Posts
The following was published in the Atchison Daily Globe on September 2, 2009. I'll be doing a monthly column for the Globe on issues related to localized food. Keep an eye out for it.
Over the past several years, I have read more and more about “local” eating. That is, consuming foods grown/produced within a set perimeter of where you live. For example, Eden Alley, a vegetarian restaurant in Kansas City, strives to prepare all means with local, organic ingredients. Don’t worry, this movement is not just for vegetarians. In the last year, I have purchased a quarter of beef, half a hog, and the better part of a lamb, all raised within 40 miles of my home.
The idea of eating locally, which has been alive and well at the Atchison Farmers Market for years, has been on my mind lately due to our current economic concerns. If the food we buy from grocery stores must be transported from great distances, it is only logical that prices will increase if and when fuel prices increase. Considering costs involved when we drive to another city to purchase our family’s food, perhaps the idea of eating locally makes even more sense.
With these realizations I’ve started reading a bit about urban farming, gardening, animal husbandry and home processing. I’ve starting hearing stories of local folks who make their own goat cheese, collect eggs daily, as well as garden. I’ve even been invited to dinner by friends and eaten a wonderful meal comprised only with foods that hung on a vine hours before consumption.
I imagine there is a wealth of locally produced food and drink within a 40-mile radius of Atchison. I like to eat and I like to drink, so I have made it my mission to discover this food and drink and report back to you with my findings. Hopefully, doing so on a monthly basis, thanks to the fine folks at the Atchison Globe.
To kick things off, I thought I’d share a recipe I tried a few mornings ago. It isn’t entirely local, but the main ingredients are and I’m new at this.
Eggs and Greens
2 farm fresh eggs
2 handfuls of fresh spinach
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
A bit of salt
Some pepper
A pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Heat a skillet on your stove. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne when the skillet gets warm. Wilt the spinach in the oil and cover for a few minutes. When the spinach looks good, move it to a plate and return the pan to the stove. Add the second teaspoon of olive oil and fry the eggs to your taste. When the eggs are happy, slide them on top of your spinach and return the pan to the stove for the third time. Add the vinegar to the pan and let it reduce by half. When the vinegar is reduced, drizzle over the eggs and enjoy!
If you are a local food producer, I’d love to hear from you. If you have time to let me check out your operation, I’d love to come for a visit. If you want to share a recipe, I’ll pass it along. Hopefully this little adventure in newspaper column writing will be fun and educational for all of us.
———————
Matthew Ramsey is an avid foodie. When he is not eating he serves as an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Special Education teacher preparation program at Benedictine College.
