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eG Foodblog: phlawless - La Vida Local


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Here are those photos I didn't get up last night:

the finished ketchup:

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The texture was great, and the balance of sweet and sour was perfect. When I do it again I might not go quite as heavy on the celery seed.

Wilbur's BBQ is pretty incredible...not too smokey and not chopped too fine. (I heard John T. Edge on NPR the other day describe a good BBQ joint as somewhere where the parking lot is a mix of cadillacs and pick up trucks.) The sides aren't all that great -the potato salad is very weird, almost like it was assembled then put into a food processor until really smoothe- I don't have any photos of the food, so these will have to do.

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tobacco that grows along the highway:

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Edited by phlawless (log)

"Godspeed all the bakers at dawn... may they all cut their thumbs and bleed into their buns til they melt away..."

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phlawless, I can understand that it is difficult, but I also feel that the fact that it is such a challenge, makes it all the more interesting. I have been thinking about your project a lot these past days, it has really opened my eyes to the fact that my food comes from all over the place... and not just the obvious foods, but the fresh produce etc.

so don't get discouraged!

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(I heard John T. Edge on NPR the other day describe a good BBQ joint as somewhere where the parking lot is a mix of cadillacs and pick up trucks.)

I had to laugh when I heard Edge, too, on that!

Your blog is going beautifully, phlawless, and I wake up early to read each new installment! Bravo!

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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Phlawless, I live in Charlotte and while I would love to go more local, I could never commit to being a locavore. Few markets in Charlotte carry local goods. In fact, there a few local products other than some produce unless we want to include Lance crackers! You are so lucky to be in the Triangle area with the vast array of farmer's markets and CSA's.

If I were to exclude foods outside a 100 mile radius, I could certainly find plenty to eat, but I would be driving and driving in order to get those products. Even our Earth Fare in Charlotte does not carry much local stuff.

What I would give for farm fresh, free range chicken eggs!

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phlawless, a toddler, a local eating challenge anda blog... you are a very brave woman! Thanks for taking the time to share a bit of your life with us.

I started making ketchup when my son was just about the age your daughter is now and am still making it 8 years later because both kids find it tastes so much better than the commercial stuff.

If only Jack Nicholson could have narrated my dinner, it would have been perfect.

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I'm so impressed with your daughters eating habits. You're doing a great job exposing her to so many foods. Don't get discouraged with this committment to eat more locally. Even if you just do it "most of the time" it's better than not being aware of what you eat at all.

jb

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There's a somewhat interesting, timely, and quite flawed story in today's Raleigh News & Observer that discusses the cost and taste of purchasing locally grown produce versus the stuff one finds in most supermarkets. Needless to say, when the tasters complain about the texture of locally produced fresh mozarella versus the crappy dry Sargento brand, well, you wonder about the tasters themselves.

Dean McCord

VarmintBites

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Did you use the recipe in the eG Condiments lesson or did you have your own? I think I'll try making my own ketchup this summer.

Stop Family Violence

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There's a somewhat interesting, timely, and quite flawed story in today's Raleigh News & Observer that discusses the cost and taste of purchasing locally grown produce versus the stuff one finds in most supermarkets.  Needless to say, when the tasters complain about the texture of locally produced fresh mozarella versus the crappy dry Sargento brand, well, you wonder about the tasters themselves.

Fresh mozzarella is a completely different animal from aged mozzarella to begin with, never mind where it's made.

Oh, wait--Sargento is now distributing fresh mozzarella nationally, IIRC. If they were comparing this to the local product, I retract my statement--and can't figure out why anyone would want to buy fresh mozzarella not produced locally.

Edited to add: Now that I've read the NandO feature, I stand by my original statement. Sounds to me like some palates could use some edjamacashun. (And the aged mozzarella mentioned in the article was the Food Lion store brand, BTW.)

Edited by MarketStEl (log)

Sandy Smith, Exile on Oxford Circle, Philadelphia

"95% of success in life is showing up." --Woody Allen

My foodblogs: 1 | 2 | 3

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We're very lucky to have such great farmers markets in this area. Brinkley Farms at the Durham market sells smaller quantites of shelled peas along with their wonderful pork. There really has been an increase in the selection of meats, cheeses, and non-produce available at the Durham market which makes eating locallly easier. I just bought the most beautiful pork shoulder roast from Portia at Chapel Hill Creamery; 16 pounds of whey fed pork! A good source for local seafood is the Red and White grocery at University Dr. and Chapel Hill St. They get their seafood from the coast three times a week and we've had some truely wonderful scallops that had been caught the same day I bought them, so sweet and succulent.

Bryan C. Andregg

"Give us an old, black man singing the blues and some beer. I'll provide the BBQ."

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A good source for local seafood is the Red and White grocery at University Dr. and Chapel Hill St. They get their seafood from the coast three times a week and we've had some truely wonderful scallops that had been caught the same day I bought them, so sweet and succulent.

Is this place better than Capital Fish Market on University?

"Godspeed all the bakers at dawn... may they all cut their thumbs and bleed into their buns til they melt away..."

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Did you use the recipe in the eG Condiments lesson or did you have your own? I think I'll try making my own ketchup this summer.

I used a base recipe from Magnolia Grill, though simplified.

"Godspeed all the bakers at dawn... may they all cut their thumbs and bleed into their buns til they melt away..."

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A good source for local seafood is the Red and White grocery at University Dr. and Chapel Hill St. They get their seafood from the coast three times a week and we've had some truely wonderful scallops that had been caught the same day I bought them, so sweet and succulent.

Is this place better than Capital Fish Market on University?

The Red and White has a much more limited selection of seafood than Capital Fish Market, but what I've had has been fresher and better tasting. It's also cheaper. Those amazing scallops, which were quite large by the way about 8 count, were 11.99$/pound.

Bryan C. Andregg

"Give us an old, black man singing the blues and some beer. I'll provide the BBQ."

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Just seeing that photo drives me insane with desire. When we drove down to Jacksonville for New Years 2005, we stopped at Wilber's, and neither my wife nor I have stopped thinking about it since. It is truly the gold standard in our house, and not merely for barbecue. All food should aspire to the heights reached by Wilber's 'cue.

Blog on, phlawless!

Chris Amirault

eG Ethics Signatory

Sir Luscious got gator belts and patty melts

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[...]If I were to exclude foods outside a 100 mile radius, I could certainly find plenty to eat, but I would be driving and driving in order to get those products.[...]

Food for thought: Doesn't that go some way toward defeating the purpose, since you have to subtract the environmental benefits of not purchasing food from far away with the environmental damages from all the exhaust you're expending to drive all over the place?

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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Food for thought: Doesn't that go some way toward defeating the purpose, since you have to subtract the environmental benefits of not purchasing food from far away with the environmental damages from all the exhaust you're expending to drive all over the place?

My point exactly. I will not drive 100 miles to buy ingredients. I wish I had better options locally.

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[...]If I were to exclude foods outside a 100 mile radius, I could certainly find plenty to eat, but I would be driving and driving in order to get those products.[...]

Food for thought: Doesn't that go some way toward defeating the purpose, since you have to subtract the environmental benefits of not purchasing food from far away with the environmental damages from all the exhaust you're expending to drive all over the place?

This is very true...on Monday we were out for a good 4 hours hunting everything down. I'm a bit more organized today, and it is getting easier...I am figuring out how to be more efficient with my time and my driving so as not to waste too much of either just sourcing what I need.

After we got home from our morning run and errands, M went down for a nap and I got busy with dinner prep:

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Actually, I started this rosemary bread yesterday

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and finished it this afternoon.

Though I love it, I'm getting kinda tired of southern-ish food, so we're going to have some pasta tonight:

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I cut it by hand cause i find it to be much faster with no waste. Plus I like the rustic look of it. I plan on serving it with some farmed little neck clams I got at Whole Foods and the Brinkley Farms bacon.

I also started dessert:

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a blueberry-pecan financier that will be served with blueberry fool.

After M woke up we had lunch:

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she: more butterbeans with NC hoop cheese; the cheese is pretty bland, but she likes it.

me: leftover rice and fieldpeas from the other night with herbs from the garden.

Then we headed over to Chapel Hill/Carrboro. First we stopped at 3 Cups, a coffee shop owned by Lex Alexander who started the Wellsprings here in the area that eventually were sold to Whole Foods.

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They roast their own beans on the darker side like I like em, plus I got an iced coffee to refresh me while I hit the Carrboro FM:

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This is the Elysian Farm stall where I got a pork shoulder roast for later in the week (that's it on the right).

I also picked up a snack:

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I got the one on the top left, key lime, which was fantastic. The one on the right is peach something and the bottom is basically a take on a hostess cupcake.

Edited by phlawless (log)

"Godspeed all the bakers at dawn... may they all cut their thumbs and bleed into their buns til they melt away..."

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Your bread looks beautiful! Did you bake it right in these pans, or is there something special in the bottoms?

I applaud your local efforts. Have you been tracking your mileage for the week at all, so you can compare it to a week when you aren't going out of your way? I'm intrigued by the concept of eating locally. Unfortunately, since I'm not a farmer or other person with large cellar and silo and other storage facilities, other than in the summer I don't think it would work so well in a small town in upstate NY.

MelissaH

MelissaH

Oswego, NY

Chemist, writer, hired gun

Say this five times fast: "A big blue bucket of blue blueberries."

foodblog1 | kitchen reno | foodblog2

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Your breads are beautiful. Nothing beats fresh baked homemade bread.

Shopping local here would entail a great deal more travel than is worth the difference. Seafood would be iffy although I could get plenty of local fruits and vegetables. Flour? Not likely.

I'm enjoying this blog. My daughter used to live in Pilot Mountain.

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What a great string of photos! M looks like she is a willing subject for your photography, a good partner in blogging this week. :smile:

I bought a bottle of Campari. I think it might take a while for me to acquire a taste for this ...perhaps even two or three days, LOL.

Life is short; eat the cheese course first.

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Regarding the travelling for eating locally: the CSA to which I subscribe provides only produce, but has started a relationship with a grass fed meat producer (Polyface) in Virginia. I think having a group like a CSA or coop to accumulate a critical mass helps out. I'd never drive to Staunton, VA for eggs and pork, but when they know they'll have enough customers here, they'll commit to coming here every 6 weeks.

Ph--have you looked into getting a CSA subscription?

Bridget Avila

My Blog

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Ph--have you looked into getting a CSA subscription?

Honestly, I haven't...and I don't really have a reason why. Does yours run during the cooler months?

"Godspeed all the bakers at dawn... may they all cut their thumbs and bleed into their buns til they melt away..."

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Ph--have you looked into getting a CSA subscription?

Honestly, I haven't...and I don't really have a reason why. Does yours run during the cooler months?

They actually started with just spring and fall a couple of years ago. I think this is their first summer season. We've had lots of cool stuff that I don't even see at the FM: garlic scapes, lemon cucumbers, blue potatoes, edible flowers. I did get kind of tired of greens in the spring though...

Bridget Avila

My Blog

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Dinner:

M had the homemade pasta with olive oil and fresh mozz:

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this is her offering her dad a bite.

While she ate, we snacked on the rosemary bread-I can't believe how good this came out- with evoo, CHC fresh mozz, peregrine farms tomatoes and a lovely rioja rose:

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Instead of using the Brinkley Farms bacon, I opted for the Neese's sausage. I know, I know, this is kind of bullsh*t; when I was at the Carrboro market Elysian Farms had sausage, and I didn't buy it (dummy!), but I like clams and sausage better than clams and bacon.

Anyway, with the sausage I added some chicken stock that was made from a combo of organic smart chicken and local chicken carcasses, lemon, and smoked paprika with lots of parsley. Chuck thought it was a tad heavy on the salt, I thought it was pretty great. (Maybe I've held on to that smoker's palate after all!)

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noodle money shot:

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We haven't gotten to dessert yet, and it's late, and we're full. We might...we'll see.

Edited by phlawless (log)

"Godspeed all the bakers at dawn... may they all cut their thumbs and bleed into their buns til they melt away..."

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