As a theory, I support the idea of locavorism...eating things grown or produced nearby to where you live. Since I am lucky and live where there are lots of good things grown and produced, it is not a hardship. The main thing getting in the way seems to be finding the time to shop that way without breaking the bank. My nearby Whole Foods has the nickname 'whole paycheck' for a reason. Even farmers markets seem to have sent prices sky high for many items. I do belong to a fruit CSA where the annual 'fee' is to purchase something like six bottles of an outstanding Asian pear juice. It is reasonably priced and so are the pears and apples we pick up at the farm.
Of course I also have the blackberries, ollalberries, mint, apples, pears, persimmons, quince and plums that grow on our property, plus whatever veggies I plant as annuals. I hope we get a lot of rain so that I can expand what I plant next spring.
Today we went to a friend's house for lunch. Before we went we stopped at a deli near the gym for the amazing apricot chutney that they make there. Ulia's chutney is only available near Thanksgiving and between then and Christmas. It has the perfect balance between sweet and savory, with a tang of vinegar. The fruit pieces are large. It goes really well with turkey.
We also stopped after that at our local cheese factory where they make a semi-hard Portuguese cheese from raw milk called St. Jorge. It is mellow and tangy at the same time. The piece we had was extra aged, so it was also just a bit crumbly and fully flavored. Heaven! The chutney went well with it and we served it up with crackers. Unfortunately I was enjoying eating it and the conversation around the table and forgot to take photos. We left the remaining cheese and chutney with our host and hostess, so the photos I took of the wrapped up local goodies will have to do.
Do you have any local foods that you particularly enjoy? Do you buy any at the source?
Ulia's Deli and Catering Joe Matos Cheese Factory
130 Stony Point Rd, 3669 Llano Rd
Santa Rosa, CA 95401 Santa Rosa, CA 95407
(707) 525-8542 (707) 584-5283
(707) 525-8542 (707) 584-5283
We pick strawberries and blueberries from local organic farms and then freeze what we don't eat right away. We buy gluten free bread and pizza crusts from a local couple who run a small gluten free bakery business. And we buy local honey from several farmers as well as local eggs and cornmeal from a mill nearby. We buy most of our produce from the farmer's market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. And like you, we find some things at "whole paycheck," but we try to buy directly whenever possible. It's rewarding to get to know the people growing or making the food we eat and we'd rather pay them directly so they can continue their businesses. Here's hoping you get some nice winter rains this year!
ReplyDelete