EATING Close to the Land
As I indicated in my first post, in addition to blogging about farm life in general, I intend to blog about food~ growing it, finding it locally, preparing it and, of course, EATING it. Though I have always been interested in and grew up eating regional foods, in the last few years I have focused on learning more about traditional ways of preparing locally produced foods. During this same time, by participating in the training provided by our county’s Cooperative Extension Service (in cooperation with North Carolina State University), I became a Master Gardener. This training not only set me on a path to expand my knowledge of plants and gardening, it also connected me to a great group of kindred spirits (my fellow Master Gardeners) who share not only their unique experiences and knowledge about gardening but also some fabulous recipes and tips on preserving and using fresh products. For more info about the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service or Master Gardener Training, you can go to: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu.
In addition to growing more of my own food, I have also been honing my culinary skills related to cooking wild game and fresh fish that are plentiful in the area where I live. Though I don’t hunt myself, I live on a farm just off the Roanoke River where for generations fish and game have been an important part of our culture as well as our diet. At home we particularly enjoy dishes which feature venison, wild duck, dove, rabbit, squirrel and all kinds of fish. On rare occasions, we have the opportunity to eat (and sometimes cook) raccoon, beaver, bear and other more exotic game. Over the past 25 years that I have been living on this farm, I have gathered a number of recipes for turning the game that we have into tasty dishes to feed my family and to share with friends. One of our favorite “wild concoctions” is my Roanoke River Chili which features five local products~ my tomatoes, peppers and venison, and red wine and honey from some local producers. A couple of years ago I entered my “land-based” chili in a local chili cook-off and was surprised to win first place.
In the case that I can’t produce my own food, when possible, I like to acquire fresh products that are grown in our region or at least in our state. I like the idea of acquiring food that is as fresh as possible as well as contributing to the regional economy. In order to get the freshest local products, I am particularly fond of roadside stands, “pick your own” farms, farmer’s markets and farm-to table networks. For me visiting these venues is like a kid “going to the candy store.” I love the rainbow of colors and the opportunity to learn from the producers as well as the opportunity to conduct a treasure hunt for some new produce that I haven’t tried before or some that has a limited season like figs or persimmons.
As I mentioned in my first posting (Carolina Carol on Food and Farm Life- December 2011), I am working on a cookbook which will contain regional recipes and stories. While I am completing my cookbook, I am hopeful of using this blog to develop a community of folks that want to talk about food, farm life and rural culture and community~ or “living close to the land”.
Hope this gives you some idea where I am going with this blog. My next post will be an actual game recipe. I tried a new duck recipe this past week and after sharing it with some friends, we thought it was a definite keeper. Hope that you will follow my blog and join me to “talk food and farm life” … and perhaps share this link with your friends.
Coming soon … Savory Duck Stew
Carolina Carol
My fellow Master Gardeners
CLOSE TO THE LAND 