Eat Local Challenge

Visit Localfoodbee.com!

2011-01-18T10:23:00.003-07:00

Salt Lake's new local food blog has been launched with more accessible food lists, information about the Eat Local Challenge, regular blog posts, and updated tips to make local eating more possible.

Check out www.localfoodbee.com!

New Blog Launching in a Couple of Days

2011-01-15T22:38:00.001-07:00

Looks like Tuesday, the 18th will be the day. Watch for the new address!

Watch for the All-New Eat Local Blog

2011-01-13T10:28:00.002-07:00

The time has come to shift our Salt Lake Eat Local space over to a new page. Ever since the Salt Lake Eat Local Challenge's inception, this blog has acted as our home base for sharing tips and information. However, the Challenger who initially set up this blog moved away some time ago, and we have been using a space without access to all of its features and options.

I am extremely grateful to have had access to this space, but the time has come to be able to use our blog more efficiently. Thus, I have been educating myself about the blogging world and am very excited to share the news that the new blog will be launching this month!

As you've probably noticed, there has been a great reduction in my posts lately as I plug away at setting up the other page. Do still keep an eye on the events listed in the left-hand column as I will keep those updated, but I will save my posting time to get the new blog up and running.

Watch here for the grand opening announcement!

Some Food Storage Results

2011-01-04T11:15:00.003-07:00

Happy New Year!

I hope that all of your holiday celebrations were enjoyable and delicious. We spent New Year's returning from a trip back to the Midwest to visit family. While we were there, I couldn't help but to wonder how all of my stored foods were holding up. I am happy to report that my luck is holding out. Here's a rundown of my cold storage results. I was most excited about the tomatoes.

Potatoes
Purchased in October
Stored in attached garage
Still great--a couple are wrinkling just a bit

Onions
Purchased in October
Stored in bottom drawer of refrigerator with no other foods
Still perfect

Apples and Pears
Purchased in early November
Stored in a separate drawer of refrigerator in single layers
These are so wrinkly that I think I have a shrunken head project going on. I can't get myself to eat them raw in this state, so I'm cooking them into baked goods and chutneys.
I plan to improve on this storage method next year.

Tomatoes
Picked from my garden in October.
I stored them in an uninsulated closet in my basement in brown paper bags. A few rotted, but most of them slowly ripened.

Here is a photo of what I have left.
Admittedly, they do taste like grocery store tomatoes since they were picked before they ripened, but they are all mine and all local.
The Black Plum Paste tomatoes (the darkest ones in the photo) went into a crock pot meal--tossed in for the last 1/2 hour of cooking. This was probably the best way to use them.

This has me even more excited to start planning this year's garden.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-25T10:23:00.002-07:00

Well, the holidays are certainly soaking up a lot of time this year. Perhaps this has something to do with making delicious local dishes from scratch... Yes, time consuming but this has been a tasty holiday season.

Wishing you all a restful time, a wonderful new year, and happy holidays! Watch for a resurgence of posts in the new year as life settles back into its more ordinary rhythm.

Using the Lamb Front Shank

2010-12-10T08:51:00.004-07:00

While shopping at the Market on State, I swung by the Morgan Valley Lamb booth to choose from their extensive collection of cuts. I knew that I could not spend a fortune (which is always easy to do on quality, grass-fed, free-range meat), so I needed to shop on the fringes of my knowledge. Fortunately, since I was at a market instead of a huge box store, I had the opportunity to talk face to face with someone who knows lamb intimately. I decided to ask for something that would cook up nicely in a crock pot. "Front shank" was the enthusiastic reply.

I had never even seen a shank before. I most certainly could not have told you what part of the lamb it came from, and I would not have known what to do with it. The salesman (sure wish I'd caught his name) assured me that it would cook up beautifully and fall right off the bone.

The perfect day came for using the shank. We were to have a dinner guest, and I often turn to the crock pot on such days so that I can spend some time tidying up the place. I leafed through my favorite meat recipe cookbook, Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step Main Dishes, and found about 4 good-looking lamb shank recipes and settled on using a Moroccan dish as my inspiration.
The only non-local ingredients used were the spices.

Crock Pot Moroccan Lamb Shanks
2 lamb shanks
3 medium potatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/3 cups dried apricots
1/2 tsp salt

Throw it all into a crock pot and cook on High for about 6 hours or on Low for 10 hours. Stir it up at some point during the last half of the cooking.

Enjoy this super-easy, but extremely tasty meal!

Holiday Party Treats

2010-12-02T16:59:00.002-07:00

Now that holiday parties are in full swing opportunities abound to show off some Eating Local prowess. Whether hosting a party or bringing a dish to a potluck, anyone can proudly proclaim that he or she is celebrating the local bounty of the season. Here are some finger food ideas:

Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Mountainview Mushrooms from Filmore, UT and herbed goat cheese by Shepherd's out of Erda, UT do most of the work for you.

Pop out the mushroom stems and dice them.
Mix these into the goat cheese along with a little hot water. Add only enough water so that mixing isn't too difficult.
Spread the cheese mixture inside the mushrooms, and mound it a little.
Place the mushrooms on a broiler pan and broil on high for about 10 minutes.

If you're hosting the party, serve these straight out of the oven, if not, they are still tasty cold.

Cheese and Crackers
These homemade crackers are just a little salty-sweet, and they go great with Beehive Cheese's Seahive Cheddar. The cheese choices really are endless, visit the Cheese page to see what I mean.

110 Mile Wheat Thin Crackers
1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter
2/3 cup milk
salt for the tops (optional)

-Preheat oven to 325
-In large bowl combine flours and salt
-Cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles course meal.
-Seperately combine milk and honey.
-Slowly blend in milk and honey using only enough liquid to form a dough mixture that will hold together in a cohesive ball.
-Divide dough into two equal parts for rolling.
-Roll out on a floured surface or pastry cloth, until dough is 1/16- 1/8 inch thick.
-If desired sprinkle with salt and gently roll into dough.
-With sharp knife cut crackers into 2" x 2" squares.
-Transfer onto ungreased baking sheet.
-Prick each cracker 2-3 times.
-Bake 20- 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meat and Cheese Platter
I'm inspired by Morgan Valley Lamb's Salami (which I still need to try) and Canyon Meadows Ranch's Beef Jerky.

Put together a festive tray of any or all of the following:
Lamb Salami
Beef Jerky (variety of flavors)
Beehive Cheese's Seahive Cheddar incorporating RealSalt and local honey
Rockhill Creamery's Boo Boo Baby Swiss
Gold Creek Farms Mozzarella
Drake Family Farms Goat Milk Feta

Of course, all of the cheese makers listed above carry a variety of cheeses beyond what is listed, and they are all amazing!

Fruit and Nut Tray
Get out that cool serving dish with all of the separated sections and fill it with these treasures:
Dried Cherries from Woodyatt Cherry Farms
Red Rock Pistachios (spotted at Harmons 7800 S 700 E)
Walnuts or Pecans from your tree or from a friend (mine are from friends)
Dried Apricots (again, mine are from a friend's tree)
Pine Nuts (spotted at Harmons Brickyard)

Rainbow Carrots
Well, this is easy.
It's just carrot sticks, but they look great because they are rainbow carrots coming in purple, white, dark yellow, and light yellow. Dress it up with a sour cream and herb dip.

Thanksgiving Dinner Plans

2010-11-22T09:32:00.009-07:00

The week has come! This Thursday marks the culmination of all that planting and harvesting, scouring farmers markets, and attempting to put food up for the winter. I feel like I'm about to take a final exam as a local eater. Even though I have learned so much more over the past year than I knew previously, I'm concerned that I will still earn the same grade--no improvement. While I surpassed some of last year's efforts, I am sadly lagging behind in others. I mentioned a couple of posts ago that the Three Sisters Stew makes an awesome starter to a Thanksgiving dinner--but not to mine. I'm sorely lacking a number of ingredients. I saved no corn. I am loathe to use one of my only two cans of tomatoes, and I have used all of my Anasazi beans from the Four Corners area. I'm telling myself the lack of soup will make my life simpler...

Other grand hopes have been dashed as I have no green vegetables put up at all--no cans, none frozen, none even dried. That means I will serve no green beans--another Thanksgiving staple as far as my family and I are concerned. My family's traditional green bean dish was the Green Bean Casserole consisting of a variety of store-bought canned goods stirred together, so I wouldn't be making that anyway. Although, the infamous casserole could be made locally with a little finagling. Alas, I have no green beans, so it doesn't matter. I do have kale. I picked up a whole bag from Chad's Produce last Friday. It will make its debut this year as my Thanksgiving green vegetable.

The rest of the menu seems to be holding together relatively well.
Thanksgiving Menu
Appetizers
Apple Cider
Rainbow Carrot Sticks
Herbed Goat Cheese
Whole Wheat Crackers
Sliced Beehive Cheddar Cheese
Main Event
Roast Turkey
Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing
Baked Acorn Squash Rings
Sauteed Kale
Cranberry and Pear Relish
Dinner Rolls
White or Zinfandel Wine

And all the details:
Apple Cider
Farnsworth's, purchased from Harmon's

Rainbow Carrots
purchased from Chad's Produce at his Oasis Cafe market

Herbed Goat Cheese
Shepherd's, purchased from Harmon's

Whole Wheat Crackers
either purchased and brought by a guest or homemade. Find the recipe here.

Sliced Beehive Cheddar Cheese
from Harmon's

Turkey
from Wight Turkey Farm--ordered and purchased from Liberty Heights Fresh. The turkey will be rubbed down with olive oil or melted butter and salt, and roasted on a bed of sage with some carrots, onions, and garlic tucked inside.

Stuffing
After searching the web for a stuffing recipe that could be made locally, I gave up. The crux was the celery. Almost every recipe includes it, but I don't have any. I've decided that celery is necessary. That many recipes can't be wrong. Plus, I grew up with this specific recipe, and I LOVE it! It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it. Of course, I will still keep my eyes open for some locally grown celery.
Here's the recipe for Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing with my own adjustments to make it more local:
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup butter (I'll be using oil--no dairy for one of my guests!)
1 tsp ground sage (I'll use fresh, but I don't know the amount until I'm doing it.)
1/8 tsp salt
8 cups dry bread cubes (I'm making bread all week for this.)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken broth

In a large skillet cook celery and onion in oil or butter until tender but not brown. Remove from heat. Stir in sage and salt.

Place dry bread cubes in a large mixing bowl; add onion mixture and pecans. Drizzle enough broth to moisten, tossing lightly.

Place stuffing in casserole. Refrigerate until ready for baking. If cooking a turkey, place alongside in oven during last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking, or until heated through.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 11 ed.

Baked Acorn Squash Rings
I chose this because it looks fancy but easy to make, and I have an Acorn Squash in my pantry. Most of the online recipes include using sugar or syrup, but I believe that the local squashes I find are sweet and delicious enough to stand almost all on their own.

Slice the Acorn Squash into 1/2" to 3/4" rings and remove the seeds for later baking and eating. Place the rings on a greased baking sheet and brush with melted butter or oil. For added fun, stir salt and/or herbs into the butter or oil. I will likely gather some fresh oregano and sage and some dried savory for the job. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

To give you an idea of how fabulous this can look, here's a photo of acorn squash rings.

Sauteed Kale
Over medium heat, toss kale and minced garlic in oil or melted butter until it starts to look limp. Add salt and dried pepper (or other seasonings) and toss.

Cranberry and Pear Relish
Yes, you are correct--there are no local cranberries that I know of. The first Thanksgiving did, after all, take place in New England. Our offerings here are slightly different. I was almost considering not making this dish, but I caved. That's all. No excuses except that this one will feature some local pears. I liked this particular recipe because it uses honey as the sweetener and did not go overboard with a ton of non-local ingredients. Recipe for Cranberry Pear Relish.

I am actually making this tonight (now it is Tuesday). It turns out that a blender just doesn't cut it, so unless you have a fancy food processor, this recipe needs some help. I opted to cook the cranberries and honey together on the stovetop for about 8 minutes and then added the pears and lemon to cook for another 10 minutes. I did not use the sugar--it tastes fabulous without it.

Dinner Rolls
I will use the recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 11 ed., but it really is just a basic recipe that can be found almost anywhere. Here's a link to a standard recipe on-line. Note that the on-line recipe calls for sugar. Honey could be used as a substitute if you use half the amount and reduce the liquid in the recipe to keep the liquid amount even. I simply ignore the sugar entirely to keep things easy. If folks want added sweetness, I can always put some honey on the table.

White or Zinfandel Wine
purchased from the State Liquor Store--probably a Castle Creek Wine

However you celebrate a year of local bounty, enjoy every bite!

Chad's Produce on Friday this Week

2010-11-19T09:47:00.002-07:00

An addendum to the post below on winter markets:

Chad's Produce will be at the Oasis Cafe, 151 South 500 East in SLC, today (that is Friday) from 11:00 a.m. until dark. Saturday's weather looks dicey, so today is the day to shop from Chad if you want some of his produce for Thanksgiving.

He will resume on Saturdays in December.

In Search of Winter Markets

2010-11-18T14:32:00.008-07:00

This is the time of year when all of my positive thinking swings around to laugh in my face. Yes, yet another summer and fall have passed during which I planned and planted. The planning included amazing harvests and amazing days full of canning. I am not amazing. I am normal. Some people are amazing. I know them. They have successful gardens and more tomatoes than they know what to do with (I'm not talking about the green ones), and they preserve their bounty without comment or drama.

I did some canning, and I did so with drama because I still think that canning is a lot of work. I enjoy it, but it takes time, effort and know-how. It also takes produce. I had an abundance of peaches from a volunteer tree in my yard (read--no effort to grow) and did can those, but my painstakingly planted and cared for garden vegetables yielded just enough for summer food with little excess.

Now it's time for the back-up plan. I really must visit winter markets. I started with the Market on State last Tuesday afternoon. This relatively small group is located at 1050 South State St. in SLC.

Morgan Valley Lamb was there with lamb bacon!

I could stop with that, but there was more. They also had lamb salami--a treat I'll purchase next time around. He had tons of other cuts that are very hard to find in the stores and took the time to advise on a good cut for a crock pot. With that I purchased my bacon and a front shank. Canyon Meadows Ranch neighbors the Morgan Valley Lamb. That helped me with planning my purchases as I could look at the availability of cuts from both ranchers at the same time. Canyon Meadows also had a gazillion different cuts, so I was able to purchase some lean ground beef, beef jerky, and a rump roast. Fowers Fruit Ranch had a great spread of many different kinds of apples and pears, onions, winter squashes, and potatoes. They also had raspberry preserves and peach cobbler. I picked up some of the preserves which will be delicious on homemade toast with Winder butter. I also picked up some more pears to mash up for my baby. They are a big hit at the high chair!

I'm still in search of some greens since the kale in my winter garden is a bit dispirited. I'm hoping that Chad's Produce which appears at the Oasis Cafe parking lot most Saturdays from 10-3 will have some. I have high hopes as the photos they sent last week included kale along with carrots, beets, and potatoes. Another possibility is the Locavore Market at Caputo's downtown which also runs from 10-3. No one I've talked to there knows who's coming, and the list is not yet formalized, but they may post some news on their Facebook page.

I sincerely hope that our local farmers and ranchers will continue to sell in these market settings during the winter. They can only do so if the demand is there, so happy winter market shopping to you!

Eating Pumpkins

2010-11-14T10:33:00.005-07:00

Whenever I look at the pumpkins stored in my pantry, I laugh. I get the chuckles because Barbara Kingsolver in her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle states so eloquently our relationship with our food, specifically pumpkins, when she says,
"Every single recipe started with the same ingredient, '1 can (15 oz) pumpkin.' I could see the shopping lists now:
1 can pumpkin (for curry soup)
1 of those big orangey things (for doorstep)."
She laments that we are perfectly capable of hollowing out and carving faces into this huge vegetable, but that we can't seem to just cut the thing up and eat it.

Admittedly, I only discovered the wonders of pumpkins (and other winter squashes) once I moved here 5 years ago and started using a CSA. I had grown up in a household where fabulous meals were cooked from scratch, but we still only used canned pumpkin (and pretty much just for pumpkin pie). This left me clueless. Once I started receiving pumpkins along with a variety of other mystery giants in my CSA box, I found myself doing a lot of internet research, and I discovered an amazing world of atrociously vitamin-rich and versatile tastiness. I also learned that I find it easier to cut open a winter squash using a sturdy paring knife rather than a big French chef and that all winter squashes have edible seeds. If those seeds make it off of the baking sheet because they have survived snacking, they go great into any dish where you might use nuts or sunflower seeds.

Here are links to a couple of my favorite pumpkin recipes:
Three Sisters Stew
This vegetarian stew can be a completely local dish if you don't use the cumin and black pepper. Either way it's delicious. I made this last year as an appetizer soup for Thanksgiving dinner.

Spicy Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce
You can do so much with this dish. It can be made ahead of time to fit your schedule. It is delicious with chicken, pork, beans, or turkey. I've used leftover holiday turkey as the filler many times now. This can also be 100% local if you make your own tortillas.

Pork with Mashed Pumpkin
This dish is fabulous, but it is also more time-consuming that the others listed above. Since it takes so much time, I typically double it so I can freeze some and have it ready-made after a great day of skiing or snowshoeing. Again, this is an almost completely local dish unless you count the cumin, coriander, and vinegar.

Feeding the Baby

2010-11-10T10:03:00.004-07:00

When I first gave birth to my little one, folks would often have a great time pointing out that my baby had the most local diet of all. Since I was breastfeeding, this was quite true and keeping my baby on a local diet didn't take too much thought or preparation. Now that he is almost 8 months old, he is eating more and more solid food (meaning not just milk).

Before I gave birth, I vowed that I would provide my baby with the healthiest food I could provide--organically grown and as fresh as possible. I splurged on this special little baby food processor and started making plans. The grocery store aisles provide plenty of inspiration as I peruse the labels on food jars appropriate to his age and gather ideas. Unwittingly, these baby food companies have suggested all of the following local delicacies to me: winter squash, apples, pears, peaches, green beans, carrots, and potatoes. Seasonal produce provides more inspiration and far more variety in his diet as I can feed him kale, parsnips, beets, and turnips as well. As he continues to grow I'll be able to add in chicken, turkey, pasta, yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese--all local!

Does it take extra time? Of course! Most local eating does. However, it's really not too bad. While the little man plays with his sippy cup in his highchair, I cut up the produce of choice and set it to steam if necessary.

Once it's finished steaming, I dump the contents and the steam water out into the blender and mush it up. After that some food goes into a container to be eaten that day (or immediately) or I put it into ice cube trays.

Later the cubes are tossed into Ziplocs and labeled. Defrosting is easy in either the steamer or the microwave.

Perhaps the most time-consuming part of this whole process has been the research. The more common baby care books and websites stick to the usual baby food staples--prunes, carrots, peas... A high-strung mama like myself could go crazy wondering if she is going to poison her child with kale since it just doesn't appear in the Gerber or Earth's Best selections. Fortunately, I have found some great sources. The Wholesome Baby Food website has offered tons of suggestions and, more importantly, helped me with serving sizes and answered my burning questions about feeding my child dairy. Homemade Baby Food Recipes also offers great suggestions and includes foods such as bell peppers and eggplant--some more great produce that just seems to be missing from those little jars in the grocery.

I'm pretty excited about introducing my little guy to our amazing world of food, and I'm glad that he won't have to miss out on parsnips!

The Last of the Fresh Peaches

2010-11-05T20:21:00.003-06:00

The time arrived. Those last beautiful peaches that we picked at the start of October waited and waited in our refrigerator drawer. I had canned and dried all that I was going to, and we munched through the picked peaches one by one. Sometimes they ended up in oatmeal, sometimes they served as a refreshing snack, and on a couple of occasions they become the stars in Oatmeal Peach Betty. Now, it was time for that most special dish that marks the end of peach season--Homemade Peach Pie. I use a recipe that only strays from local goods for two ingredients. Otherwise, it stays on target, and I find it absolutely delicious.

I double the Butter Flaky Pie Crust recipe found on this blog and use the Peach Filling Recipe detailed below.
Honey Peach Pie Filling
6 cups sliced, unpeeled peaches
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.
1. Add flour if mixture seems watery.
2. Pour into unbaked pie shell.
3. Roll out second half of pie dough.
4. Place on top and twist pie edges together.
5. Slice a breathing hole in top of pie.
6. Bake 10 minutes.
7. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake 30 minutes more, until golden.
8. Allow to cool at least 1 hour before serving. (I didn't. Nothing bad happened.)

Now, you'll notice that my crust is pretty bulky. Sometimes I use the extra dough to make some cookies and keep my pie edge nice and slim.

The cookies are so beautifully simple that I'm asking myself right now why I didn't make any this time around. I think I was just a little too excited about the pie.

Pinwheel Pie Crust Cookies
Roll out the leftover pie dough.
Melt butter and spread over the dough using a pastry brush.
Add other flavorings as desired. Some great choices include honey, mashed berries, or very thinly slice apples, peaches, or pears.
Start at one side and roll the dough into a tight spiral.
Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1/4" pinwheels.
Lay these flat on a baking sheet and cook at 400 degrees.
I don't know for how long--I just watch them in anticipation and then eat them all up very quickly.

Enjoy!

Pollo con Crema

2010-11-02T17:19:00.003-06:00

Last night I needed to use up the last of a chicken that I'd roasted a few days back. I most certainly did not want to go shopping but was still determined to do this delicious chicken some justice. Then, I was gifted with a memory of this lovely little Mexican restaurant that we used to frequent in Cleveland, Ohio and my favorite dish there, Pollo con Crema, which is basically chicken, onions, and peppers in a creamy, cheesy sauce. Perfect! I have tons of onions in the bottom drawer of my fridge and peppers that I pulled before the last frost hit. For my cream sauce I used a variation on a White Sauce recipe to which I regularly turn--found in my worn copy of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 11th ed. Here's how I whipped this up:

Ingredients (amounts approximate)
1 white onion, sliced
1 chocolate pepper (medium intensity), sliced
2 jalapenos, chopped finely
1 1/2 cups chicken

Saute the onion for a couple of minutes, then throw in the peppers. Add the chicken right before starting the sauce in a separate pan.

While the vegetables are softening, make up the sauce.
Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup grated cheese
(Be sure to have these ingredients ready to go ahead of time--cooking show style. Things move quickly while making this sauce, and you don't want it to burn.)

In a small saucepan melt butter. Stir in flour and salt. Stir in milk all at once. Cook and stir until sauce begins to thicken. Add cheese and continue to stir until bubbly. Cook and stir one minute more.

Pour this sauce over the chicken and vegetables.
Cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

Here it is, bubbling on the stove and almost ready for eating!

Simpler Than It Seems

2010-10-29T21:39:00.002-06:00

This will be a ridiculously short post because the dinner I made tonight was ridiculously simple.
Leftover Chicken - reheated
Green Beans - steamed
Potatoes and Onions - fried in a little butter
It was even simple on the ingredients as everything was so naturally tasty and flavorful, that the butter and some salt were all the accoutrements used.

Even the original cooking of the chicken was quite simple. Once I cleaned and trussed it, I just rubbed it down with salt and melted butter and popped it in the oven for a couple of hours. Voila! Amazingly delicious and simple chicken that will last me a couple of days.

True, some ready-made freezer meal that comes in a bunch of packaging would have been even easier to make, but I relish the taste of good food that can stand on its own.

Worms for Brains and Meat Hands - Halloween Delights

2010-10-28T11:02:00.003-06:00

Halloween is always a huge deal at our house--complete with scary, Halloween-themed dishes to pepper our potluck dinner. Many of our guests go all out creating tasty appetizers, desserts, and main dishes that either gross or freak everyone out. Not to be outdone, we delve into our own creativity, and if nothing happens there, we search cookbooks and the internet for great ideas that do not consume too much time in the kitchen since Halloween parties also require housecleaning, decorating, and costume prep.

I'm delighted to report that not only are there some easy recipes out there, but they can also be made completely locally!

A couple years ago, a co-worker of mine (also an avid chef) shared with me the recipe for Worms for Brains from Taste of Home. This is simply an exercise in gutting bell peppers pumpkin-style and carving faces as if they were to be jack o'lanterns and then stuffing the little heads with spaghetti. The ground meat is optional and the pasta can be made at home either with or without eggs, so there's an option for everyone.

When we made this a couple of years ago, we made it even simpler by halving the peppers and laying them face-up on the serving plates which made the servings more conducive to a potluck-style party.

Another local Halloween treat option presented itself at notmartha. It's a Meat Hand. This concoction created out of meatloaf and melted cheese is a great main dish recipe that could feature ground lamb, pork, or beef and any local cheese that melts well. Find an onion for the fingernails and bones and puree some tomatoes to use in place of the ketchup in the recipe, and you're almost all set. Notmartha used a pretty nifty hand mold, but we are going to go low budget and try to shape the hand ourselves. Hope it freaks everyone out!

Using Up the Cucumbers

2010-10-25T21:25:00.003-06:00

On Sunday I did some major garden clearing in anticipation of a potential frost. One of my strongest crops this year was the cucumbers. I grew both a regular-looking green one and a round yellow one. Yup, admittedly I am still working on getting to know my vegetable varieties better.

In years past I have pickled like crazy--making both dill pickles and bread & butters. I enjoy these, but my household just does not crave these enough to make all of the pickling work worth it. That means that we chow down immediately on the cucumbers while they are fresh. One of my favorite ways to enjoy cucumbers is in a creamy salad. It can be made locally all except for the vinegar, and I really do love the vinegar in it. I've been making this one for a long time--long before eating locally was ever on my radar.

Creamy Cucumber Salad
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tbsp vinegar
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups sliced cucumber
1 small onion, thinly sliced

Stir together all of the ingredients, cover, and chill 2-24 hours. Stir often and just before serving. Makes 6 side-dish servings.

Adapted from Better Home and Gardens New Cookbook, 11th ed.

Some Seasonal Chicken

2010-10-23T11:07:00.003-06:00

McDowell Family Farms is processing their last batch of chickens for the season this coming Tuesday. These are delicious, fresh, free-range birds. I'll be picking up my bird that day, but I'm already dreaming about my chicken dinner. Yummy, completely local options include chicken with sides of mashed potatoes and green beans or chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce. A recipe that I made last night featuring pork would also work beautifully with chicken. The original recipe comes from Good Housekeeping's Step-by-Step Main Dishes cookbook. Here it is with adjustments to make it completely local--featuring chicken:
Chicken with Sauteed Apples
6 tsp clarified butter
1 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 chicken
Salt
1 tsp thyme
3 medium apples, cut into thin wedges
1 tbsp honey
3/4 cup apple cider
1 1/2 tsp flour

Thoroughly rinse the outside and inside cavity of the chicken with cold, running water. Dry with paper towel, inside and out. Rub salt all over and truss the bird. Roast chicken in 375-degree oven.
2 1/2 - 3 lbs for 1 to 1 1/4 hours
3 1/2 - 4 lbs for 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours
4 - 6 lbs for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours
(These are just brief cooking notes. I strongly suggest visiting a cookbook you trust for more detailed instructions on oven roasting your chicken.)
Carve roasted chicken and plate it. Keep warm.

In 12-inch skillet, heat 2 teaspoons clarified butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender. Transfer to small bowl.
In same skillet, heat remaining clarified butter. Add apples. Sprinkle with honey and cook until browned. Transfer to warmed dinner plates already holding chicken.
Add any leftover chicken drippings to skillet. In small bowl, mix apple cider and flour. Stir this mixture and onion into skillet; heat to boiling over high heat, stirring. Boil 1 minute. Pour mixture over chicken and apple wedges.
Serve with pasta or mashed potatoes, if you like.

To order a McDowell chicken, e-mail dmcdowell32@yahoo.com.

Crock Pot Time

2010-10-21T16:33:00.003-06:00

I love when the weather cools down and warm, soupy meals feel just right. The crock pot comes out of hiding and life becomes a bit simpler. As a new mom I'm learning that the slow cooker is not only a great convenience but also a life saver!
Last night I chopped up and prepped as much as possible all of the ingredients for vegetarian chili. This morning I boiled and simmered the last of my Anasazi beans from the Four Corners region and threw them in the pot with all of my veggies. My house smells delicious, and dinner is almost ready!
Here are the ingredients for my Local Vegetarian Chili:
Anasazi Beans
Green Bell Pepper
Chili Pepper
Chocolate Pepper
Onion
Tomatoes - Black Plum Paste and Chianti Rose
Garlic
Salt
Oregano
Savory

The omnivore version could include ground beef, pork, or lamb--all locally available.
Consider topping this with fresh onions and cheese.
A side of local biscuits could round this out.

A Gluten-Free Dinner

2010-10-18T10:15:00.004-06:00

Right now we have a house guest which usually has us bursting with great ideas for local meals to share. We love to show off to our out-of-town family how delicious our local food offerings are. However, this time we have been faced with one of our biggest local eating challenges yet. Our guest has a large number of food allergies. One of these allergies necessitates eating gluten-free. After much fretting, I realized that our seasonal bounty was all the inspiration I needed. Last night we ate Spaghetti Squash with Basil Pesto. Here's how we made it:
Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti Squash is super-easy to prepare and works with so many different meal ideas. Just treat it like pasta and have fun!
Prepare squash by cutting in half lengthwise and removing seeds. Pierce skin several times with a fork and choose either microwave or oven methods. (I prefer the oven--it tastes the best!)
Oven: place squash cut-side down in a large baking pan. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.
Microwave: place squash cut-side down in a microwaveable baking dish. Add 1/4 cup water and cover with plastic wrap. Fold a corner of the plastic wrap back to allow steam to escape. Cook on high 7-10 minutes.
Let squash cool enough to handle. Using a fork, remove spaghetti-like strands of pulp. Discard shell.
Save the seeds and cook them up like pumpkin seeds!

Basil Pesto
Pesto is so easy and versatile. It can be made with other leafy greens such as arugula, and almost any kind of nut works. Our basil came from our garden. The parmesan comes from Gold Creek Farms. We bartered for the walnuts since we heard about someone with walnut trees. Melted butter can be used in place of oil, and we bought the garlic from the farmers market.
Follow the link above to find a recipe for making the pesto.
Note, if you don't have a food processor, just finely chop the ingredients.

Spaghetti squash is always good with extra cheese, so grate a little extra!

Preparing to Live without the Farmers Markets

2010-10-15T08:50:00.004-06:00

The weather changed, I looked at my calendar, and I realized that I really do have to face the fact the local offerings are about to become greatly reduced. Since my tomatoes are ripening at a maddening snail's pace, and my winter squashes are only the size of little apples, I decided that I must hit the downtown farmers market tomorrow to pick up items that I can either can or put into cold storage.
Here's my shopping list and what I plan to do with the bounty:
Apples:
freeze as pie filling
dry (mostly for oatmeal)
cold storage
Tomatoes
can
can as sauce
Potatoes
cold storage
puree and freeze for baby food
Carrots
puree and freeze for baby food
Winter Squash
Do I trust my garden to come through or not?
If I do buy this, I'll can using a pressure canner, freeze, and store.
Bell Peppers
Eat them!
Freeze
Dry
Green Beans
Freeze
Dry
Pressure Can

I have never really tried cold storage before, but I figured that I have successfully managed to keep my winter squash for 5 months in my pantry, so finding a little more controlled space for my apples should be doable. Here is a write-up by Wasatch Community Gardens that includes all types of food storage techniques. Scroll almost all the way down to find Cold Storage.

Preserving for the Winter

2010-10-09T17:59:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted in a while because the change in the weather recently served to remind me that I lost a good deal of my garden harvest last year due to my denial that frost was really setting in. This year I will not be caught with my plants out. While weather reports indicate that I am safe for at least another week, I am taking heed of the fact that food preservation, unlike frost, does not happen overnight. Every day or two I set myself to a new task--drying peaches, canning peaches, canning peach salsa, drying pears, drying tomatoes, making pesto. I still hope to can tomatoes, can tomato sauce, dry herbs, make more pesto for freezing, make and can pickles, can salsa, and freeze green beans. (Oh dear, that's a big list!)

I certainly did not used to preserve so much. In fact, if I had been shown the above list a few years ago, I think I would have had heart palpitations. About 11 years ago I started with dehydrating. We had received a plug-in dehydrator as a wedding gift (awesome!) with the intention of drying foods for backpacking--thus saving tons of money over purchasing those ready-made dehydrated meals. We used it faithfully for that purpose. Years later, as I started to garden, I learned that I could save the harvest in this very, very simple way. Since then we built our own dehydrator that works with the sun's energy and warm summer days to create fossil-fuel-free dried treats. Since that time I have added freezing and canning to my repertoire. The website for the National Center for Home Food Preservation has been a great guide for me as I increase my preservation prowess.

Stocking Up

2010-09-30T09:02:00.002-06:00

I have not been great about stocking up food for the winter--canning, freezing, drying. My garden is providing exactly what I need but not much more. Consequently, I am not left wanting but I am left obsessing. I don't suppose that only dried mint and some frozen berries will get me through the winter. To be fair, I have set aside one of my favorite staples--soup stock.

This glorious staple is so easy to whip up, and freezing requires no thought and no time. I also give myself my own little chuckle when I look at grocery ads, note the soup stocks on sale, and then realize that I have some that cost far less money, very little time, and required no packaging. My two favorites are a Vegetable Corn Stock which is vegetarian and Chicken Stock. I included links to some recipes, but these are never set in stone. The reason I love to make stock is that all I do is toss the corn cobs or chicken bones into a pot of boiling water and add whatever flavorings I have handy. Then, I ignore it and let it simmer away for a long time. After which I cool and freeze it. I keep the chicken stock for 3 months and the corn stock for 9 months.

I'm already dreaming about some wintertime Chicken Noodle Soup with homemade noodles...

Good Habits

2010-09-29T13:23:00.003-06:00

Each year I'm delighted at the end of the Eat Local Challenge to take note of all that I learned and the new habits I formed. While, with the Challenge concluded, I am free to enjoy certain foods that I missed--oats in quantity, cinnamon, coffee--I keep reverting to the delicious local fare to which I had become accustomed. As I write this, I am chowing down on a cucumber and cheese sandwich courtesy of my garden, the amazing cheesemakers at Gold Creek Farms, and my husband's cheese bread creation that includes a little kick from some hot peppers. Some processed foods and less-than-fresh produce pale in comparison.

I do not plan to blog daily (okay, I'd been doing less than that lately anyway), but I will still regularly share cool meal ideas and great local finds. Keep checking back!

Shortening the Supply Chain

2010-09-22T09:14:00.003-06:00

One of the fun activities that is part of eating locally is shortening the supply chain. The typical supply chain shows a product traveling from a supplier, to a purchaser, to production, then distribution, and finally to the customer (which always makes me laugh since I'm pretty sure that I purchased the good). I sat down to a pasta dinner a few days ago and realized that in most cases we skipped the internal supply chain all together. The zucchini came from my neighbor's garden, the onions from another volunteer for the Eat Local Challenge, and the tomatoes and herbs came from my garden. (You may also note a huge monetary savings thus far.) I purchased the chicken directly from the farmers on the same day they were harvested. The eggs used in my pasta came from a farm in Provo and the only stop they made was at the Green Building Center which acted as distributor. The flour I purchased directly from a small mill in Logan. I suppose there was no distributor there. Finally, the chevre which topped my delicious meal did go through a distributor, but I'm guessing that the farmer did not sell his goat's milk off to a purchaser as the production is still his operation.

This all amounted to a gourmet-tasting dinner that cost very little and was made of fresher ingredients since not too many folks were involved in handling my food.

While this post is going up a number of days after the fact, here's what I ate that day:
Breakfast - two Eggs Over Medium on Wheat Toast, Black Currant Juice
Lunch - Grilled Cheese with Tomatoes
Dinner - Homemade Pasta with Vegetable Sauce
Snacks - Yogurt with Blackberries, Carrots, Peaches

A Whole Day of Leftovers

2010-09-21T15:30:00.002-06:00

I often am confused by folks who just "don't do leftovers." It makes me really curious about how they eat. I enjoyed a fabulous day of ready-to-eat, homemade meals and snacks.
Breakfast Vegetarian Quiche
Lunch Vegetarian Quiche (not a typo, just really tasty and convenient quiche), Black Currant Juice
Dinner Roasted Chicken with Mushroom and Giblet Gravy, Apple Cider
Snacks Carrot Sticks, Apple, Cheese and Crackers, Blueberries and Blackberries in Milk and Honey

Weekend with a House Guest

2010-09-19T21:34:00.003-06:00

While we set some pretty tight parameters for ourselves for the month of the Eat Local Challenge, my husband and I agreed that we would still join friends and family in social situations and would not turn down their culinary suggestions. As a result we have enjoyed a number of non-local restaurant meals during my dad's visit over this past weekend. He had some restaurants in mind that he wanted to visit, and we also had some in mind that we were excited to share with him. I felt positively spoiled this weekend and am now ready to tackle another week of delicious local food.
Here's a breakdown of what was local:
Friday Breakfast - Vegetarian Quiche, Black Currant Juice
Friday Lunch - Picnic at Red Butte! Pasta Salad using Homemade Egg Noodles with Tomatoes, Green Beans, Cucumber, Chevre, Basil, Chives, and Salt; Carrot Sticks; Cheese and Crackers; Crenshaw Melon (and that finally finishes that huge melon that we have been eating for an eternity)
Saturday Breakfast - Dutch Baby Pancake with Honey; Berry Smoothies using Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, and Homemade Yogurt
Sunday Brunch- Whole Wheat French Toast with Stewed Apples
Snacks - Carrot Sticks, Apples, Apple Cider, Cheese and Crackers

Bliss

2010-09-16T10:00:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was more like it--the kind of day that I always look forward to during the Eat Local Challenge. I enjoyed the ease of leftovers, the wonders of freshly dreamed-up recipes, and extraordinary food. I managed to pick up a couple of food items at Harmon's and finished up this day by making crackers and pasta, so I feel more prepared for the rest of the week.
Here's the day:
Breakfast two Hard-Boiled Eggs, Tomato, Cheddar Cheese
Lunch leftover Pasta and Tomato Sauce
Dinner Roasted Chicken with Giblet and Mushroom Gravy and Corn Fritters on the side, Apple Cider
Dessert Pears cooked in Homemade White Wine with Blueberries, Honey, and Chevre
Snacks Carrot Sticks, Cottage Cheese, Crackers

Hitting the Wall

2010-09-14T22:38:00.003-06:00

Some days are more difficult than others. Today, faced with a whole lot to do and a baby who needs to be fed constantly, I struggled. In fact, I hit the drive-thru for lunch. Not local. Well, it's a local business, but I'm afraid that they just aren't too great about serving local food.

I did swing by the Harvest Market and Rico's Locals this afternoon, so I have some more ingredients now. In fact, Rico's is now carrying pasta by Nu Nooz from Roy, Utah. The ingredients state that at least the wheat is from Utah. I haven't talked with the folks from Nu Nooz, but I decided to go ahead and pick some up for dinner. I was not disappointed. Some folks may hesitate at $4.69/bag, but knowing the effort that goes into making pasta and considering the money that one might spend just hitting a drive-thru had me rejoicing. Plus, it tasted great!

The day:
Breakfast - Oats with Raspberries, Milk, and Honey
Lunch - Well, we already discussed that.
Dinner - Nu Nooz Rotini with Pasta Sauce from the Pasta Party
Snacks - Sweet Corn Cake, Carrots, Cheddar Cheese

Back in the swing of things

2010-09-14T00:04:00.002-06:00

While I'm definitely feeling the need to do a little food shopping, I still managed to pull together another great day of eating. Today's star was a super-easy dessert. We already had some yogurt made, so we just blended in some Crenshaw Melon and a little honey and put the whole concoction in the freezer. Voila! Frozen Yogurt without a fancy machine.
Breakfast - Two Eggs over Medium on White Bread with a hint of Hot Pepper, covered in Gravy
Lunch - Tomato and Cheddar Sandwich, Milk
Dinner - Sweet Corn Cake covered in Roasted Tomatillo Salsa, Tomato Salad
Snacks - Tomatoes, Pine Nuts, Frozen Melon Yogurt

Trying Out Some Sweet Corn Cakes

2010-09-12T22:31:00.003-06:00

This weekend marked some little breaks from local eating. I accompanied my husband on a short conference trip during which I stayed pretty much confined to the resort. This was not a bad situation to be in except for the fact that I was trying to eat locally. I did bring a number of snacks with me--carrot sticks, apples, bread--but I was quite sure after reading all about their various restaurant options that I was going to be hard-pressed to find local meals.

Upon our return I was ready to try out a new local dish. I had been craving those little corn cakes from Chi Chi's (yes, I did grow up with and adored certain chain restaurants before I realized the wonders of fresh, local food) ever since the corn was ready to pick. I searched the internet and found this recipe. It was a far cry from local, but I was determined, so I toyed with some ingredients and measurements and ended up with some gelatinous corn goo that tasted pretty good. I have since altered the recipe a bit more. Below you will find the new version of this recipe that I hope to try soon. If you try it before me, please post your experience and any suggestions.

Sweet Corn Cakes
2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups water
4 ears-worth of corn kernels, plus the corn milk (gathered by scraping the blunt side of a knife down the naked cob)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup honey
6 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tbsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Place all ingredients in a 2 quart covered microwaveable casserole dish. Whisk well and mix until batter is smooth and uniform. Cover and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Stir well, scrape the bottom of the dish and whisk until all large lumps are gone.

Cover and microwave on high for another 5 minutes. Stir well, scrape the bottom of dish and whisk until all large lumps are gone. Cover and microwave on high for a final 5 minutes. Stir well, scrape the bottom of dish and whisk until all large lumps are gone.

Serve warm using an ice cream scoop or large spoon.

Funnel Cake Dreams

2010-09-09T21:12:00.004-06:00

Today I went to the Utah State Fair. Of course, one of the first scents to reach my nostrils was that of beloved funnel cakes. Ah, the one fabulous delicacy that I seek out at any festival, and there it was, and I couldn't have it. No, says I! There is always a way. I found a funnel cake recipe that could work with just a few changes. I cut the salt in half, reduced the milk to 3/4 cup, and reduced the honey to 1 tbsp. The batter whipped up quickly and after frying it up in butter, I had something that approximated funnel cake. More importantly, it satiated that craving.
Today's Fare
Breakfast - Cottage Cheese and Crenshaw Melon
Lunch - more of that leftover Roast, Vegetables, and Gravy
Dinner - Hashbrowns covered in leftover Roast, Tomatillo Salsa, Sour Cream, and Gouda with Milk to drink
Snacks - Carrot Sticks, Apples, Funnel Cake

Boy, am I sleepy.

2010-09-08T21:06:00.002-06:00

Sometimes that giving up coffee thing is really difficult. Cleaning my coffee machine and burying it deep in a cabinet behind other stuff has been my savior--except for when I hit that drive-thru that one time. Otherwise, the local life is still grand.
Breakfast - Two Eggs over medium on Buttermilk Wheat Toast and smothered in leftover Gravy. Yes, this is what I had yesterday. It was so delicious, I wanted it again. And Mint Tea with Milk to drink
Lunch - leftover Roast and Vegetables with Gravy, Black Currant Juice
Dinner - Beef Burritos with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa, Sour Cream, Rockhill Creamery Farmhouse Gouda, and using our leftover Roast
Snacks - Carrot Sticks, Apple, Cottage Cheese, Melon Frozen Yogurt

Some Kitchen Gadgets Are Wondrous

2010-09-07T21:49:00.003-06:00

We received an ice cream maker for our wedding over 11 years ago. That ice cream maker has seen little enough action that on multiple occasions, we have considered getting rid of it. Fortunately, we always pull out the "let's keep it just in case" excuse for hanging on to yet another cabinet space filler. Tonight I am rejoicing that we have kept the ice cream maker in the family!
Breakfast One Egg over-medium on Whole Wheat Toast all smothered in Gravy left over from last night's roast. This was so delicious! And some warm Apple Cider to drink
Lunch Vegetables left over from last night's roast with Feta crumbled on top, Black Currant Juice
Dinner - left over Beef Roast and Vegetables in Gravy
Snacks - Cottage Cheese, Carrot Sticks, Warm Milk with Honey, Melon Frozen Yogurt

An Easy and Delicious Day

2010-09-06T23:03:00.002-06:00

Right now I'm snacking on pine nuts that we picked up in Moab last fall. This most definitely has to be a leisurely activity because each one has to be freed from its annoying little shell. I do this partly by using my teeth and partly by prying it open with my fingers--all the while trying not to break the sweet little nut into a bazillion pieces. If anyone is looking for a weight-loss snack, this is it! I'm sure I'm burning more calories than I'm consuming. Boy, are they yummy, though.
The rest of my food day was much easier:
Breakfast - Oatmeal with Apple, Milk, and Honey
Lunch - Cucumber and Cheddar Cheese Sandwich on Buttermilk Wheat Bread, Crenshaw Melon, Black Currant Juice
Dinner - Beef Roast with Potatoes, Onions, Eggplant, Carrots, Edamame, Mushrooms, Garlic, Homemade White Wine, Apple Cider, and Salt all cooked up in the crock pot. This was fantastic, and we have a tons of leftovers!
Snacks - Crenshaw Melon Milk Shake, Cheddar Cheese and Apples, Pine Nuts

Lovin' the Pasta Party Spoils

2010-09-05T22:15:00.002-06:00

Ah, holiday weekend....
Breakfast - leftover Frittata, Mint Tea
Lunch - French Toast topped with Stewed Apples, Peaches, and Blackberries and drizzled with Honey, Black Currant Juice
Dinner - Fettuccine with Meat Sauce from the Eat Local Pasta Party, homemade White Wine, Wheat Bread
Snacks - Apples, Toast with Feta

One Week Mark

2010-09-05T09:35:00.002-06:00

This has been a delicious week. While sometimes my planning fell behind my food needs, I was always able to pull something together and still eat delicious and healthy food.
Last night we celebrated the one week mark at an eat local potluck. I had various ideas of what I would like to bring, but kept on realizing that I had used up precious ingredients for every single option that came to mind. Butter was the main culprit here. I do this every year. I forget just how much butter we use for frying up vegetables and for use in almost all grain-based goods. I literally had one tablespoon of butter left! The Winder order does not arrive until Monday, and I did not have time to make any. I finally gave up on anything with a crust and whipped up a frittata.
The potluck featured a rollicking variety of local fare. I do believe I stuffed myself silly.
Breakfast - Buttermilk Pancakes topped with Blackberries and homemade Yogurt, Mint Tea with Heavy Cream, Crenshaw Melon
Lunch - leftover Eggplant Lasagna
Potluck Dinner - Apple Cider; Rosemary Bread; Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Chives, and Parsley; Eggplant and Pepper Frittata, Crenshaw Melon; Zucchini and Corn Fritters; Sauteed Vegetables including Squash, Onions...can't remember it all; Peach Ice Cream; and Pear, Oregon Grape, and Black Currant Galette
Snacks Crenshaw Melon

Hosting a Dinner Party

2010-09-04T13:11:00.002-06:00

Friday was one of my most delicious days yet! We hosted some friends for a small dinner party. As dinner parties go, most of the day was consumed by preparations even though, in this case, the menu was not super-lavish. Things started simple since I had to hit the Murray Farmers Market--easy, focused food shopping.
Breakfast - Wheat toast with honey, Mint tea
Lunch - Leftover chicken and corn/tomato salsa with sour cream
Appetizer - Bruschetta on Rosemary toast
Dinner - Eggplant Lasagna (check out the recipe here) and Castle Creek's Outlaw Red wine
Dessert - Blackberries and Whipped Cream topped with a drizzle of Honey and a Sprinkling of Lavender
Other Snacks - Crenshaw melon, rosemary bread (I had to taste it before serving it, didn't I?), Warm Milk with Honey and Cream, Peaches and Yogurt

Chicken Dinner!

2010-09-02T22:56:00.002-06:00

Today started unremarkably but ended with an amazing dinner that wasn't too hard to put together.
Breakfast - Mint tea and Oatmeal with blackberries, milk, and honey. Nope, there are no local oats. I give myself this allowance about once a week because they are so healthy. Everything in the oats is local.
Lunch - Perhaps I am using the Challenge as an excuse to eat tons of grilled cheese sandwiches. I love them in all variations. This one was straight-up cheddar.
Dinner - roasted chicken with mushroom sauce
Snacks - edamame, tomatoes and cottage cheese, Crenshaw melon, warm milk with honey

I Thought I Was On the Go Yesterday!

2010-09-01T23:11:00.003-06:00

What a whiz-bang day!
A lot of today's food was eaten either in the car, on a hike, or while doing many other things. I'm sure that many folks can relate.
Breakfast - Cheesy Egg Sandwich
Lunch - Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Dinner - Leftover Lamb, Tomato, Toast
Snacks - Peach, Cheddar Cheese, Berries, Cottage Cheese, Apple Cider

I really enjoyed pulling out my container of blackberries in a meeting where everyone else was snacking on candy. I think I was the lucky one with my fresh, juicy, refreshing snack!

We picked up a fresh chicken today from the McDowell's. Tomorrow's dinner already has my mouth watering.

A Day of Snatching Food on the Go

2010-09-01T09:18:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I ran and ran to and fro. With my baby in tow we ran errands, attended meetings, hit the Downtown Farmers Market, and went to a Bee's game. What a first day to write about what I ate! Knowing that I had promised to tell the public about what I'm eating did have me a little worried. Could I manage to stay completely local with so little time in the kitchen? Did I have food that I could eat on the go?

Well,I did it! Here's the rundown:
Breakfast - Mint Tea, Shepherd's Chevre on homemade wheat toast, a fresh peach (that was so good!)
Lunch - leftover meat sauce made at the pasta party featuring delicious Star G Bar ground beef on toast with butter
Dinner - This was where I got panicky. My meeting ran over, and I still had to shop at the market. To top it off, the Tuesday market is awesome! The farmers and ranchers do want to talk, and I had all kinds of questions answered about Crenshaw melons, the difficult blueberry season, Thursday evenings at Caputo's at the 15's...By the time I was finished, I had no time to make any dinner! Fortunately, my husband daydreamed all day about what to eat for a dinner in the car, so when he came home he whipped up lamb, tomato, and grilled cheese sandwiches. Fabulous!
Snacks - Yogurt, berries, carrot sticks, a nectarine, and cottage cheese

Posting What I Eat

2010-08-30T23:28:00.002-06:00

I've been thinking about what made an initially really tough challenge (four years ago) easier and easier as each year has gone by and determined that it was learning what others eat. I can recall participating in the Challenge in 2007, listening to my tummy growling, and thinking, "What are my friends eating. They must have come up with something." Consequently, starting tomorrow I will post as often as I can--trying for daily--what I am eating. Hopefully this will offer some creative ideas and reassurances that there is no starving while taking the Eat Local Challenge. I hope that others will share their culinary ideas as well.

2 Days 'til the Challenge. Plan to buy some chicken!

2010-08-26T08:27:00.001-06:00

McDowell Family Farms will be processing chicken this Tuesday Aug. 31 at their farm in Draper and will be selling it fresh that day. Whatever is not sold fresh will be sold frozen. The chickens are White Plymouth Rock breed as well as Delawares. You can check out their blog at mcdowellfamilyfarm.blogspot.com

4 Days to Go

2010-08-24T23:38:00.004-06:00

Start making meal plans based on what is in season. Visiting a farmers market will help to inspire you, and you can find all local recipes here: Recipes

5 Days to Go

2010-08-23T15:22:00.001-06:00

A tip to get us all ready for the Challenge:
Be sure to use up any perishables that are non-local.

New Updates to Food Source List

2010-08-21T10:06:00.003-06:00

I just made a whole bunch of updates to the Food Source Lists (find them in the left-hand sidebar--scroll down). If you're shopping this week to prepare you for the Challenge, you may want to plan your shopping by visiting these lists first...And you may be surprised at just how much delicious, local fare there is!

We're on Facebook

2010-08-19T10:58:00.002-06:00

We are on Facebook at Eat Local Salt Lake City. Join discussions, meet other localvores, and find tips about eating locally.

Local Shopping

2010-08-05T23:34:00.002-06:00

Start preparing for the Challenge by shopping the local farmers markets. You can find a list of markets (organized by city) here. With different market days, times, and products, you will likely find one that fits your lifestyle.

Locavores with an Altitude

2010-08-02T23:16:00.003-06:00

Check out this Park City group that is also "committed to education, demonstration, and community action to promote growing and sourcing our food locally." They have a number of events coming up. Locavores with an Altitude

Start Thinking Locally

2010-07-28T23:11:00.002-06:00

The Challenge if quickly approaching, so it's time to start planning. A great way to get started is to join us for our Pre-KickOff Party (check it out in the left-hand sidebar).

Planning Has Begun for the SLC Eat Local Challenge 2010

2010-05-13T16:08:00.002-06:00

Each year the SLC Eat Local Challenge is organized by participants who have a passion for eating responsibly and enjoying fresh, tasty food. Your energy and enthusiasm is most welcome! To join our planning group, contact Tara at tarapoelzing@yahoo.com.

Eat Local at Area Restaurants

2009-09-12T08:14:00.003-06:00

Great news! You don't have to sequester yourself in your home and cook every meal you eat. So far, two restaurants have hopped on board with the Eat Local Challenge.

The Tin Angel Cafe
offering Locavore Saturdays AND Locavore Special upon request any day of the week
This means you can eat there any day of the week and stick with the Challenge!
365 West 400 South in Salt Lake City
801-328-4155
Reservations reconmended.

PAGO
Check back for the details.
878 South 900 East in Salt Lake City
801-5320777
Reservations recommended.

Tips to Prepare You for the Challenge

2009-09-08T21:03:00.004-06:00

Make ingredients such as tortillas, pasta, sauces, and clarified butter in bulk so you have some for future meals.

Make enough dinner for leftovers. Making food from scratch takes a lot of time so the more you make from meal to meal the more you can use for a follow-up meal the next day. Or freeze and use a few weeks later.

Scour the Recipe and Local Food Sources (look in the left-hand sidebar) sections of the Blog. Veteran Challengers have put together a wealth of information.

Tell people that you are doing the Challenge. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the amount of support out there--folks may even start giving you some of their own local bounty!

Eat Local Challenge Kick-Off Event and Crop Swap

2009-09-06T17:27:00.003-06:00

Saturday, September 12th, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
sponsored by People’s Market

It's about to begin, folks!
Bring food you have grown or preserved to exchange with other local food lovers and Eat Local Challenge participants so you can be stocked up and ready to go. Whether or not you have local food to trade, come meet other Challengers and join in the celebration.

You may also bring the following to enliven the celebration:
a dish incorporating local ingredients (or go for the gold and be entirely local)
a local recipe to share
local source tips
your questions

People’s Market Business Office (Home of Kyle LaMalfa)
150 South 800 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84104

Drink Local

2009-09-03T14:16:00.002-06:00

Excellent news from The Desert Edge Brewery, Radius will be back in three weeks! Now we can drink locally as well.

Recipes for the Challenge

2009-08-26T20:40:00.004-06:00

Mine this resource of recipes posted by challengers. They either come from personal creativity or have been borrowed or adapted from other sources. Enjoy!

Navigate from the link provided, or go the left-hand sidebar and select 2007. On the 2007 page, scroll down until you see Recipes and click on that link.

Sizing Up Sustainable Food

2009-08-23T19:04:00.002-06:00

Talk of the Nation's Science Friday aired a show on August 21st featuring a discussion on what makes food sustainable with a special focus on eating locally. The panelists included Michael Pollan (In Defense of Food), James McWilliams (Just Food: Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly), and Brian Halweil (a senior researcher at World Watch Institute). Have a listen, share with others, and enjoy some stimulating dinner-time conversation. Here's the link: Sizing Up Sustainable Food

Eat Local at Local Restaurants

2009-08-03T16:20:00.002-06:00

Efforts are being made at some of our local restaurants to use local ingredients. Check out the the Tin Angel, Pago, Fresco, and the Wild Grape. Also, as mentioned earlier, the Desert Edge Brewery will again be making their Radius beer. Stay tuned for events and menu items that will be featured during the challenge.

Tips for The Challenge

2009-07-31T09:16:00.002-06:00

A Few Tips for Eating Local

Make ingredients such as tortillas, pasta, sauces, clarified butter in bulk so you have some for future meals.

Make enough dinner for lunch the next day. Making food from scratch takes a lot of time so the more you make from meal to meal the more you can use for a follow-up meal the next day. Or freeze and use a few weeks later.

To plan for the next year, try preserving items that aren’t available during the challenge (or the winter for that matter), i.e. dry or can cherries, freeze or can sweet peas, etc.

Local Beer: Desert Edge

2008-12-12T15:24:00.002-07:00

Local Beers, Grown Locally
I'm a big fan of supporting local small businesses. I try to spend my money with our local entrepreneurs rather than national chains as often as I can. If your like-minded, consider heading over to the Desert Edge Brewery this October, where Brew master Chris Haas has put together a special beer made from all local ingredients. Radius, will be made with ingredients grown within 150 miles of the Wasatch Front(yeast too???). Chris says he found the malt just over the state line in Idaho and personally picked the hops locally. I'm not sure of what style he's planning on brewing yet, but I'm sure it'll be unique. Radius will be available on draft beginning in mid-October at the brew pub in Salt Lake City. 602 E. 500 South. Cheers!

From: http://utahbeer.blogspot.com/2008/09/local-beers-grown-locally.html

New Scientist Article on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

2008-09-23T14:24:00.003-06:00

I found an interesting article about the impacts of your food choices, such as eating meat, eating local, and eating organic on emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. I would somewhat discount the bad review meat gets because the gases animals give off from ruminating are different (in terms of the global carbon cycle) than those given off from fossil fuel use (although its true that transportation of feed is a significant amount of the emissions).

NEWS FLASH- Roasted Chili Peppers!

2008-08-29T21:15:00.003-06:00

Hi all! one of the local challengers Kay just called today to tell us about roasted local chili peppers being sold by the bushel at the Harmons on 3500 S and 4000 W! Many of you probably have a source for peppers, but roasting them can be a lot of work, so this is your chance to get a lot of them for sauces, soups and what not. The sale runs through Labor Day. Also, please keep tuning in and sharing information in the 2007 section. Hopefully our manager can fix the blog gliches soon. Thanks and eat well!

Challenge 2008- NEWS UPDATE

2008-07-26T08:06:00.003-06:00

Hi all! Eat Local Challenge 2008 has begun! This year Wasatch Community Gardens and Slow Food Utah will once again be participating and Tree Utah and The People's Market will host events also. These organizations will be posting news on their websites and stay tuned as this blog will report on events, resources, recipes, etc. from you and fellow challengers. Currently we are having technical difficulties on the resource pages (they look like the front page) but scroll down to 2007 and submit any helpful comments on the corresponding resource pages there. The best part about this experiences is all the information we can learn from one another!
Below are the events happening for the Challenge, it is a great way to meet people, get healthy and become aware of all the great foods our area has to offer! We look forward to seeing you at some of these events! Sincerely, Andrea and Mike Heidinger

· Monday, August 11th, 5:30 PM - Pasta & Sauce Making Party - Join us at our home to prepare some ready-made local pasta and sauce for your busier days during the challenge. Please RSVP so we know how many to plan for, and we can tell you what to bring and how to get here! –Home of Mike and Andrea Heidinger RSVP: andrea@greenbuildingcenter.net

· Saturday, August 16th from 6-9 pm - Eat Local Kickoff Event - local produce and foods that can be found at the People’s Market; a locally grown food-swap will be an exciting focus of the gathering; information on sourcing edible amenities; meet your fellow Localvores! – Home of Kyle LaMalfa, 150 South 800 West

· August 22, from 7:45-10:30 pm The Wasatch Community Gardens’ Eat Local Movie Night Enjoy a summer night with good company, homemade food, and a great movie under the stars. Bring a blanket or chair and a local-ingredient dish with the recipe to share. - Tomato Garden, 600 S 800 E

· August 23, 6 PM - Urban Harvest Celebration at TreeUtah’s EcoGardenHarvest Celebrations are a time to honor, celebrate, and share in the bounty of local agriculture, to encourage people to reconnect to the land and the seasons, and to understand the benefits of having local gardens and eating locally grown food. Please join us for food, music, and lots of fun as we share in the harvest of our food forest garden. EcoGarden at Day-Riverside Library1575 West 1000 North Please RVSP by calling TreeUtah at 801-364-2122.

The Challenge 101: How to Go Local

2008-07-17T10:03:00.000-06:00

If you've read the recent press coverage in the Catalyst Magazine and Salt Lake Tribune or attended the Challenge organizational meeting last month, then you have a pretty good idea of what we're about. If you are a newcomer to the site or still aren't really clear on how to participate, we'd like to help with a few more guidelines and ideas.

Here are a few tips to help you get started and stay motivated.

Pick your Local Range. We suggest either 100 miles from your home, or 25o miles. You might also consider "250 mi + the entire state of Utah", as the SE and SW corners of the state are just out of the 250 mile range. Your foodshed will look more like a keyhole than a circle, but its not just about geometry, after all.
Pick your start date and time commitment. The challenge month officially begins Saturday, Aug. 18 and runs through the Fall Equinox September 23rd. But you can start anytime if you aren't doing the full month. Participate for a day, a weekend, a week, two weeks, a month . . . once you get going, you might not go back!
Pick your Localvore Level. These include:
"Localvore Purist: All local all the time" - if it doesn't grow here you don't consume it;
"Localvore, but . . . " - you eat 90%+ local but can't give up a short list of items (such as coffee, olive oil, tofu . . items hard to substitute);
"Majority Local": more than half of your foods are local;
"Newbie": you're just getting started and want to be a part of the challenge, but are starting small - say 10-30% local beyond your current diet. That's OK! We all have to start somewhere.

That said, we strongly encourage you to eat as locally as absolutely possible. The challenge should be a stretch goal for you, not just basically what you are already eating. That might mean substituting your daily morning banana for peaches or plums for the Challenge, or learning to make your own tomato sauce with seasonal produce. if you already eat locally and seasonally to a large degree, step it up a notch or 3. That's the idea!

As you celebrate this Local Food Challenge, keep some notes of your experiences and share your reflections with our group. Submit posts, organize your own supper clubs with friends, have a movie night with a local food theme, go volunteer at a community garden, read up on local food issues or the farm bill . . . make this a month of learning, sharing, community, and fun. Oh, and of course, deliciousness!

For local product availability, visit the sites linked on this page as well as the blog posts by category (most are archived under the July posts). Please add to the list as you find more. Obviously, the local farmer's markets are a good place to start.

For a few good reasons to eat locally, visit the FoodRoutes website. For a more personal testimonial, I share a note from Lori Anne Lau of Lau Family farms, from their last email update:

"Our summer has become dominated by concerns about the drought we are experiencing. As our farm has no irrigation we are totally dependent on the weather. Our hay crop has been devastated by a combination of frosty nights (back in May and June), hot days, and little to no rain. To illustrate how poor the hay crop is, one field that has normally yielded 30 to 55 bales, this year yielded just 5 bales. . . Thank you again for your business! These are trying times for farmers in SE Idaho, and other parts of the West. We are so thankful for your support: moral and financial (buying our meat at prices that allow us a living wage). If we were still in the commodity market with our beef and lamb, I don't think we could survive a year like this. So thanks again for three great years. We look forward to providing your family with beef and lamb for many years to come."

Your choices matter! Join us in celebrating the height of harvest season and our local foods.

Celebration!

2007-09-13T09:11:00.001-06:00

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT HAS BEEN ALMOST A MONTH???

Yup, that's right. Tuesday, September 18 marks a month of eating within 100/250 miles of SLC. It has been a short and sometimes long road so it calls for a celebration, one last Hoorah!

Please join us at our place at 7pm for a potluck extraordinaire. (We'll supply the dishes and utensils this time!) Just bring a local dish (must have ingredients that are from less than 250/100 miles away only!) to share and something non-local that you really missed. Wrap that non-local food up and at the end of the evening we'll exchange the mystery foods with one another!

Please RSVP if you are coming to: heidinger at comcast dot net and we'll send directions.

Kickoff Party!

2007-08-16T13:25:00.001-06:00

This Sunday we'll be eating local brunches and loving every bite! So, we thought we'd send out a more detailed blog announcement about the Kick-off Party. The blog has reached even more people, so this promises to be one great starter event! On that note here's the details for you and feel free to pass them on:

Where: Mike and Andrea's House: Please e-mail us for our address,
heidinger [at] comcast [dot] net

When: Sat., August 18, come anytime after 7PM (This should give you time to attend WCG's Salsa Party, and even enter a salsa for details check out: http://www.wasatchgardens.org/)

What to Bring:
A dish to share made from all local ingredients and marked as being within 100 or 250 miles.
A hard copy of the recipe of the dish you brought (we'll post them for people to copy down). Some utensils, plates and/or bowls to enjoy the fine vittles with!
Any type of drinks you'd prefer.
Any extra food you would like to trade for other food, i.e. we'll have flour (lots of unbleached and whole wheat) and maybe cucumbers and herbs.
A t-shirt design if you've got an idea... maybe we can get grocery bags instead?

We'll take care of the rest and can't wait to see you all!

Until then, good luck in your preparations,

Mike and Andrea

Eat Local Challenge in the News!

2007-08-01T15:07:00.000-06:00

Why are YOU taking the challenge?

2007-07-27T15:30:00.000-06:00

Lis asks, "I'm curious to hear everyone's motivations for taking on the challenge. What motivates you? what do you hope to gain? how are you interpreting 'eat local'?"

Share your thoughts here.

Discussion (General Group Conversations)

2007-07-22T21:54:00.000-06:00

Recipes

2007-07-12T17:19:00.010-06:00

A COLLECTION OF RECIPES BY CHALLENGERS

BREAKFAST

Dutch Baby Pancakes or Puffy Pancakes
-an old favorite that can be completely local!

2 Tbsp. butter (Winder Dairy or homemade)
2 lg. eggs (Clifford farms or other local supplier)
½ cup flour (Gilt Edge Farm)
¼ tsp. salt (Real Salt)
Fruit and/or honey

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt margarine in pie plate (9 x 1 1/4") in oven and brush margarine on side of pie plate.
Beat eggs slightly in medium bowl with wire whisk or hand beater. Beat in remaining ingredients except fruit and honey until just mixed (do not overbeat). Pour into pie plate.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until puffy and deep golden brown. Serve immediately sprinkled with fruit and/or drizzled with honey. (When we have local vinegar we mix it with the honey and make a drizzle that is really tasty!)

from Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook
courtesy of Andrea and Mike

Vegetable Quiche
1 recipe Butter Flaky Pie Crust (found under Desserts)
1 cup shredded cheese
1 - 1 1/4 cup vegetables shredded or chopped
1 tbsp. flour
4 slightly beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups half and half, light cream, or milk (reduce amount slightly if using milk)
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Prepare Pie Crust at least 4 hours ahead of time.
Line the finished pie crust with a double thickness of foil and bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 4 minutes or until pastry is set and dry.
Remove from oven and reduce heat to 325 degrees.

Toss together cheeses, vegetables, and flour. Sprinkle mixture over the bottom of the pastry shell.

In a medium mixing bowl stir together eggs, milk, and salt. Pour this mixture over vegetables.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edge of crust with foil to prevent overbrowning.

Makes 6 servings.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.
Courtesy of Tara

SIDE DISHES

Rosemary Potatoes

Clarified Butter
Salt
Fresh rosemary chopped
Potatoes chunked

This is a loose recipe. Basically take butter and lightly sautee a tablespoon of fresh rosemary in a frying pan. Add about 4 potatoes and stir fry until tender. Salt to taste and serve.

courtesy of Andrea and Mike

Raita and Tsatsiki

1 large or two small cucumbers
1 tbsp salt or to taste
2 cups yogurt
4- 6 garlic cloves

1. Grate or chop cucumber into small pieces, sprinkle it with salt and put in a colander and leave in the sink or over a bowl to drain excess water for about an hour.
2. Mix cucumber with yogurt, crushed or finely chopped garlic, and other ingredients and feel free to add other herbs like dill, oregano, or thyme.
3. Taste and feel free to add more salt because much of it will have dripped away earlier.
4. Refrigerate until it is time to serve.

courtesy of Andrea and Mike

Bruschetta with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Basil

Makes 15-20

3 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
½ large onion, cut into ¼ inch diece
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¼ dice
1 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded
Salt
¼ butter, plus more for brushing
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 baguette (we used our homemade bread—only cheat here is non-local yeast)
2-3 garlic cloves, for rubbing

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and basil; season lightly with salt. Add melted butter and vinegar, and toss well to combine. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour but no longer than 3 hours.

Heat broiler or grill pan. Cut bread diagonally into ½ inch thick slices. Brush both sides of each slice lightly with melted butter; grill or broil on both sides until toasted.

Rub hot bread lightly with garlic cloves on one side only. Sprinkle with salt, and top with tomato mixture. Let stand a few minutes to allow juices to soak into bread before serving.

Adapted from marthastewart.com
Courtesy of Tara

Scalloped Eggplant

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into ½” cubes
5 slices bread, cut in 1” cubes
¾ cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 tbsp. finely chopped onion
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp. butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup milk

Place cubed eggplant in water and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Grease 1 ½ quart casserole dish with butter. Alternate layers of bread cubes, eggplant, grated cheese, and onion. Salt each layer. The last layer should be bread cubes.
Drizzle melted butter over the top layer.
Beat eggs lightly, combine them with milk and pour this mixture over the casserole.
Sprinkle a little more cheese on top.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour until moderately browned.

Adapted from southernfood.about.com
Courtesy of Tara

SOUPS and STEWS

Vegetable Corn Stock

Makes 2 quarts
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

6 ears of corn, shaved and cut in half
1 onion, cut in wedges
1 carrot, chopped
4 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs thyme
Salt

Place ears of corn (shaved) and all other vegetables in large pot; add 10 cups water, parsley, and thyme. Salt to taste, or add salt when using in a recipe at a later date.

Simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes; strain liquid, discard solids. Use immediately or freeze in airtight containers up to 3 months. Use to make soups, sauces, and risottos.

Adapted from marthastewart.com
courtesy of Tara

Mexican Corn Soup

Corn Stock
Onions, peppers, tomatoes, corn (dried, frozen, canned or fresh)
Cilantro
Salt
1 cup milk
1 tbsp. flour

Place all vegetables and corn stock into large pot. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce to a simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Combine milk and flour in a jar, cap it, and shake until mixed together. Add milk and flour combination to simmering soup. Stir until bubbly and thick. Then stir another minute.

Serve warm and top with cheese.

courtesy of Tara

Creamy Corn Soup

Serves 8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

16 ears yellow corn
4 tbsps. Butter (cut into small pieces)
1 tbsp. coarse salt

Slice kernels off of corn (to yield about 10 cups). In two batches, puree kernels and accumulated juices with a total of 2 cups water until chunky.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook pureed corn, butter, 4 cups water, and salt until butter is melted and soup is heated through, 5 minutes.

Serve hot, garnished with toasted tortilla wedges and salsa. Or let cool and freeze for up to six months.

Adapted from marthastewart.com
Courtesy of Tara

Zucchini Puree with Oregano Cream

2 tbsp. butter
1 onion, finely chopped
6 zucchini, thinly sliced
Salt
4 cups soup stock (vegetable, chicken, or corn stock)
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh oregano
For the Oregano Cream
½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh oregano
Salt

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the butter. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until well softened, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and salt to taste. Continue to sauté until the onion and zucchini are well browned, 5-7 minutes longer.

Add the stock and oregano and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat.

Meanwhile, make the oregano cream. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream/yogurt, oregano, and salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth and return the soup to the pan. Return the soup to medium heat and reheat gently.

Serve immediately garnished with oregano cream.

Adapted from Williams & Sonoma: Soups
Courtesy of Tara

MAIN DISHES

Beef Wraps

1 pound beef cut into strips and fried in a pan with a little butter (very little)
1- 2 cloves chopped garlic
1 teaspoon hot fresh chili pepper (if desired) and salted to taste.
2 chopped tomatoes
1 bunch chopped cilantro (I can never get mine to last through summer, but there are many farmers at the markets that can!)
2- 3 tablespoons yogurt
4-6 homemade tortillas (see recipe in BREADS) warmed for a moment in a pan for easier wrapping.

Assemble ingredients into tortilla to your taste and eat! Sometimes we even add a bit of stir fried cabbage to the mix.

courtesy of Andrea and Mike

Zucchini and Egg Fritters

Makes: apprx. 12
Cooking Time: 8-10 minutes per batch

1 clove garlic
1 tsp. salt
4-6 spring onions
1 cup zucchini pulp
5 eggs
3/4 cups flour
1/2-1 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Crush the garlic in a bowl with the salt. Mix in the spring onions. Add the mashed zucchini and the eggs. Beat well with a beater, then thoroughly mix in the flour. Add parsley and mint.

Spoon the mixture into a pan of hot butter and fry until the fritters are golden brown on both sides. Repeat this procedure until all the mixture is used.

Recipe (slightly altered) from The Lebanese Cookbook by Dawn, Elaine & Selwa Anthony.
courtesy of Tara

Eggplant Lasagna

1 eggplant (cut into small dice, salted, and drained if necessary)
1 small summer squash, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
6 large tomatoes, diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
3-6 tbsp. butter
Salt
2-3 sprigs rosemary, leaves minced
1 lb lasagna sheets
11 oz goat cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
3-4 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves minced

Coat large skillet with 3 tbsp. butter. Put eggplant, bell pepper, squash, and onion in skillet. Season with salt. Sprinkle rosemary over mixture. Stir occasionally and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

At the same time put tomatoes and garlic into a medium-sized sauce pan, salt, and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes and stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta sheets a few at a time in salted boiling water until al dente, 30 seconds-3 minutes, depending on the freshness of the pasta. Using a skimmer, transfer them to a colander. Run cold water over them to stop the cooking, drain well, and lay them out on damp kitchen towels until ready to use.

In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese, ricotta, cream, and parsley. Add salt to taste and stir until somewhat smooth.

Grease (using butter) a 10"x12" baking dish. Place a layer of pasta sheets in the baking dish. Reserve 1/2 cup of the tomato mixture. Using a slotted spoon to lift out tomatoes without the juice, layer a third of the remaining tomato mixture and a third of the eggplant mixture over the pasta in the dish. Add another layer of pasta and dot with all of the goat cheese mixtures. Top with half of the remaining tomato and eggplant mixtures. Add another layer of pasta and another layer of tomato and eggplant mixtures. Top with a final layer of pasta and the reserved tomato mixture. Sprinkle with a little ricotta cheese. Bake the lasagna until bubbling hot and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let rest 3-5 minutes to firm the lasagna before serving.

*The leftover juice from the tomato mixture can be used as a base for soup or as a marinade in your next local meal!

Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Pasta
courtesy of Tara

SNACKS

110 Mile Wheat Thin Crackers

1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter
2/3 cup milk
salt for the tops (optional)

-Preheat oven to 325
-In large bowl combine flours and salt
-Cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles course meal.
-Seperately combine milk and honey.
-Slowly blend in milk and honey using only enough liquid to form a dough mixture that will hold together in a cohesive ball.
-Divide dough into two equal parts for rolling.
-Roll out on a floured surface or pastry cloth, until dough is 1/16- 1/8 inch thick.
-If desired sprinkle with salt and gently roll into dough.
-With sharp knife cut crackers into 2" x 2" squares.
-Transfer onto ungreased baking sheet.
-Prick each cracker 2-3 times.
-Bake 20- 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

courtesy of Mike and Andrea

DESSERTS

Butter Flaky Pie Crust
This crust is also great for quiche!

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
½ cup butter, chilled and diced
¼ cup ice water

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight.

Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

Note this recipe makes only enough for the bottom of a pie. Double it if you plan on making a top crust as well.

From allrecipes.com
Courtesy of Tara

Pastry Cookies
Make a batch of Butter Flaky Pie Crust (see above)
Cut the dough in half, and roll one half out.
Spread butter over the dough.
Add cookie fillings--these could be honey, thinly sliced fruit, or something else.
Starting at one end, tightly roll the dough so that you end up with a long, thin roll.
Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1/4" slices.
Lay the pinwheels (slices) on a cookie sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven until they start to turn golden.
Repeat for the other half of the dough.

Courtesy of Tara

BEVERAGES

Local Sangria

1 (750ml) Bottle Lily White Wine from Castle Creek
1 (750ml) Bottle Cowboy Red Wine from Castle Creek
750ml Fresh apple juice
2-3 Fresh sliced peaches
1 cup Blackberries or raspberries
Any other fresh fruit you have on hand

Mix all ingredients and chill until you can't wait any longer

You can also use the Castle Creek Chenin Blanc for a sweeter version or to make up for sour applejuice. The Spanish Valley Riesling would well too.

courtesy of Andrea and Mike

Tea
Almost any herb from your garden or dried fruit can be turned into tea.
Stuff a tea ball with dried herbs or fruit and steep in boiling water for a couple of minutes.
Add local milk and honey for a little more body.

BREADS

Homemade Tortillas
–great for veggie wraps and breakfast burritos!

1 cup water
2 3/4 cup flour
extra flour for rolling

Measurements are approximate

Mix the water and flour to make a "regular" dough ball (i.e. one that isn't sticky but there isn't excess flour either).

Tear off a smaller dough ball that is ~2in. in diameter.

Flour your work surface and roll out the dough to be a 9" circle.

Cook the tortilla on a skillet over medium heat. (I like to cook one while rolling out the next.)

Flip the tortilla after a minute or so. There should be bumps/bubbles forming and the flour should just start browning.

BE CAREFUL not to overcook your tortillas or you will end up with tostadas that crack rather than roll.

The above amounts will give you 8 burrito size (9") tortillas.

courtesy of Laura

Biscuits

1 1/2 cup flour
4 Tsp. butter melted
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup yogurt
1 tsp salt
1 Tsp honey

Mix all ingredients together and bake on a greased or parchment-papered cookie sheet at 350 degrees until golden brown.

HOW-TO

Clarify Butter
Heat butter in a sauce pot to a boil. Cool and skim all the solids from the top. Use liquid for cooking and baking.

Make Your Own Local Cheese with Your Own Local Rennet

A rennet substitute can be made by boiling stinging nettle then using the extracted juice in place of rennet (Haven't tried it yet). This can be used for a variety of cheeses but probably not the hard types like Parmesan or even cheddar.

For soft cheeses such as mozzarella we can just use vinegar or some other form of acid. I tried this by adding two capfuls of white vinegar to approx. one cup of milk and heating gently. Then I strained the resulting curds and was amazed to find cheese. The whole experiment took two minutes.

courtesy of Mike and Andrea

Make “Pseudo” Cheese

1 gallon milk
few tbs (cider) vinigar
salt to taste

Mix ingredients.
Heat slowly, stirring the bottom of the pan.
When it gets up to 150-170 deg, the mixture should separate.
Let sit off the heat 10 min.
Strain through cheesecloth. The longer it sits the drier it will be.

It will be bland. I've tried mixing with jalapeños peppers or onions and garlic to add some flavor. Pretty good on an omelet.

Makes about 3 cups "cheese".

courtesy of Judd

Harvest Yeast from the Air
Start with a clean large glass mixing bowl (do not use plastic or metal). As an extra precaution, scald the bowl by pouring boiling water into it and let it stand for a few minutes, then pour the water out.

In your squeaky clean bowl mix together:
2 cups of water
2 cups of flour (preferably unbleached)
Cover with a clean cloth (I use a flour-sack type dish towel).

After one or two days the mixture will start to bubble and have a clean sour odor of alcohol. If at any time during the culture period the mixture develops a foul odor or grows moldy, throw it out and start over. On the third or fourth day, take out 1 cup and throw it away, or make a dough to test, if the dough rises in a couple of hours, it’s ready. Replace what you have dumped/used with 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water. The mixture should be the consistency of thick pancake batter so sometimes you will need to add more flour than water.

The general formula to substitute your starter for commercial yeast in traditional recipes is to use one cup starter for one package of Active Dry Yeast and reduce the amounts of flour and liquid each by about one cup.

In recipes the term "freshened starter" means that one day ahead of time you take one cup of your stored starter, add an amount of warm water and an equal (or slightly greater) amount of flour to what is called for as "fresh starter") in the recipe. Allow it to sit, lightly covered, over night at room temperature. The next day, return a cup of the freshened starter to storage and proceed with the recipe. Note: If the recipe you are using calls for a liquid other than water or a flour other than white (i.e. milk or wheat flour); then only use the amount of starter called for in the recipe and feed your stored starter separately with water and white flour to maintain the integrity of your stored starter.

Once you have an active cup of starter you can build it up by waiting 24 hours and then adding 1 cup each of water and flour (or slightly more flour to maintain consistency). Keep your starter lightly covered in a crock or heavy glass container. I suggest that until you are sure that you have a healthy, active batch that you keep it at room temperature.

Healthy starter can live in the refrigerator for two or even up to three weeks without attention. If you have not used and replenished your batch within that time, stir it well (it is normal for liquid to form on the top) - throw away a cup and "feed" by adding 1 cup each of flour and water and let it stand on the counter at room temperature until it becomes bubbly again – then stir and return to your refrigerator. Note: Stored starter becomes thinner due to lack of feeding so often you will need to add more flour to maintain a healthy consistency. A general rule is to store 2 cups more than you will need to use at any one time.

If you only use your starter occasionally you may want to store it as dried flakes.

To Dry
Spread freshened starter paper thin on a plastic sheet until it has dried. Then break into small flakes and your starter will store indefinitely.

I haven't tried it yet and I got the info off this website http://woodlandstar.net/WSblog/?p=30

courtesy of Madelyn

Produce (Fruits and Veggies)

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Grain

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GRAIN SOURCE SUMMARY

Gilt Edge Flour Mills
from Richmond, UT*
Flour from a variety of sources—farthest away is in Idaho Falls.
Choose from Whole Wheat, All Purpose, and High Pro flours.
Available in 25 or 50 pound bags.
*In the past a group pick-up has been arranged by calling ahead to place an order and having a designated driver make the pick-up.

OTHER SOMEWHAT LOCAL GRAIN SOURCES
Honeyville Farms
Wheat sourced from Northern Utah and Southern Idaho
Honeyville Farms is not returning e-mails or phone calls, so the localness of their product has not been confirmed this year. However, according to earlier information, it is local.

Lehi Roller Mills
from Lehi, UT
Local grain is mixed in with non-local grain, so this offers a convenient alternative for those who are comfortable with a partially local source.
available at
Mill Store 833 East Main in Lehi

Milam Zabka's Flour
from Lava Hot Springs
-Have not confirmed that all of his wheat is local.
Grown organically
available at Cali's Natural Foods

Wheatland Flour
from Collinston, UT
-Finally got to speak with them, and most of their wheat comes from Washington. :(
Organic, unbleached white flour
available at Cali's Natural Foods

Mushrooms

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Barley

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T-shirt Design

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Hops

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Calculations

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How many miles of food travel is this group saving by eating local?

Sweeteners

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HONEY SOURCES
Slide Ridge Honey
Pure, raw honey
from Mendon, UT
available at
Park City Farmers Market
SLC Pioneer Park Farmers Market
U-Pick Farm

Clifford Family Farm
from Provo, UT
available at
SLC Pioneer Park Farmers Market

Cox Honeyland
from Cache Valley, UT
available at
Harmon’s
Whole Foods

More honey purveyors sell at the SLC Pioneer Park Farmers Market, but I have not yet done that research to see who is there this year.

Growing Empire was selling Stevia at the Murray Farmers Market during the 2010 season. Watch for it next year.

Alcohol

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ALCOHOL SOURCES

Castle Creek Winery
from Moab, UT

Spanish Valley Vineyards and Winery
from Moab, UT

Radius Beer
from Southern Idaho (malt) and near Salt Lake City (hops)
available at
Desert Edge Brewery

Blue Ice Potato Vodka
from Idaho Falls, ID
available at
State Liquor Stores (do not yet have info on particular stores carrying this)

Teton Glacier Potato Vodka
from Idaho Falls, ID
available at
State Liquor Stores (do not yet have info on particular stores carrying this)

Hideous Berry Liqueur
from Idaho Falls, ID
available at
State Liquor Stores (do not yet have info on particular stores carrying this)
*I haven't verified that all ingredients are local.

44N Huckleberry Flavored Vodka
from Idaho Falls, ID
available at
State Liquor Stores (do not yet have info on particular stores carrying this)
I haven't verified that all ingredients are local.

Note about the above liquors from a representative at the plant:
“Of the three alcohols we make as base spirits for the bottled products you may have seen on our website, the Uber-tuber® Idaho russet potato and the Grain-ola® Idaho wheat and corn alcohol are entirely sourced from southern or south-eastern Idaho agricultural areas. Of course our factory is 8 miles north of Idaho Falls.”

Meat, Poultry, & Fish

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MEAT SOURCES

Morgan Valley Lamb
from Delta, UT
Hormone-Free and Naturally Raised
available at
Broadway Market
Harmon’s
Springville Meat
Liberty Heights Fresh
Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli
Market on State

Tooele Valley Pork Sausage
from Tooele, UT
Antibiotic-free
available at
Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli

Creminelli Pork Sausage and Salami
from Springville, UT
Organically raised
None of their products are 100% local due to spices. Americano is closest.
available at
Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli
Harmon's Grocery
Whole Foods Market

Canyon Meadows Ranch Beef
from Altamont, UT
No growth hormones, antibiotics, or animal by-products. Grass-fed.
available at
Market on State

Taylor Made Beef and Pork
from Emery, UT
Free Range Certified Organic
Pork available at
Liberty Heights Fresh
Rico's Mexican Market

Ballard Hog Farm for Pork
Contains MSG and other non-local additives
from Cache Valley, UT
available at
Wal-Mart

Lau Family Farms for Beef and Lamb
from Soda Springs, ID
Grass-Fed, Antibiotic and Hormone-Free
available at
SLC Downtown Farmers Market

G Bar Ranch Natural Beef
from Salt Lake and Summit Counties
Chemical-free, sustainably-raised
available at
SLC Downtown Farmers Market

Trout
from Smithfield, UT
available at
Aquarius Fish Market (http://www.aquariusfish.com/)

McDowell Family Farm Poultry
Free Range Chicken and Turkey
available via
e-mail to dmcdowell32@yahoo.com
or click on McDowell Family Farm above to be directed to their blog

Heritage Valley Poultry - Chicken, Duck, Goose, Turkey, and Rabbit
from Tremonton, UT
available at
SLC Downtown Farmers Market
CSA shares available. Click here.

Clifford Family Farm Chicken and Pork
from Provo, UT
Organic practices
Once a year they have retiree chickens available.
Pork available at
Liberty Heights Fresh
SLC Downtown Farmers Market

Wight Family Farm - Turkey
from Ogden, UT
Free-range, vegetarian-fed, organic practices
available at
Liberty Heights Fresh (fresh for November-December, frozen thereafter)

EVENTS

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Please check the "Calendar" link at the right for a full list of Eat Local Challenge events.

Spices and Condiments

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Redmond Real Salt
from Heber City, UT
available at many grocery stores including
Harmons
Whole Foods

Stimulants

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What will we do without Tea and Coffee?

Native Food Gathering

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Cheese

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CHEESE SOURCES
*If you are going for 100%, watch out! The enzymes and rennet used to make cheese are bought outside of Utah. See posts below for information on how to make your own completely local cheese.

Rockhill Creamery
from Richmond, UT 84333
available at
Rockhill Creamery Farmstand
SLC Pioneer Park Farmers Market
Liberty Heights Fresh
The Store at 2050 E 6200 S, Holladay
Harmons at Brickyard and Seventh Street
Plus many other locations located further out from SLC, see http://www.rockhillcheese.com/available@.html for more information.

Drake Family Farms
from West Jordan, UT
available at
Pioneer Farmers Market
Park City Farmers Market
Murray Park Utah Farm Bureau Farmers Market
Thanksgiving Point Farmers Market
Whole Foods
Drake Farm Store at 1856 Drake Lane (7400S)
*As a result of an explanation of our Eat Local Challenge, a representative at Drake became very enthusiastic at the idea of using a local vinegar as the rennet in the ricotta! We’ll see what happens…

Beehive Cheese Company
from Uintah, UT
available at
Harmons Grocery Stores
The Store at 2050 E 6200 S, Holladay
Dan’s Market
Liberty Heights Fresh
Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli
Whole Foods
Also available at many other stores and restaurants. Visit the Beehive Cheese website, and look for Find Our Cheese under About Beehive Cheese for a complete list.

Winder Farms
Processed by Gossner —milk sourced from dairy farms from Delta, UT to Magna Falls(?), ID including Winder Farms milk.
Cottage cheese is produced by Meadow Gold.
All milk they use is growth-hormone free.
available by
On-line order at www.winderfarms.com

Nicoletti Cheese Company
from Copperton, UT
Using goat’s milk from Drake Family Farms
available at
Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli
Mediterranean Market Deli at 3942 S. State St. in SLC
-Interesting article at http://www.sltrib.com/features/ci_12742775

Shepherd's Dairy Products
Goat Cheese
from Erda, UT
available at
Harmon's
Whole Foods Market

Alternative Oils

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Pork/Bacon

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Other Protein Sources- Eggs

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These days many people keep their own chickens for eggs which is great and not too difficult to do, but if you can't swing it, you might want to try Clifford eggs from Provo. They are at the SLC Farmers Market every Saturday, are sold at Liberty Heights Fresh and also have a drop off site at The Green Building Center (where it is self service, just bring cash to put in the jar). For more information you can contact them:Location: 1461 n. 2100 w.Provo, UT 84604 Contact: Julie and Rich Clifford801-368-7250

SOURCE SUMMARY

Clifford Family Farm
from Provo, UT
Free Range and Certified Organic
available at
Liberty Heights Fresh
SLC Downtown Farmers Market

Oakdell Egg Farms
from North Salt Lake, UT
Cage free, no hormones or antibiotics, certified organic
available at
Harmon’s
Costco

Winder Farms
from Fassio Egg Farms in Grantsville, UT
Both White and Brown eggs are local.
available by on-line order

Drake Family Farms
from West Jordan, UT
Free range eggs
available at
Drake Family Farm Store located at 1856 West Drake Lane (7400 S)

Rocky Mountain Eggs*
from West Valley City (and Denver)
*These eggs are not completely local--some may be from Denver.
available at
Sunflower Farmers Market

Fassio Egg Farms
from West Valley City, UT
Both white and brown eggs available.
Brown eggs are certified organic, cage free, and veg-fed.
available at
Sam's Club
Sunflower Farmers Market
Reams Foods
Winder Farms

Milk, Butter, and other Dairy

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MILK SOURCES
Winder Farms
from West Valley City, UT
Milk delivered in reused glass bottles and free of growth hormones
available by on-line order
Also available in plastic bottles in grocery stores and at Rite Aid.
1%, 2%, skim, whole, buttermilk, half & half, whipping cream

Drake Family Farms
from West Jordan, UT
Antibiotic-free and growth hormone-free Goat Milk
available at
Pioneer Farmers Market
Park City Farmers Market
Murray Park Utah Farm Bureau Farmers Market http://utfb.fb.org/Website/FarmMarketNews.html
Thanksgiving Point Farmers Market
Emigration Market
Whole Foods
Drake Farm Store at 1856 Drake Lane (7400S)

BUTTER SOURCES
Winder Farms
Processed by Gossner www.gossner.com —milk sourced from dairy farms from Delta, UT to Magna Falls(?), ID including Winder Farms milk.
All milk they use is growth-hormone free.
available by
On-line order at www.winderfarms.com

YOGURT SOURCES
Drake Family Farms
from West Jordan, UT
Antibiotic-free and growth hormone-free Goat Milk
available at
Emigration Market
Whole Foods

SOUR CREAM SOURCES
Winder Farms
The contact at Winder Farms stated that their sour cream is actually processed somewhere in West Valley, but I have not been able to learn anything more.
available by on-line order at www.winderfarms.com

Soy or Soy Replacements

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Baking Supplies (soda, baking powder, etc)

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BAKING SUPPLY SOURCES

Arm & Hammer Baking Soda – regular supermarkets*
from Green River, WY
available at
Most grocery stores
*Look for the WW on the box after the expiration date denoting that it comes from Green River, WY.

Rice replacement and Beans

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Flour/Wheat

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Produce

2007-07-11T11:44:00.010-06:00

PRODUCE SOURCES

This list is not completely inclusive as many stores, fruit stands, and farmer’s markets carry local produce.
Here’s a run-down of some great places to find the goods:
Check out local farmer’s markets at this link.
Liberty Heights Fresh
Whole Foods (look at the little signs—sometimes you’ll find a local treat)
Harmon's Grocery
Craigslist (some people post if they have an overabundance in their gardens)

Mountainview Mushrooms
from Fillmore, UT
They grow White, Crimini, Portobello, and Oyster.
Their White Button mushrooms are available at
Winder Farms
Harmon’s

Farnsworth Cider Mill
from Sandy, UT
Sprays apples for coddling moths
Organically grown pick-your-own available at its Country Store, 11228 South 700 East
Cider available at Harmon's Grocery

Cochran's Produce and Specialty Market
from Ogden, UT
Produce available at 6060 South 1550 East, 801-475-6060
Monday-Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Closed during winter

Marvin's Garden
from South Weber, UT
356 East South Weber Drive
Call ahead with an order at 801-479-6467
available at Park City, Ogden, and Clearfield markets

Parker Farms Produce
from Hooper, UT
available at
Fruit stand at house in Clinton: 2313 West 1300 North, Saturdays 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Order direct by calling 801-540-0277

S & R Fruit
from Alpine, UT
available at Park City, Murray, and SLC Downtown markets
Will start selling from shed at home when peaches come in: 50 N 100 E, Alpine, UT

Sunbridge Growers
from Fairview, UT
Sprouts, microgreens
available at
Cali's Natural Foods
SLC Downtown Farmers Market

Traces
from Salt Lake City, UT
Seasonal vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, limited fruit
available at 1432 South 1100 East, SLC

Weeks Berries of Paradise
from Paradise, UT
available at
SLC Downtown Farmers Market
Murray Farmers Market