold frames and had constructed green houses as well. This picture is of hay bales used to insulate the plants growing in the center of them, and then the plastic you can see to the right will be stretched over the hay bales as the weather gets colder.  

If you have some warm weather plants still in (like tomatoes) you should harvest them now! What to do with all of those warmer weather fall crops? There's always freezing, drying or canning. 

You can also extend the growing season inside your house! Sign up for our Indoor Flower and Food Gardening workshop to learn about making your living room your winter garden!

Happy First Frost everyone! If you want to see some of these winter planting techniques in action you can come by Common Ground High School at 358 Springside Avenue in New Haven tomorrow around noon.  There will be farm tours from 12:00 - 1:00 pm for CT NOFA's Annual (Celebration) Meeting!