Kentucky Proud Restaurants! :)

I'm ready to pack up my guitar and move to Berea, my friends. Berea embodies all that I hope to have in Williamsburg someday-- community events, culture, sustainable practices, and LOCAL restaurant cuisine!

When I started this challenge, I had just accepted that I wouldn't be eating in a restaurant for 30 days. Until I read about the Boone Tavern in Berea. At first I was suspicious--sure, they say they use local products...but does that just mean tomatoes? Or tomatoes and corn? Or all veggies but not meat?

How's a girl to know what's really local?

I figured its worth a shot, plus I really wanted to meet up with my parents somewhere for the holiday...so I packed my back-up lunch of homecooked local food and went on my way.

The restaurant is a pure eco-friendly, locavore heaven! I grilled the wait staff on where the veggies came from, where the beef came from, where the chicken--all of it! So here's the lowdown:

All produce and fruit that can possibly grow in our area is local--except the asparagus.
The chicken is not local, but the beef and pork is.

And for your coffee drinkers? The coffee is as local as it can possibly get--its fair trade, organic, and shipped to Kentucky while the seeds are still green, and roasted Kentucky Proud especially for Boone Tavern.

I decided to go with the wedge salad:

...and it was fantastic. Doubly so because I didn't have to prepare it myself! :)

My adventure in looking for local restaurants turned up these places:

Lexington:

http://www.doodlesrestaurant.com/ -can't wait to try here!

http://stellaskentuckydeli.com/ - non-locavores rave about this place, but its closed on weekends so I haven't been there yet :(

http://www.goodfoods.coop/ - this is also a co-op market--can't wait to visit there!

Berea:

http://www.boonetavernhotel.com/

http://www.blackfeathercafe.com/

London:

...I've been told that "Reva's" uses local products, but I haven't been able to find anything online that says so...here's their address anyways:

http://www.menupix.com/kentucky/restaurants/1706189/Revas-Breakfast-and-Lunch-Co-London-KY

...and since I'll be in Cincinnati this weekend, here's my source for Cincinnati locavore info:

http://cincinnatilocavore.blogspot.com/

As I find more info, I'll letcha know! :)

~Mel

The human side of food

I've been thinking quite a bit about the why of taking the locavore route, at least as it relates to me...

The primary motivator for me personally in joining this adventure has not necessarily been a reduced carbon footprint or healthier/tastier vegetables (although these are important). For me, it’s more about standing face-to-face with the people who have grown (or prepared) my food, to honor the memory of my grandparents’ garden and food cellar, to sink my teeth into a meal with human – not robot – fingerprints all over it.

On or around Day 2 for me in this experiment, I remembered John Steinbeck’s comments on the super-sanitized American food system in Travels with Charley: In Search of America. I drove down to the county library, checked it out and found the passage I was looking for:

Everything that can be captured and held down is sealed in clear plastic. The food is oven-fresh, spotless and tasteless; untouched by human hands. I remembered with an ache certain dishes in France and Italy touched by innumerable human hands.

In another, he recalls sharing tea with an elderly man in North Africa:

He gave me mint tea in a glass so coated with use that it was opaque, but he handed me companionship, and the tea was wonderful because of it.

More often than not, the food I eat has spent more time on a conveyor belt or an Interstate highway than on someone's kitchen counter, and I'd like that to change.

So, by all means, touch my food.

Locavores get high-tech!

Hey fellow locavores,

Check out this iPhone app. It uses your iPhone GPS to spot where you are, and tell you what's in season...also gives a list of Farmers' Markets in your area!

I am downloading right now, so I can't tell ya if its awesome or not...but I figured its worth a try. :-D I'll keep you updated.

~Mel

Taking stock

I’m jumping on the bandwagon a tad late, my first day in the challenge being July 1, but it went well, even if a little sandwich-heavier than I’d planned. (I intended to make a big pot of soup for Day 1’s supper, the leftovers of which would carry me through multiple days, but I got home later than expected.)

I’ve taken an inventory of what local fare I currently have within my grasp.

In terms of home-canned foods:
· 30 quarts of green beans
· 10 pints of salsa
· 4 pints of zucchini relish
· 2 quarts of tomato juice

What’s frozen:
· Zucchini, yellow squash, winter squash, tomatoes, tomato juice, corn, bell peppers, banana peppers, miscellaneous greens, blueberries

What’s available in my garden now:
· Carrots
· Cabbage
· Cherry tomatoes
· Green tomatoes
· Red and white onions
· Garlic
· Bell and banana peppers
· Herbs: sage, cilantro, dill
· Blackberries

And, in the kindness-from-neighbors department:
· Some ground beef given to us by a neighbor. (Just a few months back, that steer was grazing right here on my holler.)
· Grape jam we made from a washtub full of Concords a neighbor gave us last year
· A bag of local pecans gathered by a co-worker. (These will be for mid-afternoon snacking.)
· Two nice heirloom tomatoes – a Cherokee purple and a Rutgers – that a friend handed me last night
· Mint from a co-worker that’s thriving in my garden
· An assortment of herb butters made by a local Master Gardener
· Strawberry freezer jam – no, wait…I already et that last week.

What I’ve bought so far:
· A loaf of Bluegrass Bakery sourdough
· Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese (Asiago)
· A ziplock bag of cornmeal from the Harrogate, TN farmers’ market

Okay, soup tonight.

Day 4- YAY tea!

After grillin' up a hamburger in "Kentuckyaki" sauce for lunch, it was time to go grocery shopping---so off to Berea, to check out their market!

Which brings us to the absolute highlight of my day: I found local tea, thanks to Salamander Springs Farm! Not only did they have loads of onions, garlic, and wonderful blackberries...but they had tea! And a girl working at the booth told all about how to make my own yogurt...so that's definitely gonna happen soon. :) Thanks, Salamander Springs! (Did I mention they had tea!??)


While at the Berea Farmers' Market, I also stocked up on raspberries and blueberries. Now, we all know that we shouldn't shop while hungry...but I totally broke that rule, so half the raspberries were gone before I even left the market! They were so good though, and I've never been so happy to have a big ol' raspberry.

After Farmers' Market, I rolled on down to Happy Meadows and bought a loaf of bread and cheddar cheese, which made quite possibly the best cheddar cheese sandwich dinner I've ever had (or maybe I was just really, really hungry!). I also got a jar of cream from a local dairy, because I didn't do so well at rationing my butter to last an entire week. Unfortunately, the cream met its demise on the sidewalk outside of the house, rather than actually making it through the door. So much for having cream 'n berries for dessert! Ah, well--getting more milk tomorrow, so I can manage a day without butter! ;)

Tomorrow and Friday will be tricky for me, because I'm traveling for meetings both days. On Friday, I'll be out of town for lunch and dinner...I'm a bit nervous about that one!

~Mel

Local Food Finder

This post is in response to a few followers who were interested in where we are finding local foods in the area.....

Where to shop?!

Weingerberger Mill, Midway Ky – Offers cornmeal, grits, pizza dough for sale.

Hillside Bakery, Knoxville - They offer fresh breads such as Cranberry Pecan, Kalamata Olive, Multi-grain, 
Oatmeal and Raisin Oatmeal, 100% Whole Wheat, Multi-grain
Pumpkin Harvest, Raisin Walnut
Rustic and Rye Rustic and granola….all of course seasonal.

Meats

C & P Quality Meats, Canadatown Ky (outside of Williamsburg on 25W) They have a variety of meats for purchase (Beef, Pork, Lamb, Goat). You can custom order and have your meat aged even. ( 606-549-1151 )

Eat Wild Kentucky - Beef

Local Farmer’s Markets

Whitley County FMkt - Offers Blueberries, Farm Fresh Eggs, Tomatoes, Green Beans, Corn, Squash Zucchini, Onions, Rhubarb, Honey, Jams and Cedar Grilling Planks.

London FMkt (haven't visited yet but plan to soon!)

Berea Fmkt - Great little FMkt! Several varieties of mushrooms, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, garlic, and then the usual veggies. Salamander Springs Farm was also set-up here and they provide a wide range of special produce (like tea)!

Knoxville Fmkt - All varieties of meat, vegetable heirloom varieties, Hillside Bakery, the best Bacon, Chive and Swiss Biscuit I have ever had!

Lexington Fmkt - Whole Chicken

Dairy

According to Kentucky Legislature, selling raw milk (unpasteurized milk) is illegal. Though I am aware of a few farmers who have dairy cattle and dairy goats that are willing to sell you a share of the cow/goat for fresh milk. Tennessee laws are a little bit more relaxed.

Out of fresh milk I make butter, buttermilk, mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese and yogurt for my own dietary needs. If your doctor prescribes that you need that particular bacteria in your system.

Happy Meadows Natural Foods, Berea Ky -Offers local milk, buttermilk, cream, Kenny’s cheese and Fresh Baked bread….which is quite yummy!

Happy Shopping! - k

Day 3-Sugar Withdrawal!

So breakfast was great. Thanks to my chicken Helen Keller, I had a loverly egg on toast:

Lunch was fabulous too. A salad made from cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta cheese, and a porkchop!

Then.....the clock struck 5pm. All I could think about was sweets. Of some kind...any kind! Suddenly, every commercial on TV was of some sort of processed, fried, sweet, wonderful looking food...oh, I was craving it!

So I reminded myself that I already had my celebratory "Last Coke" on Friday Night, and I was probably just craving caffeine:

...and went for the honey on bread. And ya know what? I felt better afterwards! I was sure that the honey would be a sad, hollow replacement for a Twix...but after eating it, my sweet tooth was quite happy.

So far, I feel like I get downright ravenous around breakfast/lunch/dinner! I think its because I'm not snacking between meals like usual. So I'd say that's actually a good sign--I realize now how often I eat high calorie, high processed "filler" foods just because I'm hungry. Who knew eating local could be so enlightening? :)

~Mel