rabble's Eat Local! food and sustainability challenge

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Wed, 2013-09-18 13:25

Eat Local

rabble has kicked off a new challenge, the Eat Local! food and sustainability challenge.

Join us from Sunday September 29 to Sunday October 6 as we try to incorporate local foods into our weekly meals and add some extra sustainability actions to boot!

Check out our intro blog post for more information on the challenge and get involved if you like!

Leave your Eat Local ideas, resources and sustainability tips and tricks on this thread as well!

Looking forward to the challenge and everyone's input and experiences too

Issues Pages:

Environment

Food & Health

Wed, 2013-09-18 14:58

Catchfire

Well, this is exciting! Tip one: find an immersion blender. It's a new classic.

Wed, 2013-09-18 15:22

Kaitlin McNabb Kaitlin McNabb's picture

Woot woot!

Wed, 2013-09-18 15:25

Timebandit Timebandit's picture

Is that Prince Charles? The look on his face frightens me...

Wed, 2013-09-18 16:15

Kaitlin McNabb Kaitlin McNabb's picture

I think it is -- I hope there are no political connotations to this meme because it perfectly sums up my feelings on potlucks, those feelings being "get me there now to eat the food."

Wed, 2013-09-18 16:41

lagatta

He'd have his chef and cookstaff prepare his potluck dish, and his valet carry it to the venue.

I suppose if the fairtrade coffee I buy is roasted and marketed here, it sort of qualifies as local food, though obviously we don't grow coffee - or tea.

Wed, 2013-09-18 17:32

kropotkin1951

Gee I thought he was in the process of catching something to put in the pot.

Wed, 2013-09-18 17:34

Timebandit Timebandit's picture

I have a dozen and a half eggs from just outside town in my fridge. Some local farmer's market veggies, too. Also bought some pickeral fillets for dinner that are supposed to be from not far north of us. I have a bucket full of lentils from my BIL's organic farm, but that's a bit further off.

Wed, 2013-09-18 17:47

kropotkin1951

Here are two of my favourite stores and they are both proudly local. In the summer we buy almost everything we eat from one or the other. Hopcott not only grows their own beef on site they also grow great "no spray" berries. We do indulge in imports from the Okanagon but I consider them to be "local" trade.

Quote:

We are a 3rd generation family run butcher shop located on our family farm, commited to bringing quality, local, farm fresh products direct to your table.

From our hormone free beef, to our local produce, to our baked goods and cheeses, let our friendly, knowledgeable staff help you choose healthy meals for your family & friends.

http://www.hopcottmeats.ca/

https://www.facebook.com/HopOnFarms

Wed, 2013-09-18 17:57

#10

susan davis susan davis's picture

i eat local everyday. i own a butcher shop. all the lamb pork and veal come from sardis, the bacon is smoked in surrey, chickens and ducks come from abbotsford, rabbits from maple ridge. beef is from alberta and sometimes BC but most of our cattle are used for dairy in bc.

we make all of our own deli meat like capicola, roast beef, porchetta, hams- rosemary, cherry/blueberry, honey garlic and morracan..... and sausages- gluten free- as well as side dishes like roasted potatoes, scallop potatoes, salades.

the vegetable stand down the block supply me with lots of local produce like onions, potatoes, cauliflower, lettuce, peppers, carrots,etc. ...we even make our own pasta using local eggs. the bakery down the street supply us with bread....

i would suggest that people can go to their local veg and fruit stand and ask about local produce. the smaller places rather than bug grocery stores seem to be better for finding locally grown produce. same applies to your local butcher. go in and inquire about the source of the food. a small butcher shop will likely be more locally sourced than at a big supermarket.

Wed, 2013-09-18 19:39

#11

lagatta

Sadly my favourite butcher's at Marché Jean-Talon burnt down and is facing absurd bureaucratic zoning problems (it has existed for at least 30 years). And the farmer my co-op bought organic chickens from is ill, and no longer producing poultry. Sad.

Since I live a few minutes' walk and fewer cycle pedal pushes from Jean-Talon, I do get a lot of local stuff, despite a limited budget.

I made a complaint to Loblaws after finding "organic carrots" from California there in August (not this August, some years ago). Dunno whether that had any impact (I rarely buy actual "food" from the Loblaws).

Susan, Moroccan ham? Is that Jewish ham or Muslim ham?

Timebandit, the "besan" (South Asian chickpea flour) I buy is from Saskatchewan. Not really "local", but considerably closer than India or Pakistan.

Wed, 2013-09-18 22:31

#12

Kaitlin McNabb Kaitlin McNabb's picture

I like this about the challenge that it is a bit open to interpretation to be a bit more accomodating for lifestyles too. "Local" could be down the street, from a different province or from your backyard, it's all a relative to what you're eating and your needs too.

Ideally, sourcing all food from my backyard would be amazing, but I live in Brooklyn, so...

Speaking of hipsters, does anyone have any good pickling recipes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYey8ntlK_E

Wed, 2013-09-18 23:35

#13

epaulo13

Raj Patel on Food Sovereignty and the Art of Democracy

Using the concept of food sovereignty as a model, Raj Patel hints at what true democracy might look like, and how we might build it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dV7N-QGV_w&feature=related

Wed, 2013-09-18 23:36

#14

Timebandit Timebandit's picture

I have a single jar dill pickle recipe around here somewhere.

Thu, 2013-09-19 00:41

#15

epaulo13

..with kropotkin's post i now have 2 farms that can access by bus. here's the other.

http://countryfarms.ca/about.htm

..around 90% of my food is local. in the smaller shops most of the chicken and pork is local, meaning the lower mainland & fraser valley. the new crop of bok choy has been out for a little while and i'm eating what is more likely the last of the okanagon peaches for the season. rice, beans and some spices make up that 10%. pasta can be difficult to find as well unless it's fresh your looking for.

..but it's a life style change. it means several different places to go to. more time is needed. and come late winter your really scrounging around for local veggies and fruit. i eat a lot of potatos and apples around this time. but manage to supplement this with local beets and turnips i get from a big box store i know of. the majority of the food though comes from smaller shops in my community.

Thu, 2013-09-19 08:58

#16

lagatta

Bok choy is very easy to grow, by the way. You can grow it in just a bit of dirt, almost anywhere.

Thu, 2013-09-19 11:31

#17

kropotkin1951

I love the Richmond Country Farm Market too but its way further for us to travel than Hop On which is in Burnaby.

Thu, 2013-09-19 11:50

#18

Catchfire

Don't forget UBC Farm, which sells produce and takes volunteers during planting and harvest times (paid for with said produce). That's where I discovered radish tops!

Thu, 2013-09-19 12:43

#19

lagatta

Radish tops are wonderful - shame that they are usually discarded.

Thu, 2013-09-19 14:24

#20

MegB

There's a grocery store near us that specializes in Asian foods. Their produce is, when in season, grown on Ontario farms, as is their poultry, and their prices are much better than the big chains.

I had hoped to have a vegetable garden this year, but got too sick. Next year. And I'll be canning a lot.

Fri, 2013-09-20 13:04

#21

Kaitlin McNabb Kaitlin McNabb's picture

Timebandit wrote:

I have a single jar dill pickle recipe around here somewhere.

I'd be into that!

Fri, 2013-09-20 14:51

#22

Timebandit Timebandit's picture

I'll see if I can find it. I think I've unpacked most of my cook books... But there are still mystery boxes that are untouched!

Fri, 2013-09-20 15:55

#23

susan davis susan davis's picture

lagatta wrote:

Susan, Moroccan ham? Is that Jewish ham or Muslim ham?

hillarious!!!

Sat, 2013-09-21 11:26

#24

Kaitlin McNabb Kaitlin McNabb's picture

Thanks TB!

Seem like most babblers already eat local quite a bit -- not surprising

I'm looking forward to cooking more -- or cooking better meals more so. I've been watching a lot of cooking shows lately and they make me feel ike I can cook and then I get to the kitchen and it is obvious that skill requires training. yikes.

Mon, 2013-09-23 18:15

#25

abnormal

[img]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/28/59240103_2a39bec7d0.jpg[/img]

Tue, 2013-09-24 00:09

#26

NDPP

Specieism: Coming Home to Roost - by Mickey Z

http://www.countercurrents.org/mickeyz220913.htm

"The value of a sentient being is based upon how some humans judge its taste when cooked."

Tue, 2013-09-24 00:51

#27

Catchfire

My favourite harvest recipe is ratatouille. Traditionally made with aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes, onions and peppers, I usually leave out the ppers (you get sweetness from the onions anyway) and sautee each vegetable in its own pan (you can only do four at a time in most kitchens, hence the pepper omission). One tablespoon of olive oil (not local, I guess) and one minced garlic clove per pan. Season with salt and pepper. Aubergines and onions take longest, tomatoes shortest. Move all vegetables to one big pan at the very end to let the flavours mingle. Toss in some torn basil leaves and you are set.

Serve on toast rubbed with a garlic clove. And wine.

Best thing about this meal is that with only a little luck you can make the entire thing from your backyard garden (I have to steal aubergines and tomatoes from my neighbour since I don't get enough sun, but courgettes, basil, onion, and garlic are mine).

I also have a pretty awesome roasted tomato and beet soup recipe that is notable because it looks so damn good (with a little feta crumbled on top, natch).

Tue, 2013-09-24 04:44

#28

lagatta

I love ratatouille as well. I've also been dealing with a bunch of leeks - a leek gratin is really nice, as is leek soup. With chicken if you don't invite the guy who wrote that article about speciesism and chickens. I often eat vegetarian meals and have been involved in many environmental causes, but that guy sounds like houseguest from hell...

Tue, 2013-09-24 09:32

#29

Timebandit Timebandit's picture

For Kaitlyn - One quart pickling recipe:

A clean, one quart jar with sealer lid

1 tbsp pickling salt

1/2 cup vinegar

dill and garlic, or other flavourings (sometimes we throw in some hot peppers) to taste

cukes, beans or carrots

Put in the salt and vinegar, dill and garlic and stuff in vegetables until as full as possible. Top up with boiling water (right to the brim) and seal. Leave for about 6 to 8 weeks.

I made ratatouille on Sunday - but I use one pot, 1/4 cup olive oil, onions, eggplant, zucchini, tomato and peppers in one pot (and the garlic, of course). I just stage the addition of the vegetables. After it's started, it goes in a hot oven for about a half hour. Served with a baguette to mop up the juices.

Tue, 2013-09-24 16:18

#30

lagatta

I also do part of my ratatouille cooking in the oven.

Tue, 2013-09-24 19:05

#31

wage zombie

susan davis wrote:

i eat local everyday. i own a butcher shop. all the lamb pork and veal come from sardis, the bacon is smoked in surrey, chickens and ducks come from abbotsford, rabbits from maple ridge. beef is from alberta and sometimes BC but most of our cattle are used for dairy in bc.

No bison?

Wed, 2013-09-25 10:44

#32

Kaitlin McNabb Kaitlin McNabb's picture

Thanks TB! Imma pickle so much stuff!

Does anyone know how to resuscitate and dying and potentially dead rosemary plant?

Thu, 2013-09-26 11:19

#33

Kaitlin McNabb Kaitlin McNabb's picture

Sun, 2013-09-29 09:54

#34

Eat Local

Wow! Thanks for all the tips thus far everyone! rabble's Eat Local: food and sustainability challenge officially begins today! Don't forget to tag your tweets and photos with the hashtag #EatLocal and drop by our Eat Local facebook group for more fun!

Eating local and the Local Food Act: It's more than semantics by Abra Brynne from Food Secure Canada

Food Secure Canada weighs in on Ontario's Local Food Act and what the parameters should really be for defining foods as 'local.'

Wed, 2013-10-02 16:24

#35

Catchfire

I don't know if babblers have been checking out the great swath of articles and lists coming out of the Eat Local! series (curated by one KMcN), but it's genuinely awesome. Some personal faves:

Too lazy? Take a bike! Urban bicycling is for lazy people

Nine things I learned from growing vegetables in my driveway

Red tomato, green tomato: Supermarkets should sell more ugly produce

Local food at the source

So much good stuff: and some great recipes kicking about too.

Thu, 2013-10-03 11:33

#36

Kaitlin McNabb Kaitlin McNabb's picture

I think I'm starting to confuse 'Eat Local' with just cooking at home, but either way, some tasty dishes are starting to come out of my kitchen AND local food is involved.

Made some delicious (if I do say so myself) apple crepes -- local apples, local maple syrup, local eggs. And the flour was local, although from a company and not, like a farmer's hand.

And as bragged about last night, a starch risotto among others.

Thu, 2013-10-03 14:17

#37

Catchfire

I watched my partner make jam from a local orchard pears we bought in bulk (I stirred a little. Really, my think is berry jam. Not this pear business) and then watched her make chicken pot pie from mostly local ingredients (leeks and potatoes were from my garden!).

In the meantime, I looked at my baby. The whole enterprise was a thrilling success.

Thu, 2013-10-03 16:14

#38

Kaitlin McNabb Kaitlin McNabb's picture

Catchfire wrote:

I watched my partner make jam from a local orchard pears we bought in bulk (I stirred a little. Really, my think is berry jam. Not this pear business) and then watched her make chicken pot pie from mostly local ingredients (leeks and potatoes were from my garden!).

In the meantime, I looked at my baby. The whole enterprise was a thrilling success.

haha. this story is the best.

Fri, 2014-02-07 13:18

#39

epaulo13

..i applaud rabble in it's attempt to build community via local food. building community, i assume, will eventually take a direction that will hopefully lead to the much larger goal of changing how we currently live under capitalism..as it did with the slow food movement in italy. can this work here?

The Growing Movement Putting Sustainability and Community Back in the Forefront

In the midst of climate change, "big box" stores, frequent lack of community connections, and ubiquitous fast and processed food, a flourishing movement stands in stark contrast.

Reporting by Agence France-Presse puts a spotlight on this global movement—the Slow City movement, or "Cittaslow"—which hopes to provide an "antidote against negative globalization."

quote:

Cittaslow, headquartered in Orvieto, Italy, got its start 15 years ago in a small Tuscan town "to enlarge the philosophy of Slow Food to local communities," and now boasts roughly 160 towns spanning 28 countries.

Cittaslow's website explains that Slow Cities "are strong communities that have made the choice to improve the quality of life for their inhabitants." Specifically, the characteristics of these Slow Cities are that they

Contain fewer than 50,000 people.
Commit deeply to preserve and sustain the environment.
Encourage thoughtful development and use of new technologies for sustainability.
Foster local culture and preserve heritage traditions.
Promote healthy eating and lifestyle.
Support local artisans and businesses.
Welcome visitors.
Encourage active participation in community life.

In the face of austerity's tightening grip, Oliveti told AFP that the philosophy of Cittaslow can offer part of the solution by "privileging a community's qualities, such as craftmanship, technology or tourism, and using them as a key to overcome the economic crisis."...

https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/01/23-8

eta:

The symbol of the Slow Cities movement

The symbol of the Slow Cities movement.