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A fire in the fireplace, soup simmering on the stove and a steady, gray drizzle outside my window — it’s late winter in the Umpqua Valley. Not much in the way of fresh, local produce available now. The fruit stands are deserted and the opening of the Umpqua Valley Farmers Market in mid-April seems a long way off. How does one “eat local” during the leanest months of the year? By stocking up all through the seasons of plenty!
We are blessed to live in a beautiful area with a tremendous variety of locally grown and produced food. Commercial farms, backyard gardens, u-pick orchards, ranches, land for hunting and rivers for fishing offer an astounding array of edible delights. Throughout the spring, summer and fall we have opportunities to grow, harvest and preserve food to savor and sustain us during the winter and early spring. A volunteer network of Master Gardeners and Master Food Preservers with the Oregon State University Extension Service are just waiting to show us how.
I am not a locavore, one who eats only food grown within 50 or 100 miles from home. I admire those who make this commitment, but I personally find it too restrictive. Life without chocolate? Count me out! I am also not willing to forego vanilla, cinnamon, oranges, olive oil or peanut butter, just to name a few items not grown locally. My food philosophy is not one of limitation; it’s about making the most of the incredible variety right here in Douglas County, using local products as the backbone of our diet and supplementing with non-local items as needed or desired.
So what will I be feeding my family for the next few months?
Venison from the freezer, along with tomatoes canned in September and dried basil, oregano and thyme from my herb garden will be turned into spaghetti sauce, chili, tacos, soups and stews.
Berries and fruit picked and frozen during the summer — Marionberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peach slices, and Concord grape juice — will be blended into smoothies for breakfast, cooked into jams and syrups, and baked into pies, cobblers, tarts, and crisps.
Bing cherries, pitted and dried in July, make an addictive snack through the winter. So do dried strawberries and dried nectarines.
The local apples have all been eaten, but quart jars of applesauce and apple pie filling line the pantry shelves.
Gallon bags of shelled walnuts from Cleveland Rapids Orchards and from Madeline Oldfield at the farmers market are ready to be chopped and sprinkled atop morning cereal, stirred into cookie dough, toasted and tossed into salads or just eaten by the handful.
Dried tomatoes from the garden will be rehydrated for tomato paste. Roasted “candied” tomatoes packed in olive oil and frozen will be added to green salads and used to top bruschetta for a taste of summer sunshine.
Basil pesto in the freezer begs to be spooned over homemade pasta. Frozen pats of basil butter will be slathered on steamed vegetables or salmon and make a beautiful green spiral filling in semolina bread.
A box of russet potatoes from Malin is stored for baking, boiling, mashing and kneading into whole wheat potato bread.
Five-gallon buckets of Oregon-grown soft white wheat berries will be ground into flour for whole wheat pancakes, waffles, muffins, cookies and brownies.
Local eggs are bought from a friend. Milk, cottage cheese, buttermilk, cream and butter from our local dairy will round things out quite nicely.
You will still find me at the grocery store buying Cheerios and Bran Flakes, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, citrus fruits and vegetables from California, bananas, peanut butter, dried beans, organic chicken and the like. But you won’t find me buying grapes from Chile, green beans from Mexico, asparagus from Peru, avocados from Ecuador or apples from New Zealand.
By planning ahead, eating local all through the year is not only possible, it’s quite a treat. It’s not about perfection! Just Think Local First!
<i>Jennifer Coalwell is a local food enthusiast who has been harvesting, gathering, preserving, baking and eating in Douglas County for 26 years. Her food blog, http://flavorsoftheumpqua.blogspot.com, celebrates the bounty of the Umpqua Valley with recipes, tips, sources, photos and local food news.</i>
We are blessed to live in a beautiful area with a tremendous variety of locally grown and produced food. Commercial farms, backyard gardens, u-pick orchards, ranches, land for hunting and rivers for fishing offer an astounding array of edible delights. Throughout the spring, summer and fall we have opportunities to grow, harvest and preserve food to savor and sustain us during the winter and early spring. A volunteer network of Master Gardeners and Master Food Preservers with the Oregon State University Extension Service are just waiting to show us how.
I am not a locavore, one who eats only food grown within 50 or 100 miles from home. I admire those who make this commitment, but I personally find it too restrictive. Life without chocolate? Count me out! I am also not willing to forego vanilla, cinnamon, oranges, olive oil or peanut butter, just to name a few items not grown locally. My food philosophy is not one of limitation; it’s about making the most of the incredible variety right here in Douglas County, using local products as the backbone of our diet and supplementing with non-local items as needed or desired.
So what will I be feeding my family for the next few months?
Venison from the freezer, along with tomatoes canned in September and dried basil, oregano and thyme from my herb garden will be turned into spaghetti sauce, chili, tacos, soups and stews.
Berries and fruit picked and frozen during the summer — Marionberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peach slices, and Concord grape juice — will be blended into smoothies for breakfast, cooked into jams and syrups, and baked into pies, cobblers, tarts, and crisps.
Bing cherries, pitted and dried in July, make an addictive snack through the winter. So do dried strawberries and dried nectarines.
The local apples have all been eaten, but quart jars of applesauce and apple pie filling line the pantry shelves.
Gallon bags of shelled walnuts from Cleveland Rapids Orchards and from Madeline Oldfield at the farmers market are ready to be chopped and sprinkled atop morning cereal, stirred into cookie dough, toasted and tossed into salads or just eaten by the handful.
Dried tomatoes from the garden will be rehydrated for tomato paste. Roasted “candied” tomatoes packed in olive oil and frozen will be added to green salads and used to top bruschetta for a taste of summer sunshine.
Basil pesto in the freezer begs to be spooned over homemade pasta. Frozen pats of basil butter will be slathered on steamed vegetables or salmon and make a beautiful green spiral filling in semolina bread.
A box of russet potatoes from Malin is stored for baking, boiling, mashing and kneading into whole wheat potato bread.
Five-gallon buckets of Oregon-grown soft white wheat berries will be ground into flour for whole wheat pancakes, waffles, muffins, cookies and brownies.
Local eggs are bought from a friend. Milk, cottage cheese, buttermilk, cream and butter from our local dairy will round things out quite nicely.
You will still find me at the grocery store buying Cheerios and Bran Flakes, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, citrus fruits and vegetables from California, bananas, peanut butter, dried beans, organic chicken and the like. But you won’t find me buying grapes from Chile, green beans from Mexico, asparagus from Peru, avocados from Ecuador or apples from New Zealand.
By planning ahead, eating local all through the year is not only possible, it’s quite a treat. It’s not about perfection! Just Think Local First!
<i>Jennifer Coalwell is a local food enthusiast who has been harvesting, gathering, preserving, baking and eating in Douglas County for 26 years. Her food blog, http://flavorsoftheumpqua.blogspot.com, celebrates the bounty of the Umpqua Valley with recipes, tips, sources, photos and local food news.</i>
