Green Tomato Bacon Jam

A savory freezer jam made with green tomatoes, sweet onion, and crispy bacon. This is AMAZING mixed with ground beef for burgers.

A note to the vegetarians who have visited this blog before: thank you for coming back! I beg your pardon, but today's vegetable recipe is really directed at the omnivores and carnivores that stop by (and thank you omnivores, if you've been here before, for returning!)
If you're new here, welcome! I blog about feeding my family seasonal produce from our CSA farm share, our garden, or good deals I find. I like to cook based on what I have available, so I created my Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient (vegetable, or fruit, or fungus) which you can find in the pages across the top. For more recipes using green tomatoes, please check out my Green Tomato Recipe Collection.

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When I started this blog I didn't fully appreciate the versatility of a green, unripe, tomato. I liked to eat fried green tomatoes and hadn't ventured from there. Then a friend shared her Slow Cooker Green Tomato Garlic Chili recipe and I thought I'd dabble in more green tomato recipes. I've got 10 posted--so far!


I decided to make jam with green tomatoes from sheer curiosity. I saw sweet green tomato jam recipes, and savory red tomato and tomato bacon jam recipes, but I didn't find a savory green tomato bacon jam recipe. I started with this recipe and swapped out the red tomato for a bit larger volume of green tomatoes and onion.

If you grow tomatoes or know someone who does, keep this recipe in mind as the nights get cooler (as tomatoes don't ripen if it's too cool at night).  Sure, you can pick tomatoes and ripen them on the counter, but aren't you getting a wee bit satiated by ripe summer tomatoes?  Are you looking for a little something different?  My answers to those questions are yes and yes, so I'm sharing this today.


Make this jam when your tomato crop is in danger of succumbing to frost.  Store the excess jars in the freezer. Next time you're making burgers, mix 1/4 cup of jam in with a pound of ground meat (I've used beef and turkey so far) then continue with your usual burger making.  I prefer to make quarter pound burgers because I get plenty of protein and sure don't need the bigger burger, and I can make 1 pound of ground meat easily feed our family of 4 on burger nights.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins #MuffinMonday

Buttery chunks of sweet fresh apple in a wholesome whole grain muffin.

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There's nothing better than a local apple, grown for flavor--not the ability to step off the truck looking enticing. I'm delighted to get an apple share with my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share. Just like berries in Spring, and melons in summer, we look forward to the changing of the seasons with the arrival of apples heralding the advent of Fall.

This time of year I am the proverbial Ant of Ant and Grasshopper lore. I spend my days off harvesting, chopping, mincing, slicing, roasting, dehydrating, freezing and canning the local summer abundance. I do this for three reasons. First, I hate to waste food so permitting produce to spoil because I haven't gotten around to eating it is unacceptable to me. Second, I like to eat locally sourced food--and there's nothing more local than my backyard!  Third, I'm a frugal sort. If I'm overrun with tomatoes in August, why not put them up now so I avoid paying money later when I want to make my Creamy Tomato Soup for my daughter's lunch?

How to Make Kalua Pig in a Slow Cooker

Bring the luau out of the back yard and into the slow cooker with this simple 3 ingredient recipe for slow cooked pork. This is a great meal to take to friends, and the leftovers freeze well.

Disclosure--there is nothing to disclose. This post is not sponsored by anyone--it's just for me. I'm putting on the 'blogger' hat and writing a web log about recent events, primarily to help me debrief myself as much as to have a record on my website of this recipe, this experience. Scroll down (there's a video!) if you're just interested in the recipe and not my life.

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Earlier this year I read a book called The Year of Yes [Amazon link below with some other stuff. You click, you find something else to buy, and I may get a couple of pennies for my annual website costs. Up to you. Thanks.] In the book, Shonda Rhimes wrote about choosing to say Yes to projects outside her comfort zone, and I decided to do the same thing. When my local community center asked me to teach another canning class I said yes and developed a pickling class I'll be teaching next month. When Jennifer of the Ohio Pork Council asked me to do a cooking demo at the Ohio state fair? Of course I said yes.

The schedule looked busy. The dates of Fair Week included the time I'd be up in Minnesota having a family reunion celebrating my folks' 60th anniversary and visiting my spouse at his new assignment, meaning I'd come off driving 2200+ miles and jump right into cooking? It seemed reasonable 3 months ago, and in fact it was just fine. I was crazed and harried, but just fine. Jennifer asked me to cook something easy, and after about 30 seconds of thought I knew I'd be grabbing a lei and channeling my time in Hawaii. I could cook this with my eyes closed, although there are knives involved so I don't recommend you try it.

I lived in Hawaii, on Oahu, twice--both times courtesy of the military. During my first stay, my son was born in a Pepto bismol pink hospital on the side of a mountain while I was assigned to the patient squadron and waddled around exploring as much of the island as I cared in my heavily pregnant/postpartum state. [You might think that's not much, but you don't know my spouse. He had us hiking up to see waterfalls the day after our baby was released from the NICU--2 weeks after my C section.] My spouse was the one stationed in Hawaii the next time we lived on Oahu. He likes to refer to the assignment as my 3½ year "Hawaiian Honeymoon". [We had a JoP wedding in the States and I'd flown back to Germany 2 days later, so no honeymoon. The marriage was the important part, not the vacation.] When we arrived in Hawaii, our kids were 2½ years old (returning to his birthplace) and 8 months (our baby girl). They were 6 and 4 when we left. Yes, I changed a lot of  diapers. I don't think you're supposed to wash diapers on a honeymoon, nor have your spouse go on a deployment, so I'm still waiting for my trip.

Smothered Pork Chops

This recipe for Smothered Pork Chops is a fast meal elegant enough for company but simple enough for a weeknight dinner.

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I'm working with the Ohio Pork Council, focusing on everyday recipes using different cuts of pork to share the versatility of this protein. Over the coming year (which, like an academic year or the federal government's fiscal year has nothing to do with the calendar year) I'll be posting a number of recipes as part of this partnership. I'm clear on my purpose for this website, sharing practical support for local eaters, so you know I'll be bringing a local, seasonal perspective to my recipes. Next month I'll be sharing a recipe using ground pork and green tomatoes, then later in the year we'll explore bacon and leftover ham.

To kick off this series, the Ohio Pork Council invited me along to a farm dinner. "You want me to come out, get fed, then write about it? I'm in." I apologize for the quality of the location photos. While we were coordinating the date for this event, the military up and transferred my spouse to his new assignment in Minnesota so all of the images are mine. You can see his photographs of Oakview Farms in my post about my visit with the Runyan family, How to Grill the Perfect Pork Chop.

To set the stage, here's what I saw when I turned off the highway--a road curving off into the distance with healthy stands of corn on either side. I felt myself relaxing at that moment--the rush to finish up at work (I'd left a pot of cioppino to simmer and raced out the door) and worry about being late melted away. I'm guessing my instinctive reaction is due to my Dad growing up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. A rural lane surrounded by cornfields = happy childhood memories of visiting my grandparents imprinted onto my subconsciousness. Introspection aside, I was in the right frame of mind when I arrived at the Surber farm.

John and Connie Surber are the 5th of going on 7 generations of hog farmers in Sabina, Ohio. They started off making animal feed (10 to 12 different formulations just for young pigs alone if I got that right) and then later added a Mother Barn for momma pigs (sows) having babies (farrowing) up thru weaning (3 weeks for piglets vs 3 years for my daughter). [For a peek at how hogs are raised after weaning, please see Heather's visit to Uncle Squeals' operation.] The Mother Barn is biosecure--that means showering in and out to keep the hogs healthy and the pork free of antibiotics.

The Surber family hosted this farm dinner, but it sure was a group effort. The event was coordinated by Heather, The Food Hussy, aka my pork pimp. I met two more fellow Ohio food bloggers, Nicole of Brown Sugar  along with her darling son and her mom, and Jill the Foodtastic Mom along with her enthusiastic kiddos. After John & Connie, and Neil Rhonemus (Uncle Squeals himself) talked about raising hogs, Chef Matt and Chef Jeff of Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spices shared how to cook several cuts of pork.

Black Raspberry, Brown Sugar and Oatmeal Muffins #MuffinMonday

Black raspberries and brown sugar sweeten this oatmeal muffin recipe. A summer treat when berries are in season, or use frozen berries to enjoy summer flavor year round.

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I grew up in a household that produced some of the food we ate, and that is a value I've carried with me into adulthood. Because we move around, in some homes the food production has been small--a few pots of basil and rosemary by the kitchen window, or mint in the ground next to the air conditioner (condensation means I hardly needed to water).

Currently my backyard garden, my Edible Foodscape, is the largest it's ever been--and that's probably small by most folks' standards, but I've got a postage stamp size yard and am making much with it. I've got 5 raised beds, each about 2 feet by 5 feet, made by my spouse from an upcycled cedar privacy fence. In these beds are garlic, tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, spinach, cucumbers, basil, peas, dill, and the volunteer squash for the season. I've got a perennial herb area interplanted with perennial flowers, a small strawberry area, peach trees and an ever-expanding raspberry patch.

Fresh Cherry Blueberry Cobbler

A colorful and comforting dessert combining fresh cherries and blueberries under a sweet dough crust. Serve this with vanilla ice cream for a naturally red, white, and blue treat!

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Introspection. 

According to dictionary.com it means observation or examination of one's own emotional or mental state, mental processes, etc. To me, it's something that everyone should do periodically. Think about who you are, where you are in life, where you want to be, what your values are. Taking time to check in with yourself and think about your next steps means that you're not going to be blindly lurching from one thing/place/gig/person to another. What does this have to do with a dessert made with fresh cherries and blueberries? Simple. As much as I love seeing the fantastic patriotic desserts on Pinterest, I know that artificial colorings are not for me. This type of dessert, using seasonal fruits that are plentiful this time of year, is more my speed. Thinking about myself, what matters to me, how I want to feed my family makes me delighted to share this recipe with you.

For other naturally colored patriotic red white and blue recipes we're talking beets. My Red, White, and Blue Muffins feature cherries, blueberries, beets and white chocolate chips. My Savory Red, White, and Blue Appetizer has roasted beet puree topped with fresh blueberries and goat cheese. It's really yummy.

Are you celebrating Canada Day? May I suggest my Fresh Strawberry Sundae Ice Cream Pie? No pesky blue color to mess up the red & white.

Fresh Peach and Pecan Waffles

Chunks of ripe peaches and chopped pecans flavor these whole grain waffles. Peach and Pecan waffles are perfect for a summer breakfast or brunch.

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Celebrate the summer season with my favorite fruit--peaches!

As I type this, the peaches on my daughter's tree are plentiful but not yet ripe. However I often work a year ahead, so I'm going to share a recipe from my son's birthday/graduation trip to see Space Things. Last year we passed thru Georgia en route to/from the Space Coast of Florida. I picked up peaches and pecans on the way down, and then more on the way home. We love peaches.

Next I heard about The Peach Truck and bought a case of Georgia peaches in a local hardware store parking lot. [Note--I was at work on the day the truck was due and a friend picked up my case for me.. Full disclosure.] The peaches weren't yet ripe, so I bided my time before I could make my Peach Salsa.

Chicken Meatballs with Garlic Scape Pesto

Ground chicken and garlic scape pesto makes a flavorful meatball. Serve this tasty Spring treat over pasta, in a meatball sub, as an appetizer or on a pizza!

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Garlic scapes are one of the weirder items in the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share box. They are a strange green hook that packs a mild garlic flavor into a curlicue shape, shown below. I think they're one of the best savory ways to kick off a new growing season and I hope to share the love with you.

When I get garlic scapes in the farm share they are usually accompanied by loads of greens. Spinach, salad mix, cooking greens . . . all of these are more fragile than the hardy garlic scape. While I need to perform Vegetable Triage to ensure none of the delicate greens go to waste, I can toss a bag of garlic scapes into the crisper and remember it in a week without any problems. Once I've gathered all of the season's scapes, I make a massive batch of Garlic Scape Pesto. You can find my Garlic Scape & Pistachio Pesto recipe here. I freeze this pesto in small amounts to use throughout the year, whenever I want to add a flavor boost to pizza, or muffins, or even meatballs.

Help! I just got my CSA farm share. Now what do I do with it?

Practical advice for folks eating from a farm share including the three questions of Vegetable Triage and what to do when you bring your farm share into your kitchen.

A typical early Spring farm share--plenty of greens, peas, radishes, onions and garlic.

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Take a deep breath. I'm here to help.

It seemed like such a great idea, back in the cold dark days of winter, to sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share. A weekly box of fresh local vegetables and fruits? I'm in! Now reality is setting in. You've got a fridge filled with unfamiliar produce and the clock is ticking down to the next farm share day.
Before you're tempted to chuck it in the trash (gulp!) or swirl it down the disposal (noooo!) or toss it on the top of the compost heap (BTDT!) please read on.

Every day, some Thing in life can be overwhelming, but you get thru it by breaking The Thing down into smaller chunks. This applies to grief, term papers, and parenting as well. In terms of your farm share, this means you need physical, or at least mental, Vegetable Triage when the produce first arrives at your house.

The Three Questions of Vegetable Triage:

1. What can live outside my refrigerator?
2. What can I prep so I'm more likely to use it?
3. What do I need to use up first?

Garlic Scape Pesto & Ricotta Muffins #MuffinMonday

These savory muffins are flavored with garlic scape pesto & ricotta cheese. They bake up quickly for an easy bread to serve alongside pasta, chicken, or fish.

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Ever make a main dish and think at the last moment, "you know, some hot bread would be great with this"? That's one of the reasons I like muffins--they come together quickly (as in, thrown together while an entree is baking) and usually require just pantry ingredients. Simply pop them into the already hot oven and a few minutes later you've got yourself a hot bread to accompany your meal.  Take that, yeast breads!

I envisioned these muffins alongside a plate of lasagna, spaghetti & meatballs, or a crock pot pizza casserole where the pesto-ricotta combination can enhance the entree. They'd be terrific with my Pesto Ricotta Baked Swai recipe or my Chicken Spinach Artichoke Pesto Pasta recipe. When I made them I was just craving a savory quick bread I could slather in buttery spread and snarf down while standing in the kitchen with my wiener dog, Vincent, at my feet catching the crumbs. True story! These muffins assuaged the craving.

I was not interested in having a full pan of muffins to feed a larger group--I just wanted enough for our family--so I filled my muffin cups much fuller than usual. The resulting large muffins took a few more minutes to bake, but Vincent and I didn't mind. This recipe could be stretched into a dozen if you make them smaller than I did.

the wet ingredients

Seasonal eaters will delight in the inclusion of garlic scape pesto in this recipe. If you know what it is and you've got some--go for it. If you're not sure where in the grocery store you'd buy garlic scape pesto, let me give you a Top Tip: it's not there. Use a prepared pesto instead, and check out this Garlic Scape Recipe Round Up to learn more about the wonders of garlic scapes.

Garlic Scape and Goat Cheese Omelette

This vegetarian omelette is stuffed with garlic scapes, parsley, and creamy goat cheese for a fresh Spring flavor using what's growing right now.

Yes, the tomatoes are local--from my friend's CSA. The pancakes? From the freezer section of the grocery store. 

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Time for a reality check. I find eating locally and seasonally hardest right around now. Loads of produce is in its active growing phase, but there's precious little produce ready to harvest. I've exhausted the Strategic Winter Squash Reserve in the corner of my cold basement. There's a continually replenished supply of empty canning jars coming out of the dishwasher and hanging around the counter, awaiting transport downstairs. I'm starting to see space in the fruit and vegetable freezer, yet I'm sick of using the frozen produce I put up last year.

I want fresh. I want vibrant. I want green!

Enter this simple meal. Since we get local eggs year round from the farmer's market, an omelette is a great Go To entree no matter the time of day. It's a simple matter of popping out to the garden to pick some parsley and a garlic scape which adds a bit of crunch, color, and flavor to the filling. I finished it off with a bit of creamy goat cheese because--magical markdown stickers, yo.

What's a garlic scape, you ask? I'm glad to enlighten--it's the flowering portion of a head of garlic. Happily for all involved (as someone who's been growing her annual garlic supply for about a decade, I'll be both a producer and a consumer here) we producers and consumers of garlic would rather have a fat garlic bulb than another pretty allium flower in the garden bed. So we cut off the twisty flower stalk and guess what happens? The plant puts its energy into growing a bigger bulb. This is truly a win-win situation--we get mild garlic flavored scapes now, and more garlic to harvest later. Farmers can sell both the scapes and the harvested garlic. How awesome is that?

Salsa Verde Pork Tacos

Salsa verde spices up ground pork in these gluten free tacos. Spread the corn tortillas with a layer of refried beans for extra protein & fiber, and finish with your favorite toppings!

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Photo credit Emily Bir

This post is sponsored by the Ohio Pork Council, so it's odd that I'm going to start off talkin' turkey, but bear with me. Have you ever had a small interaction, a seemingly insignificant moment, that stuck with you, burrowed in, and changed your outlook on life? Allow me to share one such moment in my life.

A few summers ago I had the opportunity to assist The Foodbank with the quadrennial Hunger in America study. This involved going to many member agencies--the food pantries throughout Montgomery, Greene, and Preble counties who receive food from The Foodbank and get it into their clients' hands. I met the folks distributing food and interviewed folks receiving food throughout the Miami Valley. It was at one of these pantries that I experiences a tiny shift of my axis that has stayed with me.                        It was a hot, muggy August day and the food pantry had a surplus of whole turkeys in their freezer. As the clients were leaving, after they'd gotten their normal allotment of food, they were offered a frozen turkey. Some folks took a turkey, but the majority did not. I overheard one client say, "now what would I do with a turkey in August?"    Mind. Blown.    My assumptions--that folks have access to an oven to roast a turkey, or access to the rest of the kitchen infrastructure needed to fully utilize a 20 pound uncooked bird [check the Bed Bath & Beyond circular in November if you don't know what I mean], or the skills to know how to cook the bird--were challenged. Free food doesn't help anyone if you can't transform it into ready to eat meals.

Photo credit Emily Bir

This is why I'm delighted to spread the word about the Ohio Pork Council's recent donation. Ohio farmers have donated 17,400 pounds of pork to feed needy Ohio families. The Foodbank in Dayton received 3 tons of pork, enough to make 30,000 of the 87,000 total meals donated in the Pork Power program this month. That's huge and I want to shout it from this rooftop.

A pound of ground pork is a convenient source of protein. It can be cooked on a grill, stovetop, hot plate, or even a microwave. After the holidays donations to the food banks are down so an influx of healthy and useful products like pork is much appreciated. Providing wholesome meals to Ohio families is a thoughtful and compassionate endeavor, and I'm glad to draw attention to the efforts of Ohio farmers and the Ohio Pork Council.

The next food occasion on my personal radar is Cinco De Quatro Mayo so my mind is naturally turning in a fiesta direction. I'm checking the basement stash of home-canned salsa [no need to ration--yet] and craving more guacamole than usual. When the Ohio Pork Council asked me to share a recipe using ground pork, I immediately started thinking pork tacos. I didn't want to just substitute a pound of ground pork for a pound of ground beef or turkey and use my usual jar of taco seasoning.

Sweet Potato Braided Bread for #EasterWeek

A sweet breakfast or brunch treat made with roasted sweet potatoes, this braided bread is an impressive addition to your holiday table.

Welcome to day 6 of #EasterWeek hosted by Bernadette from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen!

This week we are celebrating Easter and Bernadette’s blogging anniversary with all kinds of delicious recipes and a giveaway! From appetizers to ham recipes, we have everything you need for a great Easter dinner or brunch, and one lucky winner will receive a $200 Amazon gift card.  Scroll down for more details!

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It's good to have a skill in your kitchen repertoire that can be manifested in a variety of ways throughout the year. This recipe is an excellent example of that. The technique of braided 3 strands of bread dough is a simple one to master, and once you've got it down you can turn out an infinite array of breads for nearly any occasion. [As I type this, my brain is thinking towards savory routes.] I learned how to braid bread while living in Finland where I made a cardamom-spiced version called Pulla  [poo-lah] (you can find my Finnish Pulla recipe here).

Sometimes I get creative before I start braiding the dough. I've flattened and spread ropes of dough with caramel pumpkin butter before braiding to make a Caramel Pumpkin Butter Stuffed Braided Bread.
I've gotten creative using Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share vegetables to naturally color the dough for a tricolor Mardi Gras Bread using purple sweet potatoes, orange sweet potatoes, plus matcha green tea powder to make the traditional colors in sweet bread form.

The basis of this bread is a sweetened, enriched dough. My sweet potato bread dough recipe was inspired by the Overnight Sweet Potato Monkey Bread in Donna Currie's book Make Ahead Bread. When you make dough using vegetables the moisture content varies widely depending on the age of the vegetable and the amount of rainfall during the growing season, so it's important to be familiar with how an enriched dough should act/feel/look like. If you've never baked bread I would not recommend diving into this recipe. I'd suggest you start with the Pulla to get the hang of it, then branch out to incorporating roasted sweet potatoes into your dough.

For this recipe I wanted to expand on the sweet potato dough concept with complementary flavors. I chose pecans and brown sugar because that's my favorite way to eat sweet potatoes. I've made this bread several times, with several variations. I've got a bunch of notes, so do be sure to read through before embarking on your baking session(s). You can be as elaborate as you want, using 3 types of dough to make 6 loaves of multicolored purple/orange/brown bread. You could simply make a single batch of orange sweet potato dough and make two loaves of bread. Add in pecans or leave them out as you prefer. Sprinkle on maple sugar or use turbinado sugar as you prefer.  This recipe is pretty forgiving, and the dough can be stored in the fridge for several days or frozen for several months.

Wild Violet Butter for #EasterWeek

Fresh wild violets and wild violet sugar make a sweetly floral compound butter perfect for celebrating all things Spring. Add this spread to an Easter or Mother's Day brunch to bring a taste of fresh local foods to your table.

Welcome to day 1 of #EasterWeek hosted by Bernadette from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen!

This week we are celebrating Easter and Bernadette’s blogging anniversary with all kinds of delicious recipes and a giveaway! From appetizers to ham recipes, we have everything you need for a great Easter dinner or brunch, and one lucky winner will receive a $200 Amazon gift card.  Scroll down for more details!

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The key ingredient in this recipe can be foraged, for free, across North America and beyond. I'm not one to turn away free food, especially free food that pops up when I'm most in need of a fresh local food fix after months of eating from the freezer, the canning shelves, and the Strategic Winter Squash Reserve. Granted, I cannot live on a diet of wild violets, but that doesn't stop me from using them in a variety of ways. Today's recipe is my third using wild violets. I've shared Wild Violet Granola, which I made using wild violet syrup. I've made Wild Violet Muffins--dunking the tops in wild violet sugar to finish them off sweetly. This time I'm also using the fresh flowers--not just in a syrup, jelly, or sugar preparation--to make a compound butter.

Use this wild violet butter as a spread for biscuits, scones, muffins or toast. Add it to an Easter spread or Mother's Day brunch. If you're fortunate to have ample blossoms [I almost typed ample bosoms] it would be neat to decorate the table with some as well. Start with a good quality salted butter. Typically I buy unsalted butter in bulk, so making compound butters are when I splurge for the single packages of salted butter, and usually a European style butter because it's creamier.

Making compound butters is an easy way to add a bit of flair to a holiday meal.  They keep for several days in the fridge (longer in the freezer, although I've not frozen this type of butter) so you can prepare early for your celebration. In the summertime I'll use an abundance of herbs to make Dill Butter. For Thanksgiving and Christmas I like to serve Cranberry Honey Butter. It's a small addition, but it's a nice touch that makes a special meal that much more special.

Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onion, Gorgonzola, and Havarti

This grilled cheese sandwich combines sweet caramelized candy onions with savory gorgonzola cheese tucked under a gooey Havarti blanket. You may need a fork for this gourmet concoction!

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One of the ways I put up the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share produce is to use my freezer in creative ways. [And I don't mean the "fruit & veg freezer that doubles as a microwave stand" type creative freezer uses.] After I discovered Dorothy's Crock Pot Caramelized Onions I realized I could stock up on candy onions (a local sweet onion variety) at the end of the season, caramelize them all in one tear-filled marathon of slicing, and freeze individual packets to use throughout the year.

Grilled cheese sandwiches rule [and Robert Barkers drool]. There--I've said it. As someone trying to please a frequent vegetarian and 2 hungry teens simultaneously, I am finding that a platter of grilled cheese sandwich quarters* is my go to lunch nearly every weekend.

Robert Barker is very intent on my sandwich. I didn't share.

Saturday mornings we hit the farmer's market for eggs, meat, and bread. When we get home, I'll make up a pot of my Creamy Tomato Soup with Home-Canned Tomatoes, cobble together some sandwiches while it's simmering, and call it a complete meal.

The kids choose whatever lunchmeat suits their fancy, the spouse can stay true to his desires not to eat industrially-produced meat, and I can get creative when the mood strikes or keep it simple when I just want to get food on the table. Everyone wins, and that's why I like grilled cheese.

Honey Semolina Wheat Pizza Dough

A recipe for basic pizza dough, with a bit of honey, semolina and wheat flours to make a nice chewy crust that stands up to whatever toppings you'd like to use.

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This pizza dough is a good basic dough. I've been making it weekly for a couple of months now, and it fits with a variety of toppings and sauces. It's sturdy enough for a heavier topping or deep dish pizza, mild in flavor, and has a nice chewy crust.

Pizza dough is best made ahead. The dough has time to relax and chill, and so do you.  Usually for me that means I throw the dough together sometime on Thursday for our family's Friday Night Pizza Night. Lately I've pushed the envelope on what 'make ahead' means. Typically I'm mixing up dough while my first cup of tea steeps, around 6 am, shaping it into a ball and bagging it, then chilling until I get off work or the kids get home from school. One of us transfers the dough bags to the counter to sit for 1-2 hours until it's back to room temperature. At dinnertime it's time to shape it, top it, and bake it as described in the photo exhaustive My Pizza Primer post.

How to Choose a CSA Farm Share

Factors to consider when choosing a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share.

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Welcome to Part Three of my series on How to Eat Local This Year. I'm trying to cover all the aspects I've learned over more than a decade of eating locally-sourced produce, so I've addressed different questions in each post of the series. In the first part, How to Eat Local, I cover the WHY question. To me, local produce just tastes better--and supporting local businesses supports your local economy. In the second part, Where to Find The Best Local Foods, I cover the WHERE--looking at farmers markets, on farm markets, grocery stores and Community Supported or Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) farm shares. Today I'm diving a little deeper into the HOW, to share the thought process behind choosing the CSA that's the best fit for you.

The chicken RV at Keener Family Farm.

How do you find what CSAs are in your area? There are several websites that offer a CSA search function, each with slightly different populations, so you're sure to find something from one of these. My favorite is through the website Local Harvest. The USDA's Agriculture Marketing Service operates the National Farmer's Market Directory. The EatWell Guide offers a listing of markets and CSA farms as well as farm to table restaurants. My favorite site for finding pick your own farms, PickYourOwn.org, operates a sister site called LocalFarmMarkets.org. Simply enter your zip code or postal code and search for the closest CSA.


The most common form of CSA is a produce CSA--mostly vegetables, some fruits. There's also meat CSAs, prepared dinners CSAs, bread CSAs, and even beer CSAs! Here in the US we are lucky to have a wide array of CSA farms in many urban, suburban, and rural areas. With multiple farms to choose from, how do you pick the one that's right for you? Since we've now made this choice 4 times in 2 states in the past 12 years, I figured I'd write a bit abut the primary factors that went into the decision. The biggest factor is convenience followed by the farming method, and finally the CSA model.

Where to Find the Best Local Foods

Suggestions for sourcing the best local fruits, vegetables, eggs and meats--part two of my series on How to Eat Local This Year!

photo provided by the 2nd Street Market, Dayton, Ohio

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Last week, in Part One of my How to Eat Local This Year series, I covered WHY I eat locally grown foods. One big reason to eat locally is because fresh food harvested in season just plain tastes good. I also shared the economic benefit to your community by recirculating dollars spent at local businesses. Here's another benefit--it's good for you! I am not a dietician so I'm not going to make any health claims, but I do think having more fresh produce in your house each week means you're more likely to eat more fresh produce each week, and eating more fresh, unprocessed food is always a good thing. This week, we're going to cover the WHERE--specifically how to find locally-sourced foods near you. The primary places I source locally grown foods are the farmer's market, the grocery store, on farm markets, and through a CSA farm share. We'll take a closer look at each of these today.