One Local Summer::Week 8

I know I missed a week, although right now every meal is about 70% local as our markets are exploding with all sorts of lovely vegetables.
This week I busted out of the local-food rut I was in and made a curry of peppers, prawns, potatoes, and squash. The curry spice itself wasn’t local, nor was the quinoa, but everything else came from Silver Meadows Farm close to my house, and the French Creek Fish Market.

I need to find a local alternative to rice, which I suspect is going to be a challenge.
In the meantime, even though I didn’t post a local meal for week 7 I have been very busy making jams, and freezing the local vegetables I’ve bought. This is seriously not cost-effective and that is a rather depressing point. It cost me $5.00 to get a small ziplock of peas whereas I can buy a large bag at the grocery store for about $2.00. My peas will surely taste better in January than that big bag would, right?
I also tracked down a pectin that allows you to use honey instead of sugar when making jams and jellies – Pomonas Universal Pectin. I promptly made myself apricot and cherry jam using honey instead of sugar. A truly local jam! Especially considering even the pectin is shipped from Parksville in Canada and I conveniently live 15 minutes away. I plan to make blueberry jam this week and when the blackberries ripen, pick and jam those, too. I’m on a jam kick, I must have been inspired by Callum’s current favorite book – Jamberry!.

2 Responses to “One Local Summer::Week 8”

1. Vanessa says:

   July 28, 2008 at 4:57 pm

   Wow, entirely local jam! That is so awesome.
2. Amber says:

   July 29, 2008 at 8:54 am

   I’m quite proud! I feel like I’m evil talking about all my jam making since jam making is so ridiculously easy. I always thought it was hard!