FYI: Free Event @ UNCW

For all of you who are interested in the politics, processing and distribution - and well, eating, of food, UNCW is presenting a free film: The Future of Food tomorrow night at 7:00 PM in the Lumina Theater.

Heck, if you just want something to do that's free, that's good enough reason to go as well.

Here's the info from the UNCW website:

The Future of Food

From the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada to the fields of Oaxaca, Mexico, this film gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology. The health implications, government policies and push towards globalization are all part of the reason why many people are alarmed by the introduction of genetically altered crops into our food supply.

Directed by Deborah Koons. 88 mins.
A discussion will follow the film.
Lumina Theater is in the Fisher Student Center.
Brought to you by UNCW Presents.

Thanksgiving Prep

Hello all. It's been crazy busy around here, so Thanksgiving has kind of snuck up on me. Luckily I've been planning for it since we started eating locally, because I knew that some of our Thanksgiving favorites would be out of season in November. I've frozen corn, green beans, and chicken broth; stocked up on sweet potatoes; foraged for pecans; and put in my order with Jackson Dairy. I'll be cooking for 6 this year, so I had to consider what would satisfy everyone. After lots of OCD like organizing and planning, I've come up with a menu that's going to be local and delicious. Here's what I'll be making:

• Herb roasted turkey with homemade pan gravy
• Chestnut stuffing
• Mashed potatoes
• Sweet potato puree with struesel topping
• Baked corn
• Sauteed green beans
• Country white rolls
• Chocolate pecan pie
• Pumpkin pie
• Mulled white wine

Phew. Luckily I'll have lots of hands on deck for the prep work. I did have to make some non-local purchases to make everything come together. I bought sticks of butter, since the butter from Jackson Dairy is salted, and I need unsalted for the pie. I also picked up an onion, since my storage onions sprouted, and some shallots since my sisters rely on my shallot pan gravy every year.

The rolls and pumpkin pie are from Great Harvest - bless them for being such fabulous bakers.

I'll try to post some recipes later. Does anyone else have any delicious local Thanksgiving ideas to contribute?

FYI: My laptop died this week and my camera is broken. Makes blogging a real pain.

Word up, locavores

How about that? Oxford American Dictionary has chosen its Word of the Year. In a move that is the epitome of lazy blogging, I'm just going to share Mike Nizza's New York Times blog entry on the topic:

November 13, 2007, 9:04 am
Oxford’s Word of the Year, and Runners-Up
By Mike Nizza

Not everyone has joined the local food movement, but it has won over Google’s cafeteria, Barbara Kingsolver’s kitchen, writers at The New York Times, and now, leading wordsmiths at the Oxford American Dictionary, who are adding their lexicographic seal of approval:

The 2007 Word of the Year is (drum-roll please) locavore.

The past year saw the popularization of a trend in using locally grown ingredients, taking advantage of seasonally available foodstuffs that can be bought and prepared without the need for extra preservatives.

The movement has been building for years, from Chef Alice Waters’s pioneering work in the 1970’s to the opening of a Whole Foods grocery store in the middle of Manhattan. But the word locavore was coined only two years ago in San Francisco.

Falling just short of the top prize was the crucial word in a catchphrase for the ages, born at an appearance by Senator John Kerry at the University of Florida in September. In mid-scuffle with security guards, Andrew Meyer blurted out a verb formed from the brand name for an electric stun gun, and the dictionary authorities approve:

tase (or taze): to stun with a Taser

Other runners-up have also made prominent appearances in The Times, including colony collapse disorder, cougar (redefined), MRAP vehicle and bacn.

There are several more listed on Oxford’s blog. And if your appetite for new words and word uses is still unsated, the Dictionary Evangelist is kind enough to name some runners-up to the runners-up.

Saturday shopping

We got down to the Farmers' Market late again today and as a consequence, didn't get any eggs. Plus, Bill sold my by-request Ricotta to a smooth talking lady named Cathy. Thanks alot Cathy - no lasagna for me this week. Well, at least until Wednesday.

We did however, pick up our Thanksgiving turkey. If you live in Wilmington and didn't get a chance to pre-order your turkey from Grassy Ridge about 4 months ago, then I'm sorry for you, because it's too late. I'll try to remember to remind you next year. But I did see that you can pick up a full Thanksgiving meal from WalMart for $37.77. Just kidding - please don't do that.

Our turkey weighs in at about 10 lbs. and cost only $27.00, which I think is a bargain, considering the amount of time and effort that Marie Wallace and her family put forth to raise each bird. This is the first year that we will know exactly where our turkey came from, and it helps me to be truly thankful for the sacrifice of labor and life that will make our dinner complete.

Cold days a'comin

Hey, if you live in New Hanover County, heads up. The previous Frost Warning for this evening has been upgraded to a Freeze Warning. Which has me rethinking my "I love Fall" stance. I think what I actually meant to say was this: I love September, October and so far, the first 6 days of November.

I hate cold weather.

Sunday at the farm

Hi there. I've been totally slack at posting this week and I'm sorry. Now that that's out of the way, let me tell you about a fun little trip that Sal and I took today. We've been meaning to go up to Nature's Way Farm and Seafood for awhile, and today was the perfect opportunity. The weather was gorgeous, and we had finished all of our housework (raking pine needles for Sal; making pickled okra and apple butter for me), so we headed up to Hampstead for a tour of Nature's Way.
It was easy enough to find - Bill gave us good directions on Saturday. Take Sloop Point right off of Market Street/17 and then follow the signs. We were greeted with bounding enthusiasm from the family dog, and found Bill and Tina in the back by the sheep. Although I chat with Bill at least twice a week, I have never met Tina, so I was happy to finally shake hands with the woman behind Nature Way's delicious cheese. We spent some time talking while petting the sheep, then moved on to their large vegetable garden. Tina's jalapeno plants put mine to shame, and her still-producing tomato plants towered over Sal. Her secret - don't water anything. Seriously, it absolutely makes sense when you think about - survival of the fittest. She waters once when planting (she grows her veggies from seed) and then mulches with about a foot of hay. That's it - it's up to nature after that, and the results were amazing even in this draught. Tina and Bill were kind enough to let Sal pick his heart out in the pepper section. Let's just say he'll be stocked up for awhile.
But I digress. The crowning jewels of the Farm are the milk producing goats, and they are some lovely girls. They're so well cared for that Tina will sometimes put sweaters on them in the cold of winter so they don't get too chilly. Now that's love! Tina's cheesemaking room where she processes their milk is tiny, but efficient. We spent some time looking it over, and learned about the various processes for soft and harder cheeses. Finally, we checked out the storefront, Bill's walk-in seafood cooler and last, but not least - the billy goats. Those guys have some great beards!
By the time we left, I had a much better understanding for the cheesemaking process, plus a deeper appreciation for the time intensive nature of farming. We had a great time and plan on going back when the kids are born in February, if not before. Unfortunately, I have no photos to show for our day because I lent my camera to my sister this week... so, you'll just have to go visit for yourself!