Heather says:
So I’m not huge on trends just for the coolness factor, but there are a few I can get behind; eating locally is one. In season produce doesn’t travel travel far, isn’t stored as long, and is frequently cheaper than fruits and vegetables sourced from other climates. When you have a convergence of these factors, I’m a fan.
Cottage Industrialist and Home-Ec 101 have teamed up to bring you both an attractive calendar and seasonal recipes. Cameron has been designing her tail off –well, I can’t verify that fact, I didn’t ask and no, I won’t check– and I’ve been scouring cookbooks and the web for manageable recipes that only contain what I call attainable ingredients. I live in a smallish town and if my Bi-Lo or Wal-Mart* doesn’t carry it, the recipe won’t make the list. I know there are some regions of the country that have it harder than others, but I had to make a baseline in familiar territory. What I mean is you won’t have to drive to the fancy side of town to find some odd item.
Each month I’ll be adding to the available recipe cards.
I hope you enjoy these printables as much as we do.
Enjoy!
*I do not mean to imply that Wal-mart carries local produce. I was referring to the ingredients that create the remainder of the dish such as exotic spices that may be hard to find.
Could you clarify what you mean by "eating locally?" As I have understood the term, it means eating food grown or produced locally, and in my experience Wal-Mart veg has often crossed continents or even oceans before it lands in the produce section.
By locally I mean sourcing locally when possible. The Wal-mart reference was intended to cover spices, dairy products etc that unless you are exceedingly lucky and live near a FAB farmer's market won't be available from a local resource. I didn't mean to say get the produce from Wal-mart and I will clarify.
i can't wait! The calendars are pretty. If you live in a cold weather area and can get through December – February, the rest of the year is downhill.
Those calendars rock!
Don't forget … local produce lasts *much* longer in the house. We're using the fridge as a root cellar and have perfectly good turnips in the crisper drawer, that I bought in November (I knew the farm market would close for 4 months and stocked up). I've had lettuce last 6 weeks, brussels sprouts look fine after a month. In their box on the floor, the sweet potatoes look fine, so do the winter squash I bought in October. Everything refrigerated is in the clear plastic bags she sells them in.
I've loving the way things last 🙂
That is a great point. Additionally, famers that grow their food for sale locally don't have to use the uber hardy strains that are bred for shipping rather than taste.