Eating seasonally and locally -- any luck so far?

During the long, cold, dark winter of beef stews and root vegetables, I developed a new enthusiasm for local and seasonal shopping and cooking. Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries fit that enthusiasm perfectly, and I'm enjoying it immensely (having read up to mid May so far)(in case anyone is looking for a book discussion idea)(but clearly they enjoy a milder climate, and closer-to-year-round fresh veg, in London than we do here in the Chicago area).

So the post the other day with the links to various eat-local sites was a pleasure too.

But so far, trips to the grocery store are not much of a pleasure. Last night I stopped in at Whole Foods in Deerfield, and there was exactly one thing in the produce department that hadn't come from California or Florida: golden beets from Wisconsin. I tried to talk myself into them, but alas, just wasn't in the mood for golden beets.

Farmers' markets, apparently, are still a month or so off.

Is anyone having any better luck than I am buying locally seasonal produce right now?

For Chicago, this time of year, you have to pick local or seasonal. Nothing has had the time to get to the harvest stage, yet, unless you include stuff grown in greenhouses, but that's not really seasonal.

last weekend I saw some of the first hothouse stuff for sale at farmstands in Michigan. Pretty good looking tomatoes and some asparagus. I've got a yard full of wild ramps and dandelion greens, too.

The "French Market" will be starting up this weekend in Lakeview (in the parking lot of Nettelhorst Elementary). I'm curious to see what they'll have the first week. I don't expect much in the way of produce, but I am looking forward to the suburban bakery that supplies us needy city folk with fresh pretzel bread and gigantic cookies.

French Market
Nettelhorst School
3252 N. Broadway

8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

MariaTheresa-- Thanks for that tip.

Katie-- Great idea for a thread. You have helped all of us by asking.

JeffB wrote:I've got a yard full of wild ramps and dandelion greens, too.

You get ramps in your backyard!?

How'd you swing that?

Cynthia wrote:For Chicago, this time of year, you have to pick local or seasonal. Nothing has had the time to get to the harvest stage, yet, unless you include stuff grown in greenhouses, but that's not really seasonal.

That's not really true. First of all, there is stuff outside like beets and turnips. Inside, I think, and correct me if I'm wrong here, but greenhouse is a bit of a perjorative. That's why farmers call them hoop houses. Greenhouses imply hydroponic, grown in water, think especially those pretty (totally uniform) colored peppers at Costco. With hoop houses, the farmers are growing in their soil. The hoop houses, which are like big PVC tents just capture heat, mostly keeping the ground from freezing--the biggest limitor in growing. Essentially, the hoop house jump starts the season (and allows for certain year round crops like lettuce).

Hat Hammond and myself both got a box today loaded with local crops. A big head of, rarely seen in Farmer's Markets, Romaine, another head of lettuce, beets with their greens, kale, napa cabbage and spring onions. This came from Genesis Growers. I believe Angelic Organics supplies a Spring box as well.

The food's out there. The problem lies in the fact that we do not have good ways to get the food. Know about a CSA, and the off-season CSAs are less marketed, and you're OK. Waiting for a market, well you have to wait. As usual, why cannot we have year round markets like in New York or even Madison.

So, the easy answer is there is local/seasonal food to buy; the hard answer is actually finding it.

Aaron Deacon wrote:

JeffB wrote:I've got a yard full of wild ramps and dandelion greens, too.

You get ramps in your backyard!?

How'd you swing that?

I think that birds and possibly bees were involved long ago. Did I mention the dandelions? If I could just get grass to grow.

Vital Information wrote:Hat Hammond and myself both got a box today loaded with local crops. A big head of, rarely seen in Farmer's Markets, Romaine, another head of lettuce, beets with their greens, kale, napa cabbage and spring onions. This came from Genesis Growers. I believe Angelic Organics supplies a Spring box as well.

Yes, I really couldn't be happier with the Genesis box that comes every Thursday. Lots of greenery this week, and lots of purple too (two kinds of kale, I think). I'm on record for not being a huge fan of salad, but I know it's good for me, and having large quantities of gorgeous local stuff sitting around is all the impetus I need to have salad almost every day.

Vital Information wrote: As usual, why cannot we have year round markets like in New York or even Madison.

Can it be year 'round and be seasonal? Even if you find a way of keeping it from freezing in the winter, does that make it seasonal?

I guess part of the question is, what is the OP aiming for. If it's a macrobiotic thing, where you're actually trying to provide your body with foods that match the seasons, then even hoop houses (a new term for me) aren't giving you what you want. If, however, the object is simply to find something grown locally that isn't as far out of season as, mangos, then that opens up the possibiities.

And just so you know, I didn't use greenhouse as a pejoritive, simply as a way of suggesting something that hadn't relied entirely on nature for its growth cycle. (And for those of us who predate the hydroponic revolution, most recollections of greenhouses include actual soil.)

And out of curiosity, does Genesis Growers deliver to your home? Or like Angelic, do you have to try to find some nearby drop-off point. I've always wanted to buy into one of those services, but the double wammy is Angelic won't sell half shares, and I live alone, and I've also never seen an address that was anywhere remotely close. Of the two, however, the not being able to get a half share is the bigger problem.

You can ignore my question about Genesis Growers. I looked them up, and the farthest north they get is Rogers Park. I live in Wheeling. Sigh. The map of the CSA providers in Chicagoland shows that no one gets out this way -- even though at least some of them have to pass through the NW suburbs to get to the city. So I'll have to keep waiting for the farmers markets or stop at Whole Foods.

Prairie Farms a bit north of me (and a bit farther north of you, if you're in Wheeling) has a CSA, but I don't think it's started up yet this year. I could be wrong but I think that's the only CSA option in the northern suburbs.

Thanks, Katie.

Is that the name of the farm at Prairie Crossing? Or is it something else?

JeffB wrote:last weekend I saw some of the first hothouse stuff for sale at farmstands in Michigan. Pretty good looking tomatoes and some asparagus. I've got a yard full of wild ramps and dandelion greens, too.

I find my dog periodically munching on the dandelion greens on my lawn this time of year. He doesn't eat grass, or leaves, just the dandelion greens. He's apparently a gourmand, or foodie, whatever the most recent terminology is.

Cynthia wrote:Is that the name of the farm at Prairie Crossing? Or is it something else?

The CSA at Prairie Crossing is Sandhill Organics.

I started using Fresh Picks www.freshpicks.com a few weeks ago when I needed local produce for a sustainable dinner that my company catered for a very significant politican's wife. Fresh Picks is a local food delivery service. For this dinner, I was able to get local herbs, greens, cheese, ham, potatoes, chicken, butter and eggs. Through other sources, I was able to get local cream and an Illinois wine made from California grapes, which is excellent (Lynfred's Vin de City Red). I have continued using their services and yesterday received local shiitake mushrooms, mache, carrots, spinach, radishes, rump roast, pork chops and some beautiful frozen Michigan raspberries. The delivery charge is $5.00 and the minimum order is $35.00. Unless you opt to purchase one of their weekly boxes, you order whatever you want. During these lean days, they supplement with California produce, but even that is far better quality than that which I've seen in the stores.

For anyone who's interested, the menu for our sustainable dinner with wine pairings was as follows:

Hors d’oeuvres
A Trio of Snacks: Salt-Crusted Almonds, Cheese Wafers &
Spring Radishes Topped with Herbed Goat Butter
Pierre Moncuit Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Champagne, Non Vintage

First Course
Sweet Pea Ravioli in Parmesan Broth with a Garnish of Sliced Ham and Pea Greens
1997 Kalin Cellars Semillon

Salad
Seared Scallop with Herb Salad & Hazelnut Vinaigrette
2003 Scherrer Vineyard Chardonnay, Scherrer Winery

Main Course
Pan Roasted Salmon with Potato Puree, Beurre Rouge & Asparagus
2003 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Scherrer Winery

Dessert
Rhubarb Brûlée with Meyer Lemon Madeleines
2003 Kerner Spatlese, Georg Gustav Huff, Rheinhessen

Mignardise & Coffee
A Trio of Chocolates from Coco Rouge
Intelligentsia Coffee

That's what I meant, Prairie Crossing, sorry. Sandhill Farms.

Um, am I the only one with Asparagus? My garden was greatly disturbed by last years' construction, so so far I've only seen five stalks, pretty thin -- I'm going to let them lie fallow this year unless a lot more appear.

I've also got stinging nettles growing along my fence (until I hit them with major weedkiller) -- anywhere they're growing, you've got soup.

I guess I'm lucky that we're eating from the garden already.

Winter onions (a family heirloom plant) have been ready for a few weeks but they're almost too strong to eat now. My rhubarb (also an heirloom) is nearly ready to pick and the mesclun is almost ready. Radishes are really slow due to the cold weather and I postponed planting peas so they'll be late. I've also got chives and garlic chives with some herbs greening up nicely.

Next year I'll have to do some covered spaces so I can get greens earlier.

Joel, Diannie thanks for the reports. See it IS true that stuff is ready already. It again shows the utility of earlier markets. Now, obviously, one could not make money selling a few stinging nettles and an odd heirloom crop of winter onions, but I think the greater point is there.

We know influential peole read this board.

That's not fair, having a garden!

For those of us who have nothing more than a couple of flower pots on the balcony, we're stuck waiting for the farmer's markets. But they will begin soon. Until then, I'm surviving on what I can scrounge at Whole Foods.

I just went to Stanley's and got some beutiful fresh favas!


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