August 16th, 2008 Newsletter

Bardstown Road Farmers’ Market

Sarah’s Corner

From our friend Sarah Fritschner

Many people seem to know the term “food miles” as a way to tell how far food travels from the place it is grown to the place it is purchased. It’s a term that also communicates how fresh a food might be and how its delivery impacts the environment.

The most common “food mile” figure tossed around is one disseminated first by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Several years ago researchers determined that the average piece of domestically-raised fresh produce traveled 1500 miles to reach a certain Chicago distribution warehouse. Since then, the “average 1500 food miles” has been cited in scores of information about agriculture and distribution.

Such an “average” obviously has its drawbacks. For instance, the 1500-figure doesn’t include table grapes from Chile, or jalapeno peppers from Mexico, Dutch bell peppers, or New Zealand apples.

Another study from the Leopold Center in Iowa reported that locally grown food in Iowa traveled an average of 56 miles to reach institutional markets. The center estimated that if every Iowan ate 5 fruits and vegetables a day and all that produce was grown in Iowa, it would increase farm income $302 million and create 4,000 new jobs.

That average seems more specific to me, and more accurate. And it drives home in dollars and people the impact my dollars can make on the surrounding area and the neighbors that live there.

And in August, buying locally-raised food is easy and rewarding. It seems like everything is in season. Soup and salad made with just-harvested vegetables make a refreshing dinner now through late fall.

Dressing

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salad

1 cup orzo
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 ounces)
1 cucumber, peeled if desired, and chopped
½ medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped chives
1/4 cup minced parsley, mint, or dill, or a mixture
4 or 5 pitted brine-cured black olives, minced

Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir or shake to dissolve salt and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add orzo and salt and cook until orzo is tender, about 8 minutes.

In the meantime, crumble feta cheese into a medium-sized bowl. Peel and chop cucumber; seed and chop red pepper and add them to the bowl. Add chives, other herb and olives.

When the orzo is cooked until just tender, drain it well. Add it to the bowl and stir to combine ingredients, dressing as you do. Chill if desired before serving, or serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4.

Tomato soup with thyme

5 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
2 medium onions, diced, about 2 cups
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, about 1 tablespoon minced
3 pounds ripe red or yellow tomatoes, or about 5 cups
7 or 8 sprigs of fresh thyme, about 4 or 5 inches long (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
More fresh thyme, if desired.
Sour cream or yogurt, if desired

Heat olive oil in a deep, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions as you chop them, then the carrots, then garlic. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Vegetables should be quite soft and somewhat reduced in size.

As the onion cooks, core the tomatoes and slice them in half horizontally. Use a finger to scoop the seeds out of the little seed pockets. Don’t be too obsessive about this, but just try to get the majority of seeds out of the tomatoes.

When the onions have cooked, add tomatoes to the pot, then add thyme sprigs, salt and red pepper. Cover the pot and cook about 10 minutes. Remove lid and add 3 cups water (or chicken broth) and simmer 10 minutes more. Remove thyme sprigs and put the soup through a blender in batches, blending until smooth.

Chill if desired before serving, or reheat to serve hot. Serve in bowls topped with sour cream and a thyme sprig, if desired. Serves 6.