tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29750342118759733042024-03-05T20:51:34.611-05:00Placing MyselfAs I grow older, my world is getting smaller. For me, this is a good thing and sometimes it's even purposeful. Inspired to chronicle my experiment with the 100-mile diet, this blog is about living life close to home.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-50347490032540051872009-09-22T16:46:00.002-04:002009-09-22T16:50:18.609-04:00Meals<span style="font-style: italic;">Day 11</span><br />Eggs, bacon, and rustic wheat bread<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Day 12</span><br />Ratatouille, corn bread, and lettuce salad with yellow carrots and cucumber<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Day 13</span><br />Baked chicken, butternut squash braised in apple cider, roasted potatoes<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Day 14</span><br />French toast with maple syrup, melonJill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-7900453429893724992009-09-22T16:31:00.002-04:002009-09-22T16:45:04.004-04:00Trust Your IngredientsI have a standard demurral when someone compliments my cooking: “You can’t go wrong with fresh vegetables."<br /><br />One thing about the 100- mile diet is that you're limiting your ingredients with which to cook. You can’t add a dash of Tabasco to this or layer mustard on that. When I’m sauteing up veggies, I could add all the spices in my cabinet – because I have made spices an exception – but I find myself doing that less and less.<br /><br />My ingredients are fresh and high quality. If an eggplant didn’t come from my own garden, it came from Thomas – our CSA farmer – or from one of the farmers I see every week at the market. To me, that means more care in planting, growing, and harvesting. Why not let them take center stage?<br /><br />And yet, I still have a hard time believing it will work. Take my tomato-eggplant gratin. I started with a recipe from Alice Waters (there’s a woman who trusts her ingredients) and popped it in the oven. I was working at my computer in the next room when the timer went off – a reminder to remove the foil cover for the final minutes of baking. I walked in the kitchen and thought, Mmmm... what smells so good?<br /><br />Sounds dumb, but I really did do a double take. Of course, it was the gratin cooking in my oven. Tasted just as good as it smelled too. <br /><br />Tomato-Eggplant Gratin<br />from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chez-Panisse-Vegetables-Alice-Waters/dp/0060171472">Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters</a><br /><br />Saute 3 cloves garlic and 3 sweet onions in olive oil/butter mix until soft<br />Spread on the bottom of a lasagne pan<br />Peel and slice an eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds<br />Arrange in a layer on top of the onions<br />Slice a tomato for the next layer<br />(Waters says eggplant and tomato again, but I had a surplus of summer squash so...)<br />Slice a summer squash for the next layer<br />Slice a tomato for the top layer<br />Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil<br />Cover with foil<br />Bake at 400 for 30 minutes covered, 15 more minutes uncovered.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-25286356525052825542009-09-17T21:31:00.002-04:002009-09-17T21:42:26.757-04:00MealsJust dinners now. Partly because I can't keep track, but also because breakfasts and lunches tend to be very similar from day to day. <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Day 8 </span><br />Lettuce salad<br />Steamed green beans and broccoli<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Day 9</span><br />I hosted my book club tonight, and made two types of foccacia: One topped with basil and garlic, the other with larges tomato slices, fresh mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves.<br />Cherry tomato and green bean salad<br />Lots of bread and cheese choices<br />Locally canned roasted red peppers and dilly beans<br />For dessert: peaches & cream and apple-rhubarb crisp sweetened with maple syrup<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Day 10 </span><br />Ham, baked apples, tatsoi (an Asian green) sauteed with garlic and hot pepper, and foccaciaJill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-33574552142280211502009-09-17T21:16:00.003-04:002009-09-22T16:46:26.477-04:00Potato-Leek SoupWhen I pulled the leeks out of our farm share bag, I was excited. I've never cooked with leeks before, but I tend to love anything onion-y. So I wasn't really worried about how they would taste, or whether I'd like them. It was just a matter of deciding what to do with them.<br /><br />I sat down with my cookbooks, my friends Alice Waters, Mark Bittman, and Deborah Madison. I learned that leeks can come thick or thin. You can grill them or stir-fry them, braise, cream, steam, or puree them. We had potatoes in the share as well, so I quickly settled on potato-leek soup.<br /><br />I worked from the recipe in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Vegetarian-Meatless/dp/0764524836">Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian</a>.<br /><br />Wash and slice 3 leeks; chop 3 potatoes<br />Saute veggies in olive oil for a few minutes<br />Add 1 quart stock (I had made veggie stock from scraps the night before)<br />Cook until veggies are very tender; about 20 min<br />Puree (I used a small food processor)<br />Stir in 1 cup plain yogurt<br />Salt & pepper to taste<br /><br />The soup was pale green, smooth and delicious. With foccacia on the side, we got more than one meal out of it.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-90337763531018746932009-09-14T21:06:00.002-04:002009-09-17T21:16:38.433-04:00Meals<span style="font-style: italic;">Day 6</span><br />Breakfast: Rustic bread with honey<br />Lunch: Eggplant-tomato gratin, sage foccacia<br />Snack: Plums<br />Dinner: Breaded eggplant, tomato salad<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Day 7</span><br />Breakfast: Peaches and yogurt<br />Lunch: Potato-leek soup, breaded eggplant<br />Snack: Apples and honey on whole wheat bread<br />Dinner: Pork chops, applesauce, broccoli, sage foccaciaJill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-19787427724386417072009-09-14T13:48:00.002-04:002009-09-14T13:56:37.577-04:00HoardingI told my husband we had three very orange pumpkins already in the garden. (It's my only summer crop that’s come in early.) They usually ripen in October and we set them on the front step for Halloween. <br /><br />He said, “Can we eat them?”<br /><br />I was thinking the same thing. <br /><br />Two things are going on here. One is fact that we feel a certain level of deprivation. I think any time you make a change in diet you can’t help missing some of your standbys (for me, a bite of chocolate midday; for John, a handful of chips when he gets home).<br /><br />The other reflects the extra effort required to stock up and prepare local fare. The shopping is limited to certain days (Tuesdays and Saturdays for the farmers market, Thursdays for our farm share, my garden when it gives – not the 24/7 supermarket), the shelf life is shorter (and my veggie drawer is stuffed), and the time commitment (to wash, chop, slice, knead, and cook all our fresh food) is relentless. <br /><br />Both these things lead to hoarding our stuff. We push bananas on the kids (who eat our local dinners, but aren’t strictly on the diet) so we can eat the local plums for our after dinner fruit. When I offered to pack cherry and grape tomatoes in my daughters’ school lunches, I realized I was hoping they’d say no.<br /><br />So when there’s a couple of pumpkins advertising themselves amidst my weedy garden bed -- well, we why wouldn't we want to eat them? <br /><br />The pumpkins are on the front step for now. They’ll be on the menu soon.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-80089533465780451332009-09-13T13:17:00.003-04:002009-09-17T21:15:55.753-04:00Meals<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFB-iCiAuGntcPBax2ZoSFXoV49deB20t91j8_jQ-HVYTCm6nsCvyh_jIIzV4V9UN3oiAvgo_Y7u_DAMIKBzdxmBqTD1HXJH-WCiTVTpjDxLqfy-pHlhZxPvQ_bAatdeBu6SFLbWQUxfM/s1600-h/IMG_0062.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFB-iCiAuGntcPBax2ZoSFXoV49deB20t91j8_jQ-HVYTCm6nsCvyh_jIIzV4V9UN3oiAvgo_Y7u_DAMIKBzdxmBqTD1HXJH-WCiTVTpjDxLqfy-pHlhZxPvQ_bAatdeBu6SFLbWQUxfM/s400/IMG_0062.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381004026819930418" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Day 4</span><br />Breakfast: Yogurt with black raspberry preserves<br />Lunch: Open-faced sandwiches with cheddar, tomatoes, and basil<br />Snack: Apple<br />Dinner: Grilled eggplant and zucchini, sage foccacia, Bibb lettuce salad with radishes and carrots<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Day 5</span><br />Breakfast: Rustic bread and honey<br />Lunch: Potato-leek soup and sage foccacia<br />Snack: Sliced apples and cheddar on cracker-thin slices of bread<br />Dinner: Grilled steak, corn on the cob, tomato saladJill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-46706790949245471752009-09-13T12:47:00.004-04:002009-09-13T13:01:31.907-04:00New York Wheat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3a6TkGFKw70-3r4xYV0zBwa5snm3xkoEy90XIUBQUfVwciedUTEfgFEXUGObQj2pW6iBtUlt5zhqSOQPO3nMEW4b3LPY5STg25AvUwgKfn09APtACXBrTNrv6Q3NL7BYLCWh7dJ0RqCQ/s1600-h/IMG_0065.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3a6TkGFKw70-3r4xYV0zBwa5snm3xkoEy90XIUBQUfVwciedUTEfgFEXUGObQj2pW6iBtUlt5zhqSOQPO3nMEW4b3LPY5STg25AvUwgKfn09APtACXBrTNrv6Q3NL7BYLCWh7dJ0RqCQ/s400/IMG_0065.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380997789812764098" border="0" /></a><br />They say that the Northeast used to be the breadbasket of the country. Indeed, Albany’s city seal incorporates two sheaves of wheat.<br /><br />The city was chartered in at was in 1686. In the more than 300 years since then, the nation’s breadbasket has moved west to the Great Plains.<br /><br />When I first did the 100-mile diet, in 2007, I found some locally milled flour. I suspected that the wheat coming to the mill probably traveled hundreds of miles on a truck. (I never called to ask, because part of me didn’t want to know!) It was the best I could do – and it would have to do. I didn’t want to go for a month without bread or pasta.<br /><br />Last year, during my month of local eating, I <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E04EFD91038F933A2575AC0A96E9C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1">read about</a> some New Yorkers growing and milling flour. I finally made my pilgrimage to the <a href="http://www.wildhivefarm.com/index.htm">Wild Hive Farm</a> this summer, about two hours south of us in the Hudson Valley. We ate lunch in their cafe and I came home with three bags of truly local flour.<br /><br />Last week I made a couple rustic-style loaves with the all-purpose flour. Owner Don Lewis had warned me that I should add my liquids gradually until I had the right consistency – that the home-brown grains vary more than mass-produced flours in terms of how they’ll behave. They’ll also differ in taste.<br /><br />I forgot the advice, so my rather wet loaves ending up growing sideways more than rising up. But they were delicious -- with honey drizzled on top or with cheese, tomato, and basil.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-43093794826730942252009-09-11T07:21:00.002-04:002009-09-11T07:26:57.198-04:00Meals<span style="font-style: italic;">Day Two</span><br />Breakfast: Bread (made with NY-grown wheat) and honey<br />Lunch: Tomato, basil, cheddar sandwich<br />Snack: Apple<br />Dinner: Scrambled eggs, pork sausage, yellow wax beans, tomato salad<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Day Three</span><br />Breakfast: Bread and honey<br />Lunch: Omelet with sausage, onion, and cheese<br />Snack: Toast with goat cheese and basil<br />Dinner: Pan-fried eggplant (breaded with locally milled corn meal), broccoli, lettuce-radish saladJill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-46408193864908944842009-09-10T23:06:00.003-04:002009-09-10T23:31:30.889-04:00Rules and ExceptionsSo the rules:<br /><br />I'm trying to eat only those foods grown or produced in the state of New York (although we adopt next-door neighbor Vermont when need be). I'm trying to source ingredients, not just where products were packaged. So, for example, I can be fairly sure that peanut butter concoctions made by a Saratoga Springs company (30 miles north) do not satisfy my requirements -- because the peanuts were not grown nearby. <br /><br />I do a New York State diet rather than a strict 100-mile diet for two reasons. I've found it's a little easier to figure out where food comes from by state, than the actual distance of small towns in the Northeast from where I live in Albany County. Also (it must be confessed), the New York wine grape growing regions -- both Long Island and the Finger Lakes -- are beyond the 100 mile radius. And if I must give up beer for a month, well then, I'll need my wine.<br /><br />And the exceptions:<br /><br />Coffee (no debate!), oil, vinegar, spices, yeast, baking soda, and baking powder. Oh, and some fancy Italian tomato paste in a tube. And perhaps lemon juice (I haven't quite decided yet -- I may want it for flavoring baba ganoush and soups). I am giving up chocolate for the month -- which is new from past Septembers. <br /><br />Many modern 100-mile dieters make exceptions. But so did Laura Ingalls, more than a century ago. In the "Little House" books, Laura dsecribes Pa hunting for meat and Ma making cheese from the cow's milk and sweetener from maple syrup. But the family traded for certain staples, such as coffee and white sugar for when guests came. I'm happy to stick to honey and maple syrup for my sweeteners for a month. But when it comes to cooking in fat, I'm going to opt for vegetable oil over the lard that Ma likely used.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-68204634252009050032009-09-08T21:32:00.002-04:002009-09-08T21:57:37.096-04:00Day One, part threeI'm starting the 100-mile diet for the third September in a row. I'll get to the rules and exceptions soon, but first I want to address commitment. <br /><br />I've been feeling some reluctance in recent days about doing this all again. I eat peanut butter realize I'll have to give that up. I threw out leftover bean and corn salad today because the beans weren't local -- even though the corn, onion, and tomato were. It feels silly to deprive myself of nutritious whole foods just because peanuts grow down south and the canned beans were from an California organic food company. <br /><br />But then I remember the sense of discovery I've felt the last two Septembers. I read through my past posts and reminisce. The successful dinners and the new-to-me foods. The shift in my diet to more fruits and vegetables and less meats and grains. The experimentation in the kitchen throwing things into a pot and calling it soup -- and delicious soup at that, because I started with just-picked veggies. <br /><br />On the one hand, it feels so much easier. I’ve been eating more locally throughout the year. But on the other hand, it feels less important in that lazy kind of way. I mean, I’m doing so much better, eating locally and more seasonally, why do I have to do without baked-goods-unless-I bake-them? For a whole month? <br /><br />I guess I'll have to trust that I'll learn something new, something worthy, once again.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Today's meals</span><br />Breakfast: Half a melon<br />Lunch: Leftover cabbage-escarole soup<br />Snack: Apple and plum<br />Dinner: Pork chop, potatoes, applesauce, and tomato saladJill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-36667985399555035592008-09-22T07:41:00.003-04:002008-09-22T13:36:29.332-04:00Kasha!A new grain has entered my life.<br /><br />Last night I cooked and ate kasha for the first time. (My kids are always amazed when I can tell them I'm doing something for the first time in my life. After all, I've been around for 47 years!) My husband remembered it from his visits to Russia, where kasha is commonly eaten as a hot breakfast cereal.<br /><br />A grain-like side dish, kasha was most welcome as we have spurned rice and barley for the duration of our 100-mile diet. I made it very plain, following the basic instructions on the box, and discovered it carried its own nutty, toasted flavor. It made a nice match with the carnival squash we ate.<br /><br />From the literature that accompanied my mail order (<a href="http://www.thebirkettmills.com/">Birkett Mills</a> in the Finger Lakes region of New York) I learned that kasha is not technically a grain (not from the grass family). It's from buckwheat, a flowering plant complete with fruit and seeds. The dehulled seeds and can be eaten whole -- called buckwheat groats -- or ground to finer textures -- as in kasha.<br /><br />This morning, I scooped out some leftover kasha, soaked it in milk, sprinkled it with cinnamon, and topped it with chopped apple. Two minutes in the microwave and I had breakfast.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-37911835227230782172008-09-20T08:37:00.003-04:002008-09-20T09:43:52.564-04:00New HabitsThe 100-mile diet has forced us to break old habits and make new ones. Without making any judgment (yet) on whether my new habits are better, I do believe that it's a good thing to shake up habits every once in awhile. It allows you to step back, take a broader view, and make deliberate and informed choices in the future.<br /><br />I'm in the swing of new cooking habits, such as baking bread, taking the time (and it's not that much time) to wash, trim, and chop fresh produce, making soup stocks from vegetable trimmings and chicken carcasses. I also have new snacking habits, such as grabbing an apple when I crave something sweet, or slicing some cheese when I need something more filling.<br /><br />For breakfast, I've taken to eating home-baked bread made with Champlain Valley milled flour and local honey made by Catskills bees. Not only is it delicious, but I think about the Champlain Valley and the Catskill mountains every morning as I spread my honey.<br /><br />I mean, when I drink my Columbian coffee, I have an image in my mind of tropical jungles and hillside fields -- but I've never been to Columbia. On the other hand, I have a very appealing picture of the town of Westport, NY where the houses back up against the Adirondack mountains and overlook the blue waters of Lake Champlain. Indeed I remember which Harry Potter book on CD we were listening to in the car that day, driving up to Ausable Chasm for a day of touristing. I also have been to the store between Tannersville and Hunter in the Catskills where Traphagen honey is sold. I've driven back roads and hiked mountains and swum ponds in the area, so dozens of memories crop up when I picture that tiny store full of honey and maple products. <br /><br />Romantic as these notions sound, I think there's something to the idea that when the things in our life have stories behind them, they carry more meaning for us. Food stories and the memories they tap into can create a very visceral sense of place.<br /><br />Now that's food for thought. Mmmm.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-20699922315485241632008-09-15T06:13:00.002-04:002008-09-15T06:49:35.842-04:00Diet and DeprivationLike any diet, the 100-mile diet has moments of temptation.<br /><br />A typical weekend day for my husband John is spent taking the kids out for bagels, and then to the supermarket for the weekly shop. The first time he did this was our second full day on the diet -- and he struggled to sit and watch the kids dine on bagels, cream cheese, and lemonade. Hunger primed, walking the aisles of the grocery store, its shelves full of food forbidden to us this month, only compounded his feelings of deprivation and restlessness.<br /><br />This past weekend, he was better equipped to repeat the errand. He took leftover slices of homemade, 100-mile diet pizza to the bagel restaurant. <br /><br />The homemade pizza was yet another solution to the rituals of our family life. Friday night is pizza night around here and we always order from the same tiny pizzeria. We often share the meal with friends. Before starting the diet, John and I had talked about whether we make pizza night an exception. Pizza is truly a favorite of my husband's, not to mention an excuse to indulge and a ready Saturday lunch of leftovers. <br /><br />I don't remember resolving it one way or another, so I was impressed when John didn't want to order out. He felt, as I remember feeling last year, that if he made this exception, he'd be tempted to give in to others. I think that's the beauty of limiting the diet to a month (or a week or any set period of time). It makes it easier to be fairly strict and really create new habits.<br /><br />Homemade pizza was pretty easy. I use a focaccia recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Almost-Vegetarian-Primer-Chicken-Altogether/dp/051788206X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221475010&sr=8-1">Almost Vegetarian</a> by Diana Shaw and topped one round with leftover homemade tomato sauce and grated local cheese, the other with sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil leaves.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-44304613943841133492008-09-12T11:40:00.002-04:002008-09-12T11:57:01.927-04:00Inventing mealsA shopping failure this week led to a new recipe -- created on-the-spot and with what we had. <br /><br />In my mind, I had planned make-your-own salad night with lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, and chicken one night and French toast with berries and maple syrup the next. But then, I forgot to buy chicken and eggs at the farmer's market on Tuesday. A busy work week meant I might not do anymore local food shopping until the weekend. We were feeling a little stuck. <br /><br />What I did have was lots of fresh vegetables: in addition the salad components, I had summer squash, eggplant (breaded and fried), and onion. They say necessity is the mother of invention. I created a vegetable terrine.<br /><br />Drizzle olive oil on the bottom of a lasagne pan.<br />Make a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes. Salt lightly.<br />Add a layer of thinly sliced summer squash. Drip a little more oil around. <br />Another layer of tomatoes.<br />Lay the breaded eggplant on top.<br />Put a layer of thinly sliced onions next.<br />Then another layer of tomatoes. Salt and pepper.<br />Finish by sprinkling grated cheese all over the top. <br /><br />Bake in 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes.<br /><br />It was good the next day as a sandwich filling as well. The hubby says its a keeper.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-39633313651566117402008-09-08T06:07:00.002-04:002008-09-08T06:44:34.488-04:00TimeSourcing and preparing local food takes time. <br /><br />It takes time to find local food. Last week I shopped at the food coop (in the City of Albany, a 20-min drive), the farm store (in neighboring Voorheesville, a 20-min drive), and at two farmers markets (in Delmar, a 5-min drive, and in Troy, a 25-min drive). I may do all again this week. The closest one -- the farmers market in my town-- is great for produce, but doesn't have dairy or meat. Only the coop had large tubs of local yogurt, only the farm store had jam, and the Troy market had the best selection of meat and cheese. <br /><br />It takes time to make food from scratch. Yesterday I made creamy cauliflower soup from Mark Bittman's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Vegetarian-Meatless/dp/0764524836/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220869306&sr=8-1">How to Cook Everything Vegetarian</a>, including making my own vegetable stock. We ate it for lunch with bread from a bakery that uses the same locally milled flour that I do. For the coming week, I baked more bread, sliced a bunch of apples to make apple chips (with my food dehydrator), and the hubby and I worked together to make homemade mayonnaise (which introduced another tiny exception: 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard). Dinner was relatively easy: sausages, green beans, and corn bread. It was an enjoyable day in the kitchen, but I'll admit I was tired by the time I was done. (Did I mention the dishwashing?)<br /><br />I realize the time factor will make some people write the 100-mile diet off from the get-go. I figure I can do anything for a month, and if I get lazy, there are ways to simplify. Like buying more bread instead of baking, or eating that cauliflower raw or steamed rather than going through the work of making soup. <br /><br />I like to cook, though I often get lazy doing so for my kids who are quite happy with fish sticks, frozen peas, and macaroni & cheese. So for me, the 100-mile diet is also about reinvigorating my cooking, trying new things, shaking up the menu, and finding ways to incorporate healthy food habits into our family routine. It's not that hard to bake bread especially using a large volume, no-knead recipe like this one from the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/dining/211brex.html?_r=1&ref=dining&oref=slogin">New York Times</a>.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-51900522538771104352008-09-06T07:38:00.002-04:002008-09-06T08:01:25.019-04:00Year TwoSeptember is here again and I'm back to the 100-mile diet for the month. Like last year, rather than drawing a 100-mile radius circle around our home, we'll eat food produced in New York and neighboring Vermont. <br /><br />My husband John is joining me on the diet this year. His decision was not motivated by my experience last fall so much as by reading Michael Pollan's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dilemma-Natural-History-Meals/dp/0143038583/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220702379&sr=8-2">The Omnivore's Dilemma</a> and watching the documentary film <a href="http://www.kingcorn.net/">King Corn</a>. Both book and movie highlight how twisted food production can get when done on a very large scale: how decisions for efficiency's sake trump making choices that are best for the food itself -- or the land on which it's produced. Which means perhaps, that our diet is not so much about local as it is about small and sustainable. <br /><br />We officially begin today, although I've been preparing all week by visiting the farmers market, the food coop, and the farm store. I've got plenty of fruits, vegetables, and meat, I've stocked up on locally milled flour and corn meal, I've found some cheese and yogurt, and I've collected sweets such as honey, jam, and syrup. Still to source: butter. <br /><br />Breakfast this morning? Toast (homemade bread) with gooseberry jam and coffee (one of my necessary exceptions).Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-2462672173680714612007-10-11T09:54:00.000-04:002007-10-11T10:16:09.867-04:00Small PotatoesAt the beginning of my September diet, I bought a bag of local potatoes. I still have five left.<br /><br />That tells you two things: potatoes have a long shelf life, and we don't eat many potatoes in this house. <br /><br />I did bake (microwave) potatoes a couple times for lunch and ate them in lieu of pasta or rice a few times at dinner. I planned to make potato chips at least once-- my family likes my homemade chips, but they are an exercise in frustration for me. I can't slice them consistently enough and I'm left with a guessing game in terms of at what temperature and how long to cook them.<br /><br />I'm pleased to report my success with a new recipe last night. Oven fries from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Cooking-75th-Anniversary-2006/dp/0743246268">Joy of Cooking</a>. Cut potatoes into wedges or slices a half-inch thick, coat with oil, bake at 450 degrees (F) for 30 min or so, turning occasionally. Rest on paper towels to soak up excess oil, sprinkle with salt and paprika, and serve. <br /><br />I'm looking forward to making them again.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-21990340691925816052007-10-11T08:28:00.000-04:002007-10-11T10:17:04.819-04:00Local Food StoresRecently, a petition went around to try to convince Trader Joe's from coming to Albany.<br /><br />I've never shopped at Trader Joe's -- a California-based chain store that sells grocery and gourmet foods -- but I have listened to many friends talk about how great it is. They've shopped at Trader Joe's in Boston or New York or West Hartford (!) CT. I guess I can be stubborn in my ignorance, but I could care less about whether the store comes to town or not. Besides being a popularity contest for the coolest cities with the most discerning (affluent?) customers, to me the petition represents a desire for the convenience of the known rather than the discovery what's already here.<br /><br />Happily, I read about a local place yesterday, Eats Gourmet Marketplace at Stuyvesant Plaza, that opened last year. A picture showed a chef using local produce to make Italian bean salad. Another day's newspaper had an article about a local Italian food market that I have occasioned. The accompanying photo showed the 92-year-old patriarch, Augusto Cardona, making meatballs. The text describes the seven different pasta sauces that Cardona's Market makes in house.<br /><br />I'd like to point these stores out to those who signed the Trader Joe's petition. Right here in Smalbany, there are local foodstuffs being cranked out everyday in stores that uniquely reflect their owners' visions. I'm sure there's something that's a favorite at Trader Joe's for which there's no substitute at these stores, but why not look to a local source before inviting a mass-marketed (even if a specialized market) approach to food?Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-72330255464295397642007-10-05T07:45:00.000-04:002007-10-05T08:18:00.720-04:00To HealthHow healthy is the 100-mile diet?<br /><br />I'll start with a disclaimer -- personal health is not my primary motivation. It's more about environmental health, living smaller and more sustainably, contributing less waste. Still, I do think I ate a healthier diet this past month, and I'm happy to chalk it up as a desirable side benefit. <br /><br />I certainly ate far fewer processed foods. That means less refined sugar, no transfats, fewer additives and preservatives, and very little of the starchy carbohydrates that usually fill my diet. <br /><br />The main thing, I think, was how I altered the proportions of the major food groups in my diet. I ate meat, but less of it. Local meat is a chore to get (a farther drive for me, if not the meat) and is much more expensive. I see that expense as reflecting the work that went into preparing it in a small, sustainable way (that is, not on a factory farm). I ate bread and pasta, but only after expending calories making those things from scratch. I still relied on dairy products like cheese and yogurt -- a good protein source and nicely filling. <br /><br />I upped my volume of fruits and vegetables. All fresh, given the season. And those turned out to be the easy snack items. I could eat an apple when I was hungry, or munch on some carrots before dinner, or quickly slice some cucumber to fill an empty spot on my plate. I also used vegetables to cook main dishes like ratatouille, marinara sauce, baba ganoush (an excellent sandwich filling), in addition to the usual sides of green beans, broccoli, squash, and corn. <br /><br />And so while I've lifted the restrictions, I've tried to maintain this new formula. At a recent family dinner, I ate only half a hamburger and had a second serving of acorn squash with butter. <br /><br />I can do that and feel good about it both for my ideals and my health.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-87367183252134087852007-10-03T14:38:00.000-04:002007-10-03T14:55:04.677-04:00The Grocery StoreI went to the grocery store over the weekend, for the first time in a month. <br /><br />In September, for my 100-mile diet, I shopped only at farmer's markets and at a local farm store, all providing lots of local products and produce from the surrounding area. <br /><br />Now I was confronted by the bright lights and wide aisles of the supermarket. <br /><br />Here's my list:<br /><br />Orange juice. Not labeled regarding the source of the oranges. I'll guess Florida.<br />Milk. Not labeled regarding the dairy site(s). I'll guess New York.<br />Ground beef. Label said it was ground in the store, but I don't know where the animals lived.<br />Apples. Labeled New York. <br />Lettuce. Fresh Romaine. Source unknown.<br />Carrots. Bagged baby ones. Labeled by a wholesaler in Massachusetts. I hope that means they were grown there. <br />Eggs. Carton said New Hampshire.<br />Cheddar cheese. Labeled New York.<br />Crescent rolls. Labeled by a wholesaler in New Hampshire. Not sure that helps me with ingredients.<br />Pretzels. Company in Pennsylvania.<br /><br />Overall, not too bad. If not necessarily locally sourced ingredients, for the most part the producer or packager was in the Mid-Atlantic or New England regions. I'd be satisfied with that. <br /><br />But it's still the unknowns. Where those steer lived and where that wheat was grown. I wonder if the local food movement will reach the point where labeling gets more informative and where consumers may choose food growers in their state.<br /><br />I'm paying attention. Anyone else?Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-68413594890210155852007-10-01T13:14:00.000-04:002007-10-01T13:27:12.903-04:00October is here...... but I've been slacking off for about a week now. <br /><br />I went into the 100-mile diet with the intent to go for a month. As previous posts recount, fatigue set in after a couple weeks. <br /><br />I went out to dinner the Friday before last and had decided to enjoy a break and eat whatever was served. (Mmm... Beer.) Then the next day, I was packing sandwiches for a family outing and made an apple and honey sandwich for myself — on store-bought wheat bread! I just spaced out, I guess, and I didn’t realize my error until I’d taken a bite. It seems weird that at the same moment that I'm making my sandwich, pleased with my creative New York solution to the picnic, I was tripped up by habit. <br /><br />I had a big work project looming, due the following Monday, so I used stress and fatigue as an excuse to give the diet a rest. <br /><br />Now what? I'd like to stay local to stock certain categories of food in the house. I'll still plan and cook the occasional all New York meal. I also might try a new challenge, like committing to never drive anywhere less than a certain distance. <br /><br />I also want to do some homework. About grains, oil, cider vinegar, and raisins, for example, to find out if there's a New York source. And if not, why not.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-81191133269597806542007-09-29T09:18:00.000-04:002007-09-29T09:24:23.133-04:00A Perfect Harvest DishRatatouille.<br /><br />Garlic, onion, eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, garden herbs. <br /><br />A little olive oil, salt, pepper, wine, and tomato paste. I use the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Cookbook-Katzens-Classic-Cooking/dp/1580081304">Moosewood</a> recipe.<br /><br />That's it! <br /><br />The only difficult decision is whether to eat it with bread, pasta, or cornbread.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-52060523898894850052007-09-25T11:27:00.000-04:002007-09-25T11:39:16.628-04:00What I missI thought I might have some serious food cravings by now, but that's not the case.<br /><br />I still raid the closet in the afternoon for my fix of chocolate. But I also find myself looking longingly at the dried apricots and cashews while the closet door is open -- my former cure for late afternoon stomach grumblings. I used to eat yogurt and fruit sprinkled with granola -- I miss the granola. It doesn't help that my 3 yo daughter has started eating just that for breakfast. I miss my before-dinner appetizer of fat pretzels. My 8 yo daughter has asked for them on more than one occasion. <br /><br />I miss my habit foods. Perhaps if those things weren't there, if I wasn't living a separate diet from that of my family, I wouldn't miss them. <br /><br />Other things? I miss eating dinner that my husband has cooked. I miss eating pizza at pizza night. I miss going out for a quick bite or a nice dinner. I miss pulling a beer out of the fridge.<br /><br />I miss easy.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2975034211875973304.post-80068009283634145402007-09-24T20:23:00.000-04:002007-09-24T20:49:53.359-04:00Simple PleasuresDuring this month, I've rediscovered the simple pleasure of using butter or honey for flavor. Good butter on homemade bread? Lovely. Local honey on cornbread? Delicious.<br /><br />I've also made some new discoveries, namely fromage blanc and homemade pickles. Fromage blanc is a mild cream cheese I learned about by my cheese guy at the Troy Farmer's Market. I've spread it on herbed foccacia and layered it on a tomato sandwich. The cheese guy recommends fromage blanc and pepper jelly on crackers with wine. I'll try it soon.<br /><br />The pickles came from a friend who grew the cucumbers and cold-packed them (whatever that means). They are glorious. I like pickles, and had missed eating them, so when she brought hers over I was looking forward to eating them. But I'm not sure I can do justice to the taste and texture of munching that first pickle with a glass of white wine one evening. Swooning comes close.<br /><br />That's the thing. With fewer flavors at the ready, I find I'm eating things with more attention, focused on what they have to offer. It makes me wonder how I otherwise eat to fill, paying little mind, or else adding heat and sweet and tart and sour to satisfy gustatory desire. Adding more and noticing less. Wasting taste instead of savoring flavor.Jill U Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13832632268999730449noreply@blogger.com1