The Recorder, April 12th, 2016, by Mary McClintock.
Source: Ujamma Collective
Every day, I have a choice of what I eat, where it comes from, where I buy it.
I eat locally grown food for many reasons … including that it tastes great, I often know who grew it, I am grateful to live near farms, and because it didn’t use lots of energy traveling here from far away.
Every day, my choice of what I eat matters not just for me, but for the well-being of our community.
Really? My choices impact our community’s well-being?
It’s easy to think “I’m just one person, it doesn’t matter if I spend $5 on vegetables from the other side of the continent or planet instead of on vegetables that grew in Franklin County.”
It was easy to think that until I checked out CISA’s Local Food Impact Calculator. I went to www.buylocalfood.org/buy-local/local-food-calculator/ and entered numbers about what I spend on food, where it comes from, and who I bought it from. Here’s what I learned: “If every household in Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin Counties spent just $5 more on local food and $5 less on non-local food each month, $7,537,560 more local income would be generated per year and 48 local jobs would be created.” Imagine what more than $7.5 million would do for western Mass.
tuesdayfarmersmarket.wordpress.com
This week we’re eating …
Onion Pie
Belle Rita Novak, Springfield
- For a deep 13 x 9 pan, I used 8 eggs, one pint or so of half and half, a little hot sauce, Parmesan/Romano cheese and paprika
- Crumb crust (ideally) made with Ritz or Ritz-type crackers and butter
- Onions, lots and lots sautéed in olive oil and butter
- Whole milk, half and half, or non-fat half and half. Not skim, 1% or 2%
- Eggs
- Cheese, sharp cheddar, or any other kind you like
- Hot sauce
- Paprika
Sauté onions for about 45 minutes in olive oil and butter, stirring frequently until caramelized. Meanwhile make crumb crust and bake for about 10 minutes. Make enough for the bottom, or up the sides, whatever. Put sautéed onions into crust. Mix cream or whatever you’re using, eggs, hot sauce, and a little salt and pepper. Put on top of onions. Shred cheese (about 1/2#) on top of mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350-375 about 40 minutes. For hors d’oeuvres, make it in shallow pan and cut into small squares and serve in muffin papers.
P.S. For more exact amounts, go to the internet and search for “vidalia onion pie.” You don’t need to use sweet onions for this, as they are sweet when they are caramelized. But you knew that.
Local food advocate and community organizer Mary McClintock lives in Conway and works as a freelance writer for Greenfield Community College, brand promoter for Goshen-based local food company Appalachian Naturals, and writer/editor for More Than Sound. Send column suggestions and recipes to: mmcclinto@yahoo.com
