Don't put that in your mouth, you don't know where it's been

Here it is, the last day of the 2010 Eat Local Challenge and I'm feeling a little guilty for not writing anything about it till now. I am inclined to take this annual nine-day challenge pretty seriously - it's my competitive nature, I guess.

In 2007 I was a true purist, sticking strictly to a hundred-mile limit for every ingredient. By the time the week was over I had learned much about what is and isn't produced in our region, and how hard can be to find out where a food comes from due to a lack of interest or (worse) deliberate obfuscation on the part of certain retailers.

In 2008 I volunteered to keep an Eat Local blog for the Mail Tribune (not Foodlandia; this was a different one on the MT site just for that week and since deleted from the archives), again keeping my promise to eat exclusively local despite a debilitating caffeine withdrawal headache (no joke; it was dismal) and the privations of no olive oil, salt, or vinegar. That year also brought two sets of houseguests during the week, so we had big barbecues and Britt picnics to raise the difficulty level. It was also the year I learned to make my own feta and mozzarella through the fantastic cheese-making class at Pholia goat farm in Rogue River.

Last year I had begun this blog, and I wrote a post on it explaining my newly personalized rules and exceptions for my very own version of Eat Local 2009. The radius for the official Thrive event had been extended to 200 miles, which was great because now I could get fish and even salt, but one of the critical eating local lessons I'd already learned was about me - that I'm not all that willing to give up coffee, olive oil, lemons, salt, or vinegar. But I also knew that with a few allowances, a locavore can do very well in the Rogue Valley in September. And again it was a good experience.

But why do it again for a fourth year? Because attitudes are changing and (hallelujah!) interest in local food sources is growing. That means that foods are being grown here that were not available last year. And also because it gives me an immediate reason to try new ways of using local products.

And so now here we are at the end of the week. What's new? Well, grains, mostly. The biggest discovery, thanks to my friend Sara, is Dunbar Farms. Who would have thought that someone was growing wheat and making flour with it right here in my own neighborhood? David Mostue is running Dunbar Farms on the land first planted with pear orchards by his great-great-uncle at the turn of the last century. The place is named after David's grandfather Dunbar Carpenter, a great Medford philanthropist as well as orchardist (and Harvard graduate in economics). David is experimenting with traditional farming methods and a variety of crops. The family business includes a winery as well, and I wish them the best with all of it. If you want to buy David's produce (in-season vegetables of various kinds, eggs, flour, sometimes bread made with the flour, and wine) you need to get on his email list to place weekly orders for Friday pickup. I heard that he has also just begun to sell at the Growers Market but unfortunately my job keeps me from getting there on Thursday mornings to check it out.

A few days ago the Mail Tribune ran this intriguing article about a local grower of amaranth and other ancient grains. I searched unsuccessfully for Hi Hoe grains on my next trip to the co-op; later when I reread the article more carefully I saw that they were out of stock for the year. The new crop will be in stores later this fall. While I was looking, though, I noticed that Bob's Red Mill up in Milwaukee Oregon is now selling one pound bags of teff, another ancient grain; I sense that some injera experimentation is in my near future.

So here is a photo of my favorite local dinner this week. The colors actually look a little gruesome - that's what I get for using a flash instead of natural light - so you'll just have to trust me that in person the dish is most appetizing. It's eggs poached in the leftover juice and olive oil from a batch of pomodori al forno, served on a mound of sauteed collard greens, served with soft goat cheese spread on toasted slices of bread I made using Dunbar Farms flour. All local except the olive oil, and almost all from our own back yard.


And for dessert: peach cobbler made with peaches from the farmer's market and back yard raspberries, sweetened with a little Rogue Valley honey, and Dunbar pastry flour in the topping. Except for the baking powder, all local.

By the way, our hens celebrated Eat Local week by laying their very first eggs. Here is Helia's first effort. Isn't it beautiful? (thank you, Helia!)