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Summer time flavors

Posted at 5:52 AM on August 8, 2008 by Scott Swendsen (4 Comments)

Time is going quickly this summer as I have been busy at work while trying to stick to my locavore goals. When I volunteered to work the night shift (10 pm to 6 am), I had been planning to use my free daylight time to prepare food for winter storage. By this time, I had been hoping to have canned and frozen beans, peas, asparagus, beets, blueberries, strawberries and apricots. But with my decision to move back to Minnesota, I have put most of my food storage plans on hold.

But I have been taking advantage of what's being harvested. This week I have been drying apricots by the pound and I have some apricot leather drying right now. I picked several pints of blackberries from the fence line of the next door neighbor and I baked a dozen big plump blackberry muffins using local eggs, whole wheat flour, honey and, hopefully, buttermilk.

Tonight I am planning on taking some of my dried Idaho beans and make up a baked bean casserole with some locally made hot sausage. Plus the lettuce, summer squash, potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, kale and herbs are still coming in my CSA delivery. This past week, I used a head of Peaceful Belly's red cabbage and had a go at my first coleslaw - not too bad but needs a bit of work.

Tomorrow I am off to the farmers market to see if there are any blueberries and morel mushrooms available - I wasn't able to last week so I may have missed out on the last chance to get these two desirable products. Plus I need more eggs, some lamb shanks, maybe a loaf of fresh bread and a few more greens for the upcoming week.

I also am planning a trip out to the local orchard next week - peaches & nectarines are now coming into season and that signifies about one year now that I have been really working to make my food purchasing a local one. Last year about this time, I finally got the dehydrator out and bought a vacuum sealer and started storing food (peaches). I am still eating some of the stuff from last summer / fall from the freezer. So I have come full circle in my desire to be more sustainable, local and organic. I am looking forward to this next year, with the new challenges of eating Minnesota!

Take care!

Scott

Comments (4)

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I am so jealous about your apricots. As you know, Minnesota is a wonderful place. But we don't get stone fruits other than some plums and some sour cherries. The Saint Paul Farmers mkt is in full swing and right now we are still in raspberry season, one vendor had some blueberries and yet another some currants. The first apples are also in. Vegetables - you name em - we have everything in abundance with the exception of artichokes.

Posted by Diane | August 10, 2008 7:02 AM

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Hi Scott,
Thanks for your comments on my mushroom post. I'm glad to have your camaraderie as a fellow wild mushroom enthusiast as well as a fellow locavore. I'm surprised to read that you are still able to buy morels at your local farmer's market! Is the morel season in Idaho really that long, or are they dried or something? Either way, lucky you! Happy local eating,
Autumn

Posted by Autumn Long | August 11, 2008 7:26 AM

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Hi Autumn,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you on the Morel mushrooms - yea, I was surprised also to see them at the market last week - but the harvest here in Idaho has been the best in many years due to the large forest fires that occurred last summer. In talking to the mushroom vendor, part of the early harvest occurs in the lower elevations and then as summer progresses, the harvest moves up the mountain sides into higher elevations so that is part of the reason why the season seems longer. But boy, are they ever tasty! And these last ones were the largest I have every seen! Almost the size of grapefruits!!

Scott

Posted by Scott | August 18, 2008 6:17 AM

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Hi Diane!

I think that what I am going to miss the most about Boise after moving back to Minnesota will be the lost of having such a variety of local fruit - you are right, there are no peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, and cherries growing back in Minnesota like there are here.

Also, the vineyards and the amazing quality of wines produced here will also be greatly missed!

Ah, the pains of being a locavore, I guess!

Posted by Scott | August 18, 2008 6:21 AM