How to Cook a Local Meal

There is a movement going on across the United States called the local foods movement. People are beginning to understand the importance of supporting local farmers and the environmental toll that shipping food hundreds or even thousands of miles is taking. There are those committed to only eating local foods, but not everyone is willing or able to make that type of commitment. Many people can, however, cook a local meal once in a while.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Find sources of local foods. Farmer's Markets are a great place to start. Not only with they have local produce, but they will often have local meats, eggs, breads, honey and other products needed to cook a local meal. See the link below to find a farmer's market near you.

2. Determine what is in season in your region. Cooking local meals has a lot to do with eating only what is in season. For instance, your region may grow fabulous asparagus, but if it isn't the season for asparagus, you won't be able to get it locally.

3. Find a recipe that uses local ingredients that are in season right now. One easy way to start might be to do chicken or vegetable kabobs. You can buy chicken from a local poultry farmer and use whatever fresh vegetables are in season since kabobs are so versatile. Or you can go strictly vegetarian and use a variety of seasonable vegetables.

4. Understand that there are some ingredients you may never be able to get locally. Salt and pepper, olive oil, grains and some other common ingredients may not be produced in your region. It's up to you whether you want to use some un-local ingredients in your meal.

5. Get the family involved in cooking the meal. Part of the local foods movement is taking the time to enjoy the foods you are eating. Fresh, local ingredients almost always taste better than foods that have been processed or shipped from far away. Involving others in your house in the preparation of the meal, setting a nice table, and sitting down altogether to enjoy it will make your local meal even more special.

6. Complement your local meal with a wine from a local winery. Wines and foods that come from the same region usually complement each other very well. Or if you are a beer person, serve beer from a local brewery.

Tips & Warnings

• The most local food comes from right outside your back door. Even if you can only grow one planter of basil on an apartment balcony, grow something.

Resources

• Local Harvest can help you find sources of local food in your region.
• The 100 mile diet challenges people to eat local foods found within a 100-mile radius.

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