I've been drooling over Culinate, a blog out of Portland that takes a deep look at food -- where it comes from, how to prepare it, and how to live well by eating well (thanks for the heads up, Julie G.). Many of the writers live in Portland, so these articles tend to reference local food, farms and farmers markets. I love the section Produce Diaries where people write about what's in their weekly CSA bin and suggest recipes for preparation (wish I'd seen this four months ago). And just in the nick of time: 10 ways to use stale bread (as I have two hard-as-rocks Grand Central loaves waiting in the wings).
After a summer of CSA eating, I've pretty much given up my focus on local food this winter. My children are so picky about vegetables and other foods that I feel they would shrivel up into old, forgotten mushrooms by springtime if I tried to feed them beets, rutabagas and kale. And the satsumas out of California are about the only thing keeping me from going back to bed on a dark, rainy day...so sweet, like a little burst of sunshine. Can't give 'em up. I'm still shopping the Hillsdale Farmers Market and picking up mushrooms, cheese, bread and Kookoolan chickens (but no eggs, wah). But I just can't devote the time and energy to creatively cooking the foods in season NOW to trick my kids into eating them. (This is when I really wish I had frozen lots of green beans from the summer and canned those juicy tomatoes.) I'm glad Culinate is here to inject a little inspiration and positive local food reinforcement.
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