Dark Days of Winter Challenge

by Expat Chef

Laura at Urban Hennery is proposing to all of us locavores a challenge to keep eating local even in the winter ahead. For those of us who put up a few things for the months ahead during the September challenge, this will be an excellent way to show off your canning and preservation skill and the results. The challenge is basically to continue to create one meal a week using mostly local ingredients until end of year. Please go check out the link and let her know if you are interested in participating.

The challenge brings to light a fear of every locavore who is as addicted to local foods as so many of us become. There is a point in February where I become antagonistic toward cooking because I can't get my local ingredients. Thus, the challenge will be a welcome diversion. It's should also be an empowering experience, knowing that if you can source a local meal in the dark of winter, you have become an accomplished locavore.

Winter has always presented a bit of a challenge to me in past years. I hope we fare a bit better this year now that we have purchased the ginormous freezer and it will be stocked with local meats, grains and vegetables. I also have a stockpile of winter squash so large it is nearly embarrassing. Many of these varieties can last up to 100 days if stored in a cool, dry place. Sweet potatoes also store well for quite a while.

I might be up to this challenge. While quantities dip, you can still source eggs, milk and cheese during the winter. If nothing else, we can manage an omelette and some pancakes with local honey for a meal!

Comments

[Leda]

I'm definitely planning to continue my local eating this winter, and have been engaging in a bit of a food preservation frenzy in preparation! There are farmers markets here that are open even when there is snow on the ground, but with limited offerings then (apples, winter squash, some root vegetables, meat, cheese), so I'm counting on the vegetables I'm putting up now to supplement what I can get there. The challenge for me is storage space, because I live in a tiny one bedroom apt.
Leda's Urban Homestead
http://ledameredith.net/wordpress

[Aimeé]

I'm going to try to stay local. My bff bought me a Nebraska Food Cooperative membership for my birthday, so I'll have eggs and meat all winter... I'm a little concerned about the produce... Next spring we are joining a CSA and between the farmer's markets and that, I plan to can, freeze, and preserve - this won't happen two winters in a row!

[Rebekka]

I'm scared it's too late now to can, preserve, and freeze everything I would have liked to for winter, but I want to try to stay as local as possible! It would be really cool to get a forum going of dead-of-winter meal ideas.

[Jerry]

We have been stocking up on winter squash and would like to know if you can cook and freeze some of the varieties such as Delicata.

[Shibaguyz]

Hey all! We're definitely up for the Dark Days Eat Local Challenge. Check out the Shibaguyz blog and see what we've been up to preparing for the dark days of our Pacific Northwest Winter.

We've been stockpiling squash and canning EVERYTHING we can get our hands on. We'll be sure to post our recipes and tips more often now to help anyone interested in keeping it local this winter. It's really not that hard!!

As always, feel free to drop us a line and ask any questions you might have and we'll do our best to help out when we can.

Gotta scoot for now... caning about a hundred pounds of tomatoes today... no really...

talk to you soon...
S&J
(the Shibaguyz)