Beautiful blueberries!

Blueberries are abundant!  I went this past weekend to Blueberry Bay Farm in Stratham and the blueberries were so ripe that they were just falling into my bucket!  My friend Sheryl brought a blueberry crisp over the other night (see recipe below) and it was so good I had three helpings. It was a little embarrassing actually as I just couldn’t stop eating it!  I thought the almonds really made this dessert! 

There are plenty of U-Pick blueberries for the taking in the seacoast area. It’s a great field trip for kids.  There are 32 farms with blueberries in the seacoast area. Prices range from $1.25 to $2.25. 

You can easily freeze blueberries for your winter smoothies and save lots of money as the frozen ones in the grocery store are more than twice the price. To freeze blueberries, just lay them on a cookie sheet to freeze so they don’t stick together, then throw them in a zip lock. The folks at Blueberry Bay told me that they don’t spray so you don’t need to wash them. Ask the farmer as many don’t spray, or use very little pesticides. If they do, give them a light wash, and dry them on paper towels before you freeze them.

Blueberry Crisp with Oatmeal and Almond Topping
(comments in parenthesis are from me)

Ingredients:

3 1/2-pint baskets fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar (Suppose you could use maple syrup)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons all purpose flour (or gluten free flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (Brookford Farm is selling fresh butter!)
1/4 cup sliced almonds (or just chop up your own)
Nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt (or go with the full fat organic ice cream!)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse blueberries. Drain, allowing some water to cling to berries. Place berries in 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and cinnamon; stir to blend. Let stand until sugar dissolves and coats berries. Stir oats, flour, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar to blend in medium bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips or fork until moist clumps form. Stir in almonds. Sprinkle oat mixture evenly over blueberries. Bake crisp until berries are bubbling and topping is golden, about 35 minutes. Serve warm, each serving topped with a spoonful of frozen yogurt. (Source: www.Epicurious.com)

Do you like to eat lots of fresh vegetables and try new things? Do you want to support a local farm and get to know the people who grow your food?

Join a Farm!

Seacoast Eat Local will be hosting a CSA + CSF Day at their upcoming Winter Farmers’ Market on Saturday, February 27th, at the Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford. Residents will have the opportunity to learn more about CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and CSF (Community Supported Fisheries), meet the farmers and fisherfolk offering shares, and sign up for the 2010 season.  Fifteen CSA farms are signed up to take part in this event.

Community Supported Agriculture and Community Supported Fisheries offer a terrific way for people to get a steady supply of local food directly from the producers. Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is a partnership between consumers and farmers in which members buy shares of the farm’s harvest and receive regular allotments of food throughout the growing season.

For farmers, this provides much needed cash flow for the beginning of the season, as well as a ready market and community of supporters. Shareholders join in the risks of the growing season but reap the benefits of the harvest.  Community Supported Fisheries, or CSFs (modeled after CSAs), are a way to buy seafood directly from fishermen, and support our local fisheries by purchasing seasonal shares.

Each CSA and CSF has its own pricing structure and distribution schedule, and some farms have work requirements. Signups for CSA and CSF shares often begin in February by directly contacting the farm or sponsoring fishery. A list of CSA farms in the Rockingham, Strafford, and York Counties is available at Seacoast Harvest, www.seacoastharvest.org, an online guide to local food sponsored by Seacoast Eat Local.

Participating Farms & Fisheries:

Brookford Farm, www.brookfordfarm.com
Connolly’s Organics
Eastman’s Local Catch, www.eastmansfish.com
Farmer Dave’s CSA, www.farmerdaves.net
Heron Pond Farm, www.heronpondfarm.com
Meadow’s Mirth, www.meadowsmirth.com
New Roots Farm, www.newrootsfarm.com
Riverside Farm, www.riversidefarmstand.com
Riverslea Farm, www.riversleafarm.com
Stone Wall Farm / Osprey Cove Organic Farm, ospreycoveorganicfarm.blogspot.com
Touching Earth Farm, www.touchingearthfarm.com
Two Toad Farm, www.twotoadfarm.com
Wake Robin Farm, www.wakerobinfarm.com
Willow Pond Community Farm, www.willowpondfarm.org
Wolf Pine Farm CSA, www.wolfpinefarm.com

More information about CSA + CSF Day can be found at www.seacoasteatlocal.org. The website also provides details about Seacoast Eat Local’s series of Winter Farmers’ Markets, including a list of the 35+ other vendors you can expect to see at the February 27th market in Rollinsford. Wentworth Greenhouses is located at 141 Rollins Road, Rollinsford, NH, a mile past Red’s Shoe Barn of Dover.

Seacoast Eat Local connects people with sources of locally grown foods and advocates eating locally for the health of our environment, community, culture and economy. Through advocacy, organizing and education, they work toward a sustainable local food system that meets the needs of both producers and consumers. They organize winter farmers’ markets, co-produce Seacoast Harvest, sponsor workshops and events, and provide information through their email newsletter, blog and website, www.seacoasteatlocal.org

Fresh shrimp and lobster right off the boat from the Seacoast Eat Local Farmer's Markets!

I bought fresh shrimp and a lobster at the winter farmer’s market in Rollingsford this past weekend for dinner on Saturday night. It was out-of-this world delicious.  If you haven’t tasted fresh, local, “right off the boat” shrimp (not frozen, farm-raised or brought in from another continent), you’ve never had “real” shrimp before.  It’s soft and delightful, not anything like the farm-raised stuff we get from out of the country. And, what a treat to have a fresh lobster in January! We purchased the shrimp from the Yankee’s Fisherman’s Cooperative and the lobster from Eastman’s Fish Market.

The shrimp was only $5.50 for five pounds with the shell on, but it was well worth the 10-15 minutes it took to clean them. We broke the heads off the ones we didn’t cook and froze them in water to avoid freezer burn.  (If anyone has any tips on storing fish would appreciate hearing them!) What a bargain! We’ll easily get three or four meals out of it!

We kept it simple and cooked the shrimp with garlic, spinach, parsley and a few cherry tomatoes which added a little color and some sweetness. We boiled the lobster and dipped it in the wonderful garlicy juices with the shrimp.  

Here is the recipe:

Directions for Shrimp Sauté with Garlic, Spinach and Parsley

Put a generous amount of Extra Virgin olive oil (and butter if you desire) in pan on low and let the oil absorb some of the garlic for a few minutes. The more garlic the merrier as far as I’m concerned, but we used about 2 tablespoons. Don’t let it burn… turn the heat to medium and throw in some spinach, parsley and cherry tomatoes (cut in half).  Wilt the spinach and parsley and then throw in the shrimp.  Sauté for just a few minutes, don’t overcook or the shrimp will get tough. We had some leftover rice so my husband served his on top, I just ate it plain. 

Shrimp, garlic, parsley and tomato saute.

It couldn’t have been easier, or more delightful to eat.  Once you eat this fresh shrimp, you’ll never settle for less!

Joel Salatin from Polyface Farm in Virgina holds his pasture-fed chicken

I was up in Franconia, NH in the fall visiting a friend’s and my daughter started feeling under the weather. She loves chicken noodle soup so I decided to stop at the only grocery store in town to buy some. Since, unfortunately,  my only options were canned, I took a few minutes to read all the labels to find the healthiest one. 

There were an infinite number to choose from all claiming something: low sodium, low fat, heart healthy, etc.  I read the labels on about 10 different cans of soup and I could not find one that wasn’t filled with junk such as huge amounts of sodium, MSG, hydrolyzed protein (code word for MSG), sugar, artificial colors, preservatives -even the organic ones.  I settled for an organic brand but wasn’t too excited about it – my daughter wasn’t either, lucky me the canned imitation didn’t hold up to mom’s chicken soup! (phew!)

So I stick to homemade as often as I possibly can. I think there is nothing more nourishing than have a pot of chicken stock brewing on the stove.  Once I have a great stock, I know I’ll have a great soup.  Properly prepared stocks are extremely nutritious and contain the minerals, marrow and gelatin that puts store bought to shame! Don’t’ ever throw your chicken bone away!  If you can’t cook them at the time, throw them in the freezer and use them when you have time.

I follow the Nourishing Traditions recipe which includes a bit of vinegar to help draw out the calcium magnesium, potassium in the bones into the broth. If your stock gets gelatinous – that’s a good thing!  The gelatin actually helps you digest the stock and help you utilize the protein that you take in.

Directions:

Place either a chicken or 2-3 pounds of chicken bones with 2-3 carrots, 2-3 celery stalks and a large onion and cover it with water (about 4 quarts).  (Coarsely chop veggies.) Add two tablespoons vinegar.  Let stand for 30-60 minutes.  Bring to a boil and skim the skum off the top (toxins float to the top) and the let simmer for 6-24 hours. The longer you cook it, the more flavorful and nutritious it will be. 

The last 10 minutes add half cup chopped parsley.  Strain the stock into a large bowl and cool in the refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals.  Skim off the fat.  Store for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or freeze. If the bones turn white, that’s a good sign that the calcium has been drawn out of the bones.  If it wiggles when you chill it this is a good sign that it is gelatinous.

Unfortunately locally grown chickens are hard to get!  I typically get my chickens from Peter Allen (Newfield’s Own Produce), Brookford Farm or Kellie Brook but many of them seem to be out of chickens. I’m going to the winter farmer’s market today in Rollingsford and I will check to see who has some. (Find all the farm listings in the Seacoast Harvest Local Food Guide at www.seacoastharvest.org/.

Michelle Meiklejohn

We make blueberry smoothies every morning to go with our oatmeal, or eggs, yogurt or whatever we make for breakfast.  The blueberries are refreshing and sweet and are a great way to start the day! We get frozen blueberries from Intervale Blueberry Farm out of Cherryfield, Maine through Rock-Op Coop. I hope next summer we’ll pick our own blueberries and freeze them.

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen blueberries
1 banana (preferably frozen)
1 heaping tablespoon raw almond or macademia nut butter
2.5 cups water
1 tablespoon flax seeds

The frozen fruit makes it nice and creamy. Of course add other fruit if you have some, or throw in a few leafs of greens like chard, or kale.  The blueberries mask the green color so your kids will never know  it’s there. (Don’t put too much or it gets brown.) I mix mine up in a vitamix blender which has a really high speed, but any blender will do. Enjoy!

On Saturday, January 9, 35 farmers, fishermen and food producers will be in the cafeteria of the new Exeter High School in Exeter, NH from 10am-2pm, selling their meats, cheeses, milk, eggs, vegetables, fish and shrimp, prepared foods, baked goods, honey and maple syrup! You can find a full list of participating vendors and the products they will be selling at www.seacoasteatlocal.org.

The new Exeter High School is located at 1 Blue Hawk Drive, or 315 Epping for GPS.

Look forward to:

Vegetables
      broccoli, spinach, kohlrabi, bok choi, salad greens, arugula, kale, radishes, cabbage, lettuce, cilantro, Brussels sprouts, winter squash, carrots, potatoes, turnips, onions, garlic, parsnips and more.

Meats
     The seacoast area is home to farms that raise the beef, pork, chicken, lamb, duck, goat and turkey that will be for sale at the farmers’ market on January 9th. These products are a healthy, safe choice for ourselves and our communities, having been raised on small-scale farms far from the feedlot model. And the flavor and quality is beyond compare!

Dairy
    An abundance of eggs from Brookford Farm, Field to Fork Farm, Jesta Farm, Philip Nugent, and Yellow House Farm, alongside cow’s milk, goat’s milk, cow + goat’s milk cheeses, and cow + goat’s milk yogurt

Seafood
Shrimp season is here! Local, sweet, and sustainable, native shrimp season runs from through the winter. The Yankee Fishermen’s Cooperative will (as long as the weather cooperates for fishing!) have these delicious and inexpensive shrimp for sale and are happy to help you learn how to clean and cook them.

Maple Syrup + Honey!
     Anderson’s Mini-Maples, Sugarmomma’s Maple Farm, and White Gate Farm will have these local, natural sweeteners for sale.

Locally made foods:
    breads, jams + jellies, granola, teas, pot pies, Indian curries, chowder, sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, shepherd’s pie, country stew, muffins, frozen cookie dough, scones, pies, rolls, pastries, brownies, cookies

Seacoast area farmers are working hard to feed us well this winter, and appreciate our support as much as we appreciate their vegetables! Spread the word through friends, family, and coworkers, and invite them to come enjoy local food year round!

For a complete list of vendors and the products they will be bringing, visit www.seacoasteatlocal.org; check back often for updates! Product availability depends on consumer demand and weather; please be flexible when planning purchases.

Mackenzie and farmer Liz from Riverslea Farm

Thank you Seacoast Eat Local for providing us with wonderful local eats this the winter.  I volunteered yesterday at the Exeter  market and was pleased to see all the farmers we see over the summer as well as some new ones.  My daughter Mackenzie also helped out and enjoyed the live music. 

You can get just about everything you need at these markets, meat (beef, lamb, pork, chicken), milk, yogurt, cheese, bread, maple syrup, tea, nuts, soup, and lots of vegetables.

The farmers had plenty of vegetables,  like broccoli, salad greens, kale, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts as well as winter squash, and root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, turnips, and onions.  I picked up some maple syrup, some homemade soup, and grass-fed pork sausages from New Roots farm. I was also excited to meet Melissa Harvey from Will n’ Roses who sells crispy nuts, granola and trail mixes!  Crispy nuts are more nutritous than raw nuts because they’ve been soaked to make them more digestible, and the roasted at a very low heat to maintain the integrity of the oils. For a list of all the winter markets go to www.seacoasteatlocal.org.

Get ready for Thanksgiving with Seacoast Eat Local’s 3^rd Annual Holiday Farmer’s Market this weekend in Rollingsford, NH at the Wentworth Greenhouses from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. What a treat to get local broccoli, beets, Brussels sprouts, carrots, onions, eggs and meat!  Your guests will love all the wonderful fresh food from our local farmers.  Go to Seacoast Eat Local’s web site for more details including a list of the farmers and a list all the winter’s farmer’s markets this year.

Last time I featured a short piece on how Leslie Haslam changed her lifestyle and started eating more local food. We continue Leslie’s story now with some tips for preserving food.

Leslie the Locavore

Learning how to preserve food has made another big change in Leslie’s lifestyle. “We have worked hard at preserving food from spring, summer, and fall harvests so we don’t have to rely on food that came from far away.” She freezes lots of vegetables, from beans and broccoli to carrots and shredded zucchini.

Here are Leslie’s instructions for preserving kale and similar greens, which she finds easy to store and puts in “every omelet or egg affair” that she makes:

1. Prepare the kale (or chard) by cutting out the stem.
2. Wash it.
3. Chop it.
4. Spin it dry (to avoid freezer burn).
5. Put it in a ziplock bag and freeze.

And here are her tips for preserving carrots:

1. Wash.
2. Slice. (She keeps them pretty thick because she likes to use them in soups.)
3. Blanch. (Put carrots in boiling water for 3-4 minutes – don’t overcook.
4. Cool.
5. Put in a ziplock bag and freeze.

Leslie also cans some fruit and makes jam, peaches and applesauce. This past summer she froze 20 quarts of blueberries as well as peaches, blackberries, and strawberries. She says her peaches her canned peaches are like “sunshine in a bottle.”

Storing onions, garlic, potatoes, and winter squash is also easy, she says. Leslie doesn’t have a cold cellar, which she says is the ideal environment. So instead she uses her attic.

Leslie also stores farm-raised meat in the winter. But she’s pleased to see more and more winter farmers’ markets in the seacoast area, with an abundance of meat, eggs, and winter vegetables. Goat has been the latest addition to her meat menu. Goat, she says, is a common meat. “It’s a new food in the U.S. but not the rest of the world.”

Eating local doesn’t have hard and fast rules. Leslie makes exceptions for such things as tea, coffee, oranges, and olive oil, all available from the U.S. market. She has made a conscious decision not to buy bananas and pineapples, neither of which is grown in the U.S. But she did confess to buying limes for her green tomato salsa!

Time is a big issue in putting up food, especially when you’re picking and packing your own products. “Everything is a choice,” Leslie says. “If we really want something, we can find time to do it.” When her children were younger she turned berry picking into a family outing, bringing along her son and daughter. She used it as a learning opportunity, and taught her children how to count as they picked berries and plopped them into baskets. At home Leslie multitasks by pulling the leaves off her thyme while she watches the Boston Red Sox.

Thanks to Leslie for sharing her story!

Leslie Haslam has been a member of Willow Pond Community Farm, a community supported agriculture (CSA) in Brentwood, NH for four years. She lives in nearby Exeter and works at the Exeter Adult Education Center.  This is the first article I’ll feature  on the art can science of eating local featuring moms who are making the move to eat more local food.

Leslie the Locavore

Leslie had been buying fresh vegetables for her family at the local farmers’ markets for years. But her life started to change when she joined the Willow Pond Community Farm. She began to appreciate the seasonality of food even beyond what was in her weekly shares. She started taking advantage of the “PYO” (pick your own) crops. And eventually she did a work share at the farm to really get her hands dirty and gain an appreciation for what it takes to grow food.

She says her shift to a “locavore lifestyle” came through a combination of having consistent access to fresh produce and becoming open to eating new things—or trying things that she had seen other people eat but thought she didn’t like. Kale and Swiss chard were high on that list. Her memories of those greens were of her grandfather boiling them to death. “I thought it was disgusting.” Now that she knows how to cook them, she says, she loves kale and chard.

When Willow Pond started offering meat from local farmers, Leslie bought it for special occasions. But after reading Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma, Leslie stopped buying meat for her family from grocery stores. “I got a better understanding of our food chain in this country, and now I want to know where all of my food comes from.”

Two other books helped Leslie embrace her new life as a locavore: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver, and Deep Economy, by Bill McKibben.

Leslie has a huge respect for the farmers she buys from. “They really believe in what they produce—it’s not just a job.” For these farmers, she says, it’s their life. They’re out there every day, regardless of the weather.

“The harvest is what we look forward to, but we don’t see the labor that goes into that harvest every step of the way. It’s about the soil and what you’re putting into it and the weeding and watering and staking . . . It’s been an education for me. I love it because I get to be part of the process. I’m a participant and not just a consumer.”

Leslie says she loves going to Willow Pond and wondering, “What will we get from the farm today?”

Come back in a few days to find out  Leslie’s tips for preserving food. Would love to hear your tips for eating local.  Shoot me an email if you want to share your story at tracey@traceymillerwellness.com.