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Mo' scratch, mo' local! plus onion-mushroom dip

Cook for Good news March 12, 2010 — Want to up your locavore score without bending your budget? Cooking from scratch can add a little local to nearly every dish. Read more below and get the recipe for a healthy onion-mushroom dip just in time for March Madness.

How much local should we aim for?

After watching the documentary Fresh at the wildly successful Film 'Feast'ival this week, panelists and audience members talked about how to up the amount of local food served in homes, businesses, and institutions. One man accused a local university of going too slowly with its goal of 20% local by 2020. Dr. Nancy Creamer of the Center for Environmental Farm Systems talked about a program that has a goal of 10% local. She described what a huge economic impact that would have on the local farmers, but admitted that no one seems to know what percent of food currently comes from local sources.

10%, 20%, and even 30% seems low to me. If you eat with the seasons and freeze a little to get through the winter, the majority of your fruits and vegetables can be local. Looking at the Cook for Good shopping list for August, 44% could easily be local, even without including local butter or cheese. Even in January, 31% could be fresh and local. Those who freeze produce during the warm months or who can spend a little more for local carrots, butter, and cheese can raise the percentage higher.

And that's without buying any meat at all. Buying sustainably raised, local meat would easily send you past the 50% mark.

Mo' scratch, mo' local. Maybe these goals are so low because they assume that people will continue to eat mostly processed and prepared foods. When you cook from scratch, part of nearly every dish can be local. Take my corn bread for example. I use local corn meal, eggs, and mix-ins such as onions, peppers, and corn. I either use local buttermilk or make yogurt from local milk. Even for yeast bread, I use local milk, honey, and sometimes butter.

What's the big deal about local? There are lots of reasons to support local farmers and a more diverse food system. You'll get food that is less road-weary, has a smaller carbon footprint, and often costs less as a result. You'll also be supporting a more diverse food system, which helps minimize the damage that can be caused by accidents, greed, and terrorist attacks. Yesterday, Bloomberg News reported that "salmonella contamination at a Nevada food-flavoring plant may trigger the recall of as many as 10,000 products, according to a Consumers Union scientist." Ironically, the recall includes McCormick's French onion dip mix, which is a prepared food that my onion-mushroom dip replaces (see this week's recipe).

Remember to look for sustainable local, not just local. The most hideous factory farm is local to someone. And of course you can get sick from any food that has been poorly handled, even at a farm stand or in your own kitchen. But your odds are better if you will just wash your hands and choose real ingredients.

Bread-baking class tomorrow!

My class on Healthy, Homemade Bread, Quick or Slow is sold out for tomorrow, but you can get on the waiting list by calling Whole Foods at 919-828-5805. See class details.

Recipe: Onion-Mushroom Dip

Do you have foods you just can't keep in the house or you'll just gobble them up? For me, that's potato chips and the classic dip made with sour cream and dried French onion soup. I now only buy chips and make dip during one holiday season: the basketball playoffs. I've come up with a delicious, healthy, and largely local version. Bonus: make a batch onion-mushroom flavoring once, then just stir into yogurt for dip all the way through the NCAA Final Four. Serve this dip with veggies or on baked potatoes, too.

Thanks for your interest in the power of our food choices to develop healthy people and communities. And have a great weekend, with or without basketball!

Have a delicious day!

... Linda