Sustainable

sus·tain·able

Pronunciation: \sə-ˈstā-nə-bəl\

Function: adjective

Date: circa 1727

1 : capable of being sustained
2 a : of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged b : of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods

There are two new widgets on the sidebars of this blog.
Local Harvest and The Eat Well Guide.

Local Harvest is the resource I used to find the CSA (community supported agriculture) membership farm that we got weekly veggie baskets from for 2 years. A CSA is essentially a group of investors that each get a share of the profit on a weekly basis. Our weekly "share" was a basket of whatever was growing on the organic farm at the time from April through the end of October. It is because of that experience that I know how to make a fantastic cream based soup with Italian Sausage and fresh Kale. I also now know how to tell the difference between elephant head garlic and leeks. (I learned the hard way.) Enter your location to find all of your local farmers and businesses with fresh food opportunities for you. Click on the logo and it will take you to their website for even more in depth information. I like it because you can see just how many farms there are all over the country that provide products for public consumption. It's a truly beautiful map.

The other widget is for The Eat Well Guide. The Eat Well Guide is a project of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. The politics of food is a fascinating subject; everything from Free Trade to Corporate Farming Oversight; but The Eat Well Guide is a resource for finding organic food that is grown using sustainable practices.  You can use their widget to search using keywords, zip codes, or cities, but the best function of all is the trip planner.

The Eat Well Guide can be used when you are planning a road trip. Identify your starting point and your destination and the search engine will create a trip planner with all of the local sustainable food options in between. The next time I drive home to Iowa I will definitely be stopping at the Creekside Outpost in New Albany, Indiana! (home made beef jerky and a juice bar, Sweet!) I've got road trips in my blood and I will definitely be using this.

These 2 widgets are here to help you find the best, freshest food possible from your neighbors. By spending your money on them you will be supporting your community, not Walmart Corporate.

You can also take advantage of your farmers markets. In many towns across the United States the farmers markets are open year round with products produced locally.

Statistics show that for every $100 spent locally at locally run businesses $68 of those dollars comes back to your community. You cannot say the same for money spent at the big box stores, and if you purchase products online; your community will never see a dime.

Expand your food experiences and look at your own home town. There are some amazing products out there that you probably don't even know about. So when you find them, tell everyone!

Ash Wednesday

Today is the first day of the Lenten season and I am thinking about my absolute favorite thing about Lent.

Friday Night Fish Fry's at Saint Al's.

The line sometimes wound out onto the sidewalk as people waited their turn. You would go up the stairs and into the school, then down the stairs into the basement cafeteria. At the bottom you were met by a police officer who would check your id and then hand you are plastic cup of beer poured from a keg at his feet. Next, a parishioner at a card table took your $5 and then you stayed in line and followed the wall around the room until you came to the kitchen area.

Leaning against the wall with your beer was a great time to view the room, find your friends and catch up with your neighbors.

In the kitchen you got your choice of batter fried fish (usually cod) or grilled cheese sandwiches. They also served french fries and baked potatoes that were piping hot from the giant school sized oven. You took your plates of hot food out into the cafeteria and found a seat. Usually by someone scrunching over and letting you in. The place was always packed.

Centrally located was a salad bar with cole slaw, various other cold sides and desserts.

Saint Al's had Fish Fry's every Friday night throughout Lent. Friends and family and neighbors came; Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Just another food memory of my childhood... Nourishing the body and feeding the soul.

Here's a healthier version of the french fries they served at Saint Al's. They will go great with your fish:

Baked Sweet Potato French Fries

4 medium Sweet Potatoes

1 Teaspoon salt

2 Teaspoons cracked Black Pepper

1 1/2 Tablespoons Rosemary

2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

Parmesan Cheese to taste

Cut potatoes into long fries - the thickness should be to your own preference. Toss the fries in oil and then season with salt, pepper and rosemary.

Put the fries on a crinkled layer of foil on top of a cookie sheet. Bake the fries in a 450 degree oven for 35 minutes or to a desired crispiness. Thicker fries may take longer to cook than thinner ones.

Serve your fries with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.