Local produce in the off-season

Green City Market is getting a lot of mention of late, and I have a specific question; I was going to put it in VI's T-day thread, but it isn't really a T-day question.

So: Allrighty, VI, give me some info about local foods.

I just ate the last of my local apples from the farmers' market, and I want to buy more. Sure, there's some stuff at Produce World from Michigan, and it's not bad, but it lacks that intense apple-y flavor that stuff from the farmers' market has.

Suggestions as to who's still selling good local apples? Extra points for vendors that are available times other than Saturday morning, 'cause I'm not available Saturday morning.

Giovanna

Giovanna wrote:
So: Allrighty, VI, give me some info about local foods.

So, what do you have against Whole Foods

There are three ways to continue eating local after the Farmer's Markets close:

1. You can subscribe to a CSA that plants in the fall and spring. With greenhouses (which area really giant plastic tents), farmers around us can grow nearly year-round. I know both Genesis Growers and Angelic Organics have fall CSA's. Genesis Growers will have a Spring CSA.

2. Local is where you find it. Just pay attention. As I noted in the Thanksgiving thread, if you ignore the bulk of the produce at Whole Foods, you can find nearly what you need from local growers. It is typical to find local apples and potatoes at various markets like Caputo's.

3. You plan ahead. OK, this one makes no sense if you have not started, but next year...Onions, potatoes, squashes, apples, do fine in a cold, dark room, think garage or basement. A spare fridge is better for cabbage and roots like turnips. You will be surprised how long all of these things last. When that runs out, go to what you have froze, canned, smoked or dried.

The hardest thing many people have about eating local is, well, it's like, "I don't want to eat turnips" or more accurately, "apples again." In the summer, the market brings us new items all the time; like I say, now the market has, what, apples. Still, when sourced locally, all this fall and winter stuff is very good. A lot of fall/winter food takes more effort to prepare--try dealing with enough rhutabagas for a mash, yet you will be well rewarded. My kids had no problem eating kale last week. Does that not speak to the deliciousness of this food?

Eating local is a process. It takes time to realize how to shop, how to cook, how to store. I'm getting better, but I would not say I'm that good at it. I do know that eating local makes great sense. It's a lot better for our dwindling resources, and most of all, it tastes better (as my old friend Frank Portillo would say).

Vital Information wrote:The hardest thing many people have about eating local is, well, it's like, "I don't want to eat turnips"

Since joining Farmer Vicki's CSA, I've been eating MUCH more turnip than ever before (sometimes three times a week). As it turns out, I like them. Another advantage of eating locally is that you're pretty much compelled to get up close with many vegetables that you many have, for some inexplicable reason, avoided in the past. Other personal examples: parsnip, celeriac, and some types of squash.

I couldn't be more satisfied with our weekly box of stuff -- it's nice having a random bunch of good veg available throughout the week.

Hammond

I didn't bring the copy with me, but this week's Time Out Chicago has a page featuring info on how to weather the winter months eating locally. Well, if I recall, half a page and a big picture. Turns out it's online here.

This is the issue with a cover feature on coffee.

germuska wrote:I didn't bring the copy with me, but this week's Time Out Chicago has a page featuring info on how to weather the winter months eating locally. Well, if I recall, half a page and a big picture. Turns out it's online here.

This is the issue with a cover feature on coffee.

Thanks for the tip. The article is here.

Some very good suggestions. Too bad they could not publish even more, but what they hey, magazine space is finite. I especially like the inclusion of Oak Grove milk which is truly outstanding stuff.

Vital Information wrote:Thanks for the tip. The article is here.

you're fast! I probably edited it back into my original post at the same time you were posting...

germuska wrote:

Vital Information wrote:Thanks for the tip. The article is here.

you're fast! I probably edited it back into my original post at the same time you were posting...

Well, it's surely a topic near and dear to me