Produce available at Sparks and Reno 2007 farmers markets

I'm a meal planner and for years have relied on knowing that no matter what ingredients a recipe called for I could just pop down to the supermarket and pick it up. Didn't matter where it came from or how it tasted, only that I had it. A couple of years ago we made a concerted effort to changed our approach to life from a mentality that asks “What do I want?” to one that asks “What do I have?” This question is particularly life-changing when it comes to food and meal planning so in 2007 we started purchasing all our produce through local farmers markets and CSA’s. This posed something of a dilemma when it was time to plan weekend dinners and parties. I needed to know, at least approximately, what we could buy at the farmers market throughout the season. So we spent the 2007 FM season tracking what could be had.

Last winter I started compiling a list of all the veggies that might be out there, relying heavily on Chez Panisse Vegetables (excellent resource and cookbook for FM shoppers) and online wandering. Then, beginning in June, we’d visit the farmers markets and note what was in the stalls that day. We tracked only fruits and veggies; you can find nuts and homestead cheese, even popcorn, but I was interested only in the fruits and veggies because these items are the things we most often plan to shop for. The RESULTS are in no way scientific or comprehensive (sometimes we missed a day), but they could be helpful and are certainly interesting. We learned a lot about what we can expect seasonally, what is readily available, we discovered rare treats, and met a lot of great people! We’ll be using this information to plan our 2008 food garden around herbs, fruits and veggies we can’t get at the FM. Happy perusing!

Think the farm bill doesn't impact Northern Nevada? Learn more here....

The 2007 Farm Bill is currently being discussed in the Senate and could be voted on some time this week. It’s easy to think the farm bill doesn’t really impact what goes on in Nevada because farming isn’t what puts our state on the map…but the farm bill effects everyone who lives in the US and many people who don't. First of all, little in the farm bill is about actual farming as we imagine it. The farm bill is why real farmers are going bust, a huge portion of supermarket floor space is devoted to food products and a teenie portion to actual food, and why you’ll find soda, chicken nuggets, and tater tots in your kid’s school lunch before you’ll see fresh fruits, vegetables, and real meat. The farm bill is bizarre, disastrous…and complicated. Way too complicated for the average politician, let alone the average American with a really full life-plate. Here a couple of resources that help break down the barrier to understanding.

Food Fight: the Citizen’s Guide to a Food and Farm Bill, by Dan Imhoff is a concise, accessible description of the farm bill and how it works. The author explains the intent of original bill and how it developed into the current program, the problems with the program, the environmental and financial impact, national and global issues, and much more. But it’s a pretty quick read…finished it in a weekend. If you’re looking to learn more about where your food comes from and what you can do to fix what isn’t working, I highly recommend this book.

Environmental Working Group hosts website and a blog designed to track the farm bill, the subsidies, and ways the we can help influence change. Interesting reading, if a bit intense. Sort of the like the actual farm bill.

American Valley Growers products now available to Northern Nevadans

Just heard from a new area grower....American Valley Growers out of Quincy, CA. Check out their website. They are seriously local (82 miles from Quincy to Sparks).

The website is currently under construction but their "passion-statement" and lots of great photos are a good start.

Slow Food Truckee olive oil tasting

Arbequina olives


Friday night we went to Slow Food Truckee's latest event -- an olive oil tasting. It was really interesting! Never thought I'd voluntarily sip oil (the tasting techniques are just like those used to taste wine) but we did and really could taste the different characteristics. The Slow Food Truckee group is growing fast so I won't try to name all the players here but they're doing a fantastic job putting together events that highlight the food and wine produced here in our region.

We met at the Truckee River Winery, where the evening started with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and with mingled with new and established Slow Food enthusiasts. Russ Jones talked to us a bit about the wines he and his wife produce at the Truckee River Winery. Then Mary Lou Banahan of California Olive Ranch spoke to us about olive oil production, tasting, local and global implications and points of interest. This is where we learned that olive oil has taste characteristics much like those of wine; apple, green banana, fresh artichoke, and others. It was fascinating! Next we moved on to a stupendous meal prepared by Betsy Taylor, a local nutritionist. From the feta with olive oil and bread, to halibut with an olive oil rich tepenade, and the finale of olive oil pound cake, it was delicious beginning to end. Some of her inspiration came from a book titled Olive Oil: From Tree to Table. Throughout the meal we drank wine paired to the dishes and marveled at the joy of learning, mingling, and food.Life is good!

As usual, I'm fixated on what we learned that night. I'll pass on a tiny bit here. Olive oil is harvested sometime in October; olio nuovo is the freshest version of olive oil is best eaten within 90 days (it is so delicious our two bottles won't last 3 weeks); new technologies can be used to produce the kind of olive oil humans have loved for thousands of years; and it is a versatile ingredient that has a place in every course. (Correction )A couple of weeks ago NPR did a report about the top money makers in the world and included on the list is the Italian mafia. One of their biggest profit makers is olive oil, which they dilute with other cheaper oils and sell as "extra virgin olive oil", so buyers beware. If you want to know that someone other than the federal government is watching out for the quality of the olive oil you eat and you want to buy as local as possible, look for the California Olive Oil Council seal of approval on the label.

Slow Food USA, Slow Food Truckee, and talented local growers/producers and restaurant owners are committed to giving us an opportunity to learn about all the marvelous locally produced foods and wines within our reach here in Northern Nevada. We've been eating locally for more than a year now and continue to be amazed at how it has enhanced our lives. It has been well worth the effort to modify our purchasing habits and seek out the exceptional food, wine and food-people we have come to know and love. I'll say it again...Life is good!