Local food... it's in the bag!

Just got my first bag of fresh, local food from the LOFT Market CSA! It was overflowing, and the whole office now smells of fresh strawberries!!!

Also in the bag...

a huge pak choi
tat soi
red and yellow swiss chard
red and white onions
garlic
garlic scapes
a head of lettuce
a large bag of mixed greens
kohlrabi
potatoes

Can't decide what's for dinner yet, but strawberries and salad will definitely be on my plate!

Never heard of kohlrabi? It's a turnip-looking veggie that tastes a bit like the stems of your broccoli. It works well as a means for dipping, or grated and made into slaw. I also found this recipe that uses kohlrabi and 4 other veggies in the bag.

Hooray for Tuesday!

Sweet...peas!

So the Cambridge Farmer's Market opened last Wednesday for the first time this year. Some of us wandered over during the day to see what was in stock. The season's first strawberries had arrived, but the sweetest ones are yet to come I think... (by the way, check out the patch growing in the School's Community Garden, it puts my own strawberry patch to shame. I'm berry jealous indeed.)

But the fab find of the week was most definitely Sweet Peas...and we've decided they're the perfect snack food. Why, you ask?

- they're green (=good for you)
-they're little things you can eat a lot of
-they keep your hands busy
-they're sweet
-they're crunchy
-they're cute
-kids like them!
- and best of all, there's no cooking, prepping, washing, slicing, dicing, or dishes

I thought about throwing them in the pan with some other veggies this weekend, but I couldn't do it...they're too perfect on their own.

Livin' la vida local

This season, Michele, Linda and I are challenging ourselves to eat only (or mostly) local foods. Largely inspired by the 100-Mile Diet, we each have our own goals, rules and reasons for doing this.

We will be promoting local eating throughout the summer in various ways. Drop in to the library now to check out our display of student theses, library books and DVDs, and Eat Fresh Eat Local maps you can take home. We are also compiling a binder full of maps, articles, farms, CSAs, stores, restaurants and recipes. We are perfectly situated here to make the most of what's grown and raised in Ontario.

Try challenging yourself to eat locally this summer. It doesn't have to be 100%, start with one meal, check out the farmer's markets, sign up with a CSA. There are countless reasons to eat locally: the health of our environment, our own health, the consequences of peak oil and just getting to know your food - who makes it and where it comes from.

Keep an eye on our blog for tips, tricks, events, ideas, sources and more!