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Hours: 7 days a week 9am–8pm
Phone: 454-8579 Website: www.plainfieldCoop.com
Email: [email protected]
The Plainfield Co-opFall 2015
Co-op erating with Nature
Management Collective Chloe Budnick
Dawn FancherDorothy WallaceJeannine DeWaldJessi RobinsonKaren StarrKathleen Hayes
Margie YoderMike Peabody
Nancy Ellen
Regular StaffAnji MurphyJezebel CrowJonna WissertKristin BroskyMatt Borg
SubstitutesRosamond WallstromRose Roetker
Co-op Board MembersGail Falk, President 802-777-0528Bob Fancher, Treasurer 860-993-4595
[email protected] Scott Harris, [email protected] Gainza, [email protected] Chickering, 223-0762,
[email protected] Haas Moskowitz 454-1273
Committee ContactsBuilding: Allen Banbury,
[email protected]: Glenda Bissex,
[email protected] Committee: Bob Fancher,
Joseph Gainza, Scott Harris, Mike [email protected]
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Newsletter AdvertisingSpecifications
Copy Deadlines:November 5 for the Winter Issue
Send check made out to Plainfield Co-op when your copy is submittedAd copy and payment should be submitted to:
Lorraine Checchi, Ad CoordinatorP.O. Box 347Plainfield VT 05667
Electronic graphics files preferred, but weare able to work with any clear copy.
Questions: 802-476-0526 or [email protected]
Katuah Retreat
We usuallythink of coop-eration in termsof human beingsworking togetheras partners, as inour Co-op. Amost importantpartner for our co-op is Nature, with-
out whom we would have no food. Wecare about the kind of relationship ourgrowers have with Nature. Cooperatingwith Nature is very different fromexploiting and abusing Nature, asindustrial agriculture does. From theprinciples formulated by our Board tothe decisions made by staff buyers, ourCo-op strives to support small, local,often organic farmers and producerswho cooperate with Nature. When youshop at the Co-op, you are cooperatingwith Nature, too.
Thanks to local artist Jerrie Nash, whois also cooperating with Nature. for
most of the drawings throughout thisnewsletter.
We welcome Lorraine Checchi toPlainfield, to our Co-op, and to theNewsletter Committee.
Please send us your contributions—articles, letters, photos or drawings, Co-op anecdotes (historical or current).Send to newsletter editor GlendaBissex: [email protected].
The Newsletter Committee:
Glenda Bissex, co-ordinator
Sarah Albert, design and layout (sarah @vtlink.net)
Joseph Gainza, board liaison and editing([email protected])
Lorraine Checchi, distribution andadvertising ([email protected])
Karen Starr, staff liaison and writer([email protected])
Debra Stoleroff, recipes and editing([email protected]) w
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About This Newsletter
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Providing organic produceto the community since 1987
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Local Food Economies Can Feed Usby Karen Starr
Local is such a catch word these daysit’s hard to know just what it means or ifit has any real value. It’s been adoptedby various characters including farmers,hipsters, retail outlets, permaculturalists,and those “damn hippies.” So what’s thedeal? What’s all the fuss about localfood and local economies? Shouldn’t webe learning to get along globally thesedays? Let’s take a closer look at some ofthe issues that I think converge to makegoing local crucial for survival of com-munities in the coming decades.
Many of you may not know, but part ofthe Plainfield Food Co-op’s mission is tosupport local growers and producerswhenever possible. So what is local?Actually there is no one answer to thatquestion, which is one of the great thingsabout it. One of the most harmful aspectsof the food industry is that it has dis-tanced us from where our food comesfrom. Most of us don’t spend much timewondering about what went into bringingour food to the table. This disconnect iswhat allows fracking water to be used toirrigate vegetable crops in California, thedraining of river watersheds, destructionof animal species, and the abuse of farmanimals as well as farm workers.
Moving to a model of food productionbased in local communities andeconomies brings us back to the respon-sibilities we have to each other and thenatural world. It provides us with oppor-tunities to consider what ethical foodproduction looks like. This includes con-templating questions such as what arefair wages for farm workers and fairprices for farmers. What are humanemethods and standards for raising andslaughtering livestock? What farmingand distribution methods impact the nat-ural world the least (or actually supportnatural ecosystems) while delivering asufficient yield to feed people? And thenthere’s the issue of near and far. Shouldwe just look at miles or watershed, stateor region? These are questions each of usmust consider and answer for ourselves,but I believe we must, as communities,move towards local food production.Does this mean that Vermonters willnever again taste an orange or eat apineapple? Will we have to give up ourmorning coffee? Not necessarily. Therehas always been trade between regionsand even continents. But it does meanthat we will depend more on what we
continued on next page
Credit: mindy Berg
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grow ourselves, eat more seasonally, andeat exotic foods less often. It also meansrediscovering and experimenting withnew crops and methods to grow them inour challenging northern climate.
In an age of global warming and cli-mate change, we simply can’t affordthe carbon and ecological footprints ofour current methods of food productionand distribution. Though we don’t oftenthink about it, most of us in the USconsume enormous quantities of petro-leum with every mouthful. Industrialfarming relies on petroleum based fer-tilizers, pesticides, and herbicides; andmechanized planting and harvest. Notethat every one of these products andmethods has dire consequences thatcascade through entire ecosystems.Then there’s the average journey fromfarm to table in the US: 1,500 miles.That’s a lot of greenhouse gas!! Plasticpackaging, petroleum based in mostinstances, contributes further to thefootprint. All in all, the US food indus-try uses roughly 10 fossil fuel caloriesfor every calorie of food consumed.That’s just not sustainable.
The clear cutting of hundreds of mil-lions of acres of forestland to increasegrazing lands for cattle and Concen -trated Animal Feeding Operations fur-ther accelerates climate change. Forinstance, embedded in each SouthAmerican burger is the destruction of55 square feet of forest. Along the way
from farm to plate some estimate asmuch as 40% of the food produced isspoiled or wasted. Clearly we need amore efficient, more respectful way offeeding ourselves. So what might alocal food system look like? I encour-age you to consider that for yourself,but here is my vision.
First it needs to be organic. Not USDAcertified organic, but organic, ecologicalfarming that tends the land and the lifeon it as well as feeding us. Maybe therewill be third party inspection systemswhere experienced farmers will verifygood stewardship. But at any rate, thefarms will be close enough for me toknow significantly more about how myfood is grown and raised. There will befarm and garden incubator projects in thecommunity. There will be an integratedfarm landscape that includes perennialcrops, silviculture, wildlife corridors, andtraditional farm crops and livestock.People will have access to land to gardenand farm and children will learn in ourschools and from elders how to feedthemselves and their neighbors. Therewill be periodic meetings to discusscommunity food needs and plan how tomeet them. No one will go hungry.
Animals will be raised and slaughteredhumanely, with respect and compassionrecognizing that they are entitled to con-ditions that allow for the most completeexpression of their natural instincts.There will be sufficient slaughtering
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”While the existing world order proves powerless to assume its responsibilities, localindividuals and groups [such as cooperatives] can make a real difference. They areable to instill a greater sense of responsibility, a strong sense of community, a readi-ness to protect others, a spirit of creativity and a deep love for the land. They are alsoconcerned about what they will eventually leave to their children and grandchildren.”
– from pope Francis's Encyclical on climate change
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It’s autumn and we had an amazing apple season withbumper crop of fruit. Now it’s time to make applesauce,dried apples, apple jelly, apple pie and even soups withapples. But…which apples are best for which recipe?Use this chart to help you sort your apples.
Barney’s Flakey Pie Crust Barney Carlson lives at the New Hamburger and is famous for his pies. Nomatter what the filling, his crusts are always flavorful and flakey. So, I asked himfor his recipe. The recipe is a pretty typical pie crust recipe. Barney says thesecret is in the handling of the dough. He says it is important not to over handlethe dough. Yield: 2 crusts (enough for 1 pie)
Ingredients:11⁄2 cups of flour (Barney uses whole wheat pastry flour or King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat)1⁄2 cup (1 stick) butter1⁄4 cup (approximately) ice water—use as needed
Cut butter into flour and “smoosh” with hands until the butter is mostly mixed in. Add water and mix LIGHTLY by hand (until the dough just barely comestogether) to a roll-able consistency . Roll the dough from the center to the edge. Roll as thin as possible.
Apples to Applesby Debra Stoleroff
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Hungarian Apple Soup (gluten-free)This savory apple soup for two gets body from potatoes and a touch of heat frompaprika. Float cocktail prawns or crabmeat in each bowl to make it a main course.
Ingredients (serves 2)2 tsp olive oil1 medium tart apple, peeled & finely chopped¾ cup diced peeled potato1⁄3 cup finely chopped onion¼ cup thinly sliced celery, plus leaves
for garnish
Directions: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add apple,potato, onion and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, aboutfive minutes. Stir in salt, sage, paprika and pepper; cook for 30 seconds. Pour instock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover, and gently simmer until thepotato is tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes.Transfer the soup to a large blender or food processor, add sour cream andprocess until smooth. Garnish with celery leaves, if desired.
Quick Tip: To make eight soup croutons: Slice one-fourth of a whole-grainbaguette into eight slices two-cm thick. Melt one tablespoon of butter; lightlybrush on both sides of each slice. Place the slices on a baking sheet. Bake at180°C until the edges are crisp and golden brown, 10 to 20 minutes, keeping aneye on them so they don’t burn.
Cheddar Apple Pie – Vermont Apple Piefrom Pie it Forward by Gesine Bullock-Prado
Ingredients:1⁄2 Quick puff pastry, or Barney's crust
recipe for 1 pie10 tart apples1⁄2 cup VT maple sugar, or brown sugar
Preparation:Cut the dough in half, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap the smaller sectionin plastic wrap and return to fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out thedough to an 11” round. Carefully transfer to a 9” pie plate and press into theplate. Don’t trim the overhang. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the maple sugar, flour, and salt.
Meanwhile, core the apples and dice them into 1⁄2” cubes. Toss in the bowl withthe sugar mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or your hands to coat. Pour theapples into the prepared pie shell. Pile the extras in the center.
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Roll the second piece of dough into a 10 or 11” round.Remember, you have to cover the top with the pile of apples and pinch.Cover the top of the pie and crimp as desired. Slice a hole to vent in the center.
Brush the dough with the eggwash and place pie on a baking sheet.Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until top is golden brown.
4 tbs all purpose flour1⁄2 teasp. salt1⁄2 cup shredded cheddar cheese1 egg beaten with 2 tbs water for eggwash
¼ tsp salt¼ tsp dried sagePinch paprika, preferably hot HungarianFreshly ground pepper to taste13⁄4 cup reduced-salt chicken or veg. stock3 tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
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PlainfieldCoop.com
The Plainfield Co-op has a new website. The website has been completely re-designed with a whole new look and updated information. There are newphotos, new features, new online version of this newsletter and much more.Here are just a few things you will find:
• Learn the advantages of Co-op membership
• Send us your ideas and comments about the Co-op
• View the Community Center calendar
• Get forms to rent the Community Center
• View the newsletters online or download printable versions
• Sign-up to get the newsletter
• Learn about the Co-op’s history and governance
• Meet the Board of Directors and read minutes of their meetings
• And more…
Take a look and let us know what you think. We are always looking for newideas for the site. Email us at [email protected] w
We Have a New Website!
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Cooperatives and the Environment by Joseph Gainza
How are the Global Ends of thePlainfield Co-op beneficial for the envi-ronment? In the policy governancemodel under which the Co-op operates“global ends” are what the rest of theworld calls goals. These goals aim toachieve benefits for the co-op as a busi-ness, for the member/owners, for allshoppers, for the community, local pro-ducers and the regional economy, aswell as for the environment.
The end most explicitly pro-environ-ment says our community will have: “A store that sustains the environmentthrough its operations and through theproducts it offers.” But what does thatmean specifically?
Here, some of the other ends help clar-ify. One says our community will have“An outlet that actively seeks localproducers and growers, which supportsthe local and regional economy.” Bypurchasing from local producers andgrowers we avoid the costs to the envi-ronment of shipping these commoditieshundreds and sometimes thousands ofmiles to the final consumer. We aretold that in the U.S. the average foodcalorie travels nearly 1,500 milesbefore someone consumes it. The enor-mous amount of energy and carbonrelease from this business model isthus avoided when we buy carrotsgrown at Littlewood Farm inPlainfield, our milk from StraffordOrganic Creamery in Strafford, VT, orour eggs from one of many local pro-ducers. Of course, supporting the localeconomy means that other products,
such as furniture, artistic creations,clothing, etc., are made and availableto be consumed locally.
Two other ends: “A market for the dis-tribution of healthy, affordable foodand other goods,” and “More aware-ness of the quality and source of ourfood,” enable shoppers at the Co-op topurchase locally produced organic veg-etables, baked goods, wines, beer, anda host of other commodities, the pro-duction of which do not deplete thesoil or inject toxins into the environ-ment. No insects, birds or amphibiansare poisoned at Cate Farm or any ofthe other organic producers which theCo-op buys from.
The final two ends of our Co-op areless direct in defending the naturalenvironment but have an influence onpeople associated with cooperativesand enable them to become moreaware about how their purchasesexpress their values and have a moraldimension. Those ends: “More aware-ness of cooperative principles and ofother cooperative businesses,” and “Aplace to build the connections that areessential for a vibrant community,”speak to building an alternative econo-my which has more than one “bottomline.” The Plainfield Co-op, like co-opsin general, include as bottom lines ben-efits to its members, customers, andcommunity. Our food co-op includesthe natural world in our community,and seeks to enable humans to prosperin a manner that protects and nurturesall other-than-human members. w
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For years, cooperative groceries haveridden the national wave of growingappreciation for organic, locally grownfood. But recently for-profit stores havecaught on to this growing market, andco-operatives around the country, largeand small, are feeling the pinch.
Earlier this month Kari Bradley, generalmanager of Hunger Mountain Co-op,shared an overview of these nationaltrends with the Board. Natural and organ-ic food sales are now more than $100 bil-lion in the United States, 15 percent ofall retail food sales. The biggest naturalfood stores are all for-profit companies:
Whole Foods $13 billion/yearTrader Joe’s $11 billionSprouts $3 billionall co-ops $2 billion
All cooperative groceries in the USadded together sell less natural andorganic food than the third largest for-profit company.
Besides the stunning growth of for-profitnatural food stores, conventional retail-ers (Shaw’s, Hannaford’s, Walmart, etc.)have plunged into the market and nowaccount for 40% of all natural food salesin the US. In this new market environ-ment, sales growth at cooperativesthroughout the US is declining at thevery same time that the rate of sales ofnatural and organic foods is increasing atan all-time high.
What does this mean for us?
These national trends are affecting thePlainfield Co-op. Our sales are stillgrowing slowly, but not nearly as fast as
they were a couple of years ago. Whenthe rate of sales was growing steadily,we could afford patronage dividends andraises for staff. When sales are steady ordeclining, we have to cut back on costsand staff hours, and may not be able toafford a patronage dividend.
What should the Management
Collective and Board do about it?
As a Board and as a staff, we need torecognize that our community has manychoices about where to buy food. In fact,we know that the typical shopper buysgroceries in at least three different placesa week. We need to do a better job ofletting our neighbors know about thegreat products we sell through bettermarketing. We need to sell the productsour community wants and keep ourprices affordable. We need to be sure theCo-op feels like a welcoming, pleasantplace to shop. Later this year, the Boardand the Management Collective will col-laborate to develop a Strategic Plan forgrowing the Co-op into the store wewant it to be five years from now.
What does this mean for you?
As a member and a customer, you holdthe future of our store. Talk to yourfriends and family about the advantagesof buying food from a cooperative com-munity store instead of a for-profit boxstore. Use the suggestion box to tell uswhat changes or new products youwould like to see. Vote with your feetand with your dollars. Every week youhave the chance to take a stand againstthe for-profit food industry by shoppingat the Co-op. How easy is that? w
President’s Report – August 2015by Gail Falk
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Well it seems summer finally arrivedabout 5 minutes ago. The tomatoes andcorn are basking in that warm sun, butmany of us are sweating a little bit afterthe cool spring. The produce departmentis full of local treasures including theaforementioned items, and the bugs aresomething else. Erica tendered her resig-nation a couple of weeks ago to acceptemployment elsewhere. We wish her allthe best.
Laura’s blooms are very evident as youenter the store these days. They arealways glorious and we are grateful forher attention to our store front and to allthe little spots in town thatbenefit from her gardening.
We now have small cans ofseltzer in the drink cooler, andChloe is researching variousadditional options for food togo. Nancy had Cone HeadIPA in the store for about twohours. That was all it took toclean it out. No, there were noHeady Topper scenes, just asmall amount available andthose who got to taste it foundit quite wonderful. She willtry to get it in again from timeto time. On a sad note, OtterCreek’s Wolaver’s line hasbeen discontinued, there areplenty of others to choosefrom, but some of us willmiss the oatmeal stout espe-cially. Please say hello to MattBorg our newest staff person.
Kathleen has constructed a handcartfrom which to dispense Co-op info andvarious snacks. A bit of getting our-selves out here in the community. Be onthe lookout for the darn thing in theHomecoming Days Parade. We’ll proba-bly make the Board of Directors taketurns with it. They are pretty goodsports.
We will be co-sponsoring a harvest sup-per in appreciation of our local farmersand to benefit the Twin Valley SeniorCenter on Saturday, October 17. Savethe date! w
Management Reportby Karen Starr
Credit: Jerrie Nash
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The results for the first half of 2015 arein and the Co-op is still doing wellfinancially. Sales are 2.8% above 2014sales. The Cost of Goods Sold (COGS),which is how much we pay for theproducts we sell, rose only 1.4% fromthe first half of last year. (These num-bers have not been adjusted for infla-tion.) One thing to note from the num-bers is that Sales rose 2.8% versus theCOGS which rose only 1.4%. That tellsus we are selling more while keepingthe cost of what we sell down. Thanksto the Management Collective andespecially the buyers for finding greatvalues for the products we sell.
Our non-product related expensesincluding wages and building expensesincreased 2.9% over the first sixmonths of 2014.
One of our goals at the Co-op is to payour staff a “Livable Wage.” TheVermont Livable Wage is defined instatute as “the hourly wage required fora full-time worker to pay for one-halfof the basic needs budget for a two-per-son household, with no children, andemployer-assisted health insurance,
averaged for both urban and ruralareas.” This is a goal we are workingtowards for all our staff. All staff mem-bers received a pay increase last yearand another is being considered thisyear. Thanks to the Co-op’s recentgrowth, these increases are not jeopard-izing the financial health of the Co-opin any way. But, even with these raises,we still have not reached our goal of aLivable Wage for all. We will continuetoward this goal as the Co-op continuesto grow. Anyone who has shopped atthe Co-op knows what a tremendousgroup of people we have working there.It is long past time to show our appreci-ation by increasing their wages andnow we can afford to do that.
There are a couple of other numbers toshare with you that illustrate our finan-cial health. The Current Ratio (CurrentAssets divided by Current Liabilities) is2.1. The target is greater than 1.3 andwe are well above the target. This is ameasure of how much available cashwe have versus how much we owenow.
The Debt To Equity Ratio is currently0.3. The target is to be lower than 1.5.This one measures how much we owe(including loans) versus how muchmember equity we have. We are doinggreat on this one, too.
We can all be proud of the growingfinancial strength of the Co-op. Asalways, thanks to all our members andother customers for their continuingsupport. w
Treasurer’s Report by Bob Fancher
Credit: Jerrie Nash
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facilities to ensure that animals do nothave to be trucked long stressful dis-tances. There will be mobile abattoirsthat are equipped to do on farm slaugh-ter. Draft animals will return to the farmand machinery that is used will be smallscale and fuel efficient.
Farming and food production and distri-bution will be a major source of employ-ment in the community, one that pays aliving wage and guarantees farmers afair price for their labor and skill. Therewill be community processing and stor-age facilities and also regional food hubsto help facilitate commerce and tradebetween communities and farther abroadas needed. The farm economy will be amix of businesses, cooperatives, andpeople growing food for themselves andsupplementing from neighboring farms.Our wildlife will return—the bumblebees, mayflies, the moths and all else
that provide life for birds and bats, andin turn for fox and hawk. We will havethe most awesome brews and ciders ofany state in the union and our cheeseswill astound and yet be affordable. Wewill have a local economy based onhuman needs and modest pleasures, aneconomy that leaves no one out.
Crazy you say? No more impossible thancontinuing in the same direction we’reheaded dominated by an unsustainablefood system. All we have to do is take agood long look at what is happening inCalifornia as it struggles to continuefarming in ways that waste billions ofgallons of water a day in the middle of ahistoric drought. With powerful rivers nolonger reaching the Pacific because ofdiversions for irrigation and trout beingtrucked upstream because their spawningstreams no longer exist, how muchlonger do we expect to surviveunscathed? California agriculture feedsthe whole nation and much of Canada.
Local Food, continued from page 5
T
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In coastal villages in Japan the tradi-tional way to dispose of trash was totake it down to the beach at low tide.Trash was a broken basket, spoiledfood, worn-out straw sandals. The nextday the high tide would have washedthe trash out to sea.
In modern times, the villagers still taketheir trash down to the beaches. Nowthe trash is plastic flip-flops, tofu con-tainers and soy sauce packets. It maylater reappear on their beach or some-one else’s. But they take their trashdown to the beach as they and theirancestors have always done.
The problem is the same in our countryand in our state—only less visible.Instead of the tides, trucks haul ourwaste away. Statistics about how manypounds or cubic feet of trash are gener-ated by each of us every year areappalling. But statistics are abstract anddon’t stop me from generating moretrash, more wasted resources.
What stops me are images of floatingislands of empty plastic bottles or deadducks entangled in plastic 6-pack rings.What stops me is looking at the plasticbottle of catsup I’m about to buy,knowing it will be here virtually forev-er. Even so-called “biodegradable”plastic only breaks down into smallerand smaller pieces over time, alwaysremaining plastic, never decomposinginto the elements from which it wasmade, elements that might recombineinto another useful product.
So, as a food shopper, what do I do?
First of all, I have to ask myselfwhether convenience is my highestvalue. Buying milk in glass bottles isless polluting and less wasteful butmore expensive and more trouble. Ihave to wash the bottle and return it—not so onerous. The bottles don’t evenneed to be recycled—that is, brokendown and reprocessed, all of whichtakes energy. They just get washed andre-used, again and again. If I can’tafford the milk in glass bottles, thereare other ways I can reduce waste.
Buying food in bulk is an importantwaste-saving option that our Co-opmakes available to us. Bulk foods areless expensive—sometimes dramatical-ly so—than the same foods pre-pack-aged. For example, a 2 oz. bottle ofvanilla costs $5.99, but 2 oz. of bulkvanilla in your own bottle costs $1.72.A 16.9 oz. bottle of balsamic vinegarcosts $6.99 while 16.9 oz. of bulk bal-samic costs $2.74. A 1 lb. jar of localhoney costs $7.59 but a pound of thesame honey in your own jar costs$4.99. Total for all 3 items in bulk:$9.45; pre-packaged: $20.57.
Sometimes the choice isn’t clear: I caneither buy this pasta in its plastic wrapor buy that less healthful pasta in acardboard box. Nothing is simple, and Ican get overwhelmed with the com-plexities, as I can get overwhelmedwith the vastness of the waste problem.The best I can do is consciously makethe best choice I can about this particu-lar item at this particular moment. One
Immortal Trashby Glenda Bissex
continued on next page
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thing at a time.
The more of us who are making con-scious decisions in the store, one itemat a time, the more our choices takentogether add up to less waste.
If we know we have choices,
If we know those choices matter,
If we act on those choices becauseour Co-op offers options,
Then we are not bound to our throw-away culture’s mindless over-consum-ing and waste.
Is convenience my highest value rightnow? Can I give a few extra minutes ofmy time to cooperate with nature’scycle of growth, decay and regenera-tion? Can you?
“purchasing is always a moral—andnot simply an economic—act.”
– Pope Benedict
In 1972, the Co-op anticipated thephase-out of paper bags! In 2007 thisnewsletter published an article on pack-aging that is, unfortunately, not out ofdate. It is reprinted here on pages 16-17.
continued from previous page
Suggestions to Help Reduce Your Environmental Impact While Shopping
� Bring your own bags.
� Use cloth bags for bulk products.
� Use large cloth shopping bags to pack your items.
� Wash all plastic bags and re–use them until they are no
longer useable (that’s practically forever).
� Recycle plastic bags that are no longer holding food.
� Buy in bulk as much as possible.
� Buy local = look for local, in-season foods that haven't
traveled long distances to reach you.
� Choose foods with less packaging to reduce waste.
� Buy products made from recycled products
(paper towels, toilet paper).
� Buy less! Try to get your things repaired, which supports
local business and avoids waste. Replace items only when
you really need to.
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17
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Autumn is that time we revel in thoseculinary wonders we so richly deserve.Of all the seasonal dishes available thistime of year it’s almost impossible tochoose, but we’ll offer a few of ourfavorites, recipes that are oftendemanded by our summer visitors.
Hot/Cold SpaghettiWe had a good friend who, being richfrom having money (as my grandmotherused to say) saw a shrink regularly.Very regularly. Like three times aweek.* And not a touchy-feely shrinkeither, but a Freudian. Who was (mira-cle of miracles) married to a womanwho wrote cookbooks. Which our friendhad to buy. (I guess that it was a part ofher therapy.) Anyhow, this recipe (witha few changes) came from her. There’sno better late Summer, eat outdoors onthe picnic table meal we know. Perfectwith good crusty bread; the Lemon/ -Rosemary from Bohemian is just right.
*At least she made her mother pay, asonly seems right.
6-8 large heirloom tomatoes (multi-coloredis fun)1 small red onionbunch of basil1⁄2 cup olive oil1⁄2 cup lemon juice2 TBSP of coarse salt (celtic sea salt is nice)1 lb. of spaghetti (we like theBioNatural spaghettini)1⁄2 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese (optional)
Core the tomatoes and cut them into 1-inch chunks, place them in a bowl and
stir in the salt. Let the tomatoes sit forat least 20 minutes.
Chop the onion very small
Chop the basil finely
Optional: dice the mozzarella cheese
Cook the spaghetti, drain and place in alarge serving bowl
Drain juice from tomatoes; add onion,basil, lemon juice and olive oil
Pour onto the spaghetti and mix thoroughly
Add cheese if desired
Bulgarian Cucumber SoupFeeds two as a main dish, four as a side
Speaking of good crusty bread, thiscold (actually room temperature) soupis lovely as a side dish or served alonewith the aforementioned bread and adish of good olives.
During the fresh cucumber season weoften brought this dish to pot-lucks,including one at a Circle Dance eventwhere we met Erna, a wonderful old (noone knew how old but she used to dancePanurhythmy up on sacred mountaintops in Bulgaria before World War Two)lady who could dance long after most ofus were sitting down panting. She wasdelighted and surprised to be offered adish from her homeland but was veryparticular about how to prepare thecucumbers and wasn’t shy about lettingus know: no skins, seeded and choppedin small, quarter inch pieces.
Originally prepared with a clove or twoof garlic (the traditional way) we now
Harvest DelightsMenu from Daniel Marcus and Amba Connors of Wild Bee Farm
Wine pairings from Nancy Ellen of the Plainfield Co-op
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substitute ginger for a brighter, freshertaste. Both are great though.
2 C. cucumbers, prepared as above1 t. salt1⁄4 t. white pepper1⁄2 C. chopped walnuts2 T. good olive oil1 T. chopped fresh ginger2 T. finely chopped fennel fronds (yes,dill is usual, but just try the fennel!)11⁄2 C. Yogurt
Mix all ingredients just before servingand top with a few fennel sprigs or anolive. We like it as is, but it is goodchilled too.
Blueberry FoolThere are many, many ways to preparefresh blueberries: unctuous cobblers,tasty tarts, the classic pies...but a Fool isnot only the easiest to make but just pos-sibly the most delightful to eat. I origi-nally got the idea (although I must haveeaten Fools before) from a Jane Austencookbook; Fools were popular inRegency households, Mr. Collins beinga good example. Joy of Cooking says theword “Fool” was used as a term ofendearment; one can only hope so. Oftenmade with Kirsch, lemon zest and evencrumbled macaroons, try it dead simplefirst then see if gilding the lily is calledfor. Amounts are only suggestions:
2 C. Blueberries1⁄3 C. heavy cream3 T. sugar1 t. vanilla extract
Mash about a quarter of the berries witha fork, mix in 2 T. of the sugar and letsit for at least a half hour, stirring occa-sionally. (This is one of those timeswhen substitutes don’t work; honey ormaple syrup don’t do the cooking chem-
istry magic that turns berries intoberries and divine syrup.)
Whip up the cream with the remainingsugar and the vanilla. (We leave thebeater in the cat dish for Pip.)
Stir the berries and the cream in a bowlwith a spatula just enough to make itswirly. Serve in something fancy. Yum!
To go with the main meal: A lighter-bodied fruity red wine would be greathere, the Pannonica from Austria(Blaufrankisch, Zweigelt, and PinotNoir) or the Portada or Periquita redblends from Portugal are good choices.You might want to slightly chill thesewines before serving for about a halfhour in the refrigerator. Contrary towhat you may have heard, red wines,especially lighter, fruitier reds, can real-ly benefit from this treatment (and con-versely, we often tend to serve ourwhite wines a bit colder than is ideal).And of course, it’s much more refresh-ing on a hot summer’s day!
With the dessert course, again, some-thing fruity would pair nicely, but inthis case I’d go for pink—the ShelburneVineyards Whimsy Meadow Rose;Citizen Cider’s Brose, a hard cidermade with blueberries; and also theZum Rose from Germany (Pinot Noir)would all be excellent.
Alternatively, if you only want to buyone bottle for the whole meal instead oftwo, a slightly more dry rose will do thetrick—I would suggest the Seeker fromProvence or the Eugene Carrel fromSavoy, France. A good, dry rose is oneof the most wonderfully versatile winesimaginable and will go well with somany things, any time of the year. Justremember: When in doubt, a dry rosesaves the day! Enjoy! w
