White Cow Dairy and Rene Russo at Wegmans

So, fellow Locavore blogger Ann and I went to an event this morning at the McKinley Wegmans today featuring Patrick, the farmer from White Cow Dairy, and Hollywood actress Rene Russo (Major League, The Thomas Crown Affair, etc). As we arrived we ran into Lisa Tucker of Edible Buffalo with whom I'd shared e-mails and a phone conversation, though we'd never met in person. We had a great conversation about some exciting local food things coming up (what I'm most excited about? maple weekend in March--check it out in the winter issue at http://www.ediblebuffalo.com).

Then Ann and I went over to the sampling area where Ms. Russo was greeting people and helping pass out samples of yogurt from White Cow. Apparently, she is a friend of Patrick, the farmer/owner of White Cow, and came out to Buffalo to help him promote the expanded sales of his yogurt at Wegmans. If you are a regular at the Bidwell-Elmwood Farmer's Market you have probably met Patrick before--a rangy, friendly guy who is very enthusiastic about his work at the dairy. Patrick's farm also produces maple syrup, though he is not the maple expert--he has an arrangement with his neighbors where they take on the maple syrup processing.

White Cow Dairy yogurt is delicious. Tangy, almost like Greek yogurt, and made in small batches in a variety of flavors. There is even a new flavor named in honor of President Obama. The yogurt is sold in glass containers, which helps keep the flavor fresher. The yogurt is sweetened with maple syrup from the farm.

Ann and I had the chance to talk with Rene Russo for a few minutes and she seemed truly delighted to be in Buffalo, despite the cold. She said it was a nice break from LA. A really pleasant and lovely woman, and nice to see her putting some star power behind a Buffalo-area product that she believes in.


Here are some pictures from this morning's event:

Patrick, farmer and yogurt genius

Rene Russo

Lisa Tucker and one of the interns from Edible Buffalo

Brooklyn is the New Berkeley

The New York Times has a fascinating article today about Brooklyn as an incubator for loacally produced foods that goes beyond urban agriculture to artisanship. A great read, and hopefully we will see something similar develop in Buffalo someday. We already have Spar's Sausages, Choco-Logo, and many other promising shops. You can read about Brooklyn as the new artisanal foods incubator here.

Flapjacks for the Farm Event

From Erin Sharkey at the Growing Green program at the Massachusetts Avenue Project:

"All you can eat pancake extravaganza!

Come out and support Buffalo's urban youth farm and the young people that make it happen. Come out of your hibernation and fill up on a steaming hot short stack to benefit one of the coolest youth programs around.

$7! is all it costs to positively impact their lives as they strengthen the local food system, reclaim vacant lots, work on a nationally award winning urban farm, become agents for healthier food and environmental stewardship in their schools, learn about how to run a social enterprise, start Buffalo’s first aquaponics system, teach others how to grow their own organic produce, support local farmers, and advocate with groups across the nation that healthy food is a right not a luxury!

BE THERE OR BE A WAFFLE!"

Flapjacks for the Farm
A benefit breakfast for the Growing Green Youth Farm
Start Time: Saturday, March 7 at 9:00am
End Time: Saturday, March 7 at 12:30pm
Where: Trinity Episcopal Church

CSA Commitment

Yes, two posts in one day. Trying to make up for my severe lack of posting lately.

Dan and I finally took the plunge. We bought a share in the Promised Land CSA, and I am excited about it. I am looking forward to a summer of trying new vegetables and experiencing firsthand how a CSA works. I think Whitney was a shareholder of Promised Land last year, and I do remember her saying it was a lot of produce for two people, so we may have to start learning our canning and preserving skills right away!! Dan is more nervous than I am about it--he thinks it is going to be a lot of work, especially for two people who have been relative veggie-phobes for so long (not that we don't like our veggies, just that we usually don't stray from a few reliable favorites). I look at it as an exciting food adventure--and it will help me meet my New Year's Resolution of trying one new fruit or vegetable each month (last month it was Forelle pears--okay but not great. This month I tried beets but I think I actually had them once before and they were not fresh so I don't think that counts.)

Grass Fed Beef

While shopping at Wegman's on Friday night I noticed that they now have a more prominent section devoted to organic, free range, and grass fed meats. I was planning to make an asparagus and beef stir fry on Friday night so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to finally try grass fed beef. Up until then, I had not been able to find it in too many places locally without going seriously out of my way (which I usually don't have time to do).

The stir fry recipe I used came from a great new cookbook--Bon Appetit magazine's Fast, Easy, Fresh Cookbook. Loads of simple recipes and the first large, mass-market cookbook I have seen that highlights local food, CSAs, and the importance of eating fresh/seasonally. The section on vegetables is even divided up by season. Basically, the recipe called for toasted sesame seeds, red onion, asparagus (frozen, as it isn't really available fresh this time of year--though it will be soon!!), and thin slices of sirloin in a hoisin sauce. Simple and delicious--probably took me about an hour to make from slicing everything to toasting the sesame seeds to making the brown rice on the side. Both my husband and I agree it was a hit. I only wish I'd taken a picture to post.

I had expected grass fed beef to taste significantly different from corn-fed. It seemed to me that the differences were more subtle, but also delightful. Perhaps it was also because I used sirloin, but the meat was much more tender and had more flavor than the corn fed, but in a subtle way. In an odd way, it actually seemed more like eating actual MEAT, if that makes sense. Dan and I eat a good amount of bison meat (bison tacos are amazing, as are burgers--though the meat is so lean and tender it takes a bit more work to turn them into patties) and I think the grass fed beef was closer to bison meat than to the more typical beef we are used to. It was expensive, but definitely worth it.

Does anyone know of a good local producer of grass fed beef and free range chicken that is easily available? I know there are a few suppliers in Chautauqua County, but are there any closer? Or any retail outlets that offer the locally grown?

Back issues of Organic Gardening available online!

Gayla Trail, Toronto resident and gardener extraordinaire, linked to this awesome new development: back issues of Organic Gardening are available online at GoogleBooks. This is a great resource for anyone planning a garden this spring and summer (I also recommend Gayla's own book You Grow Girl).

Check out these hightlights:

• Browse the April 2007 issue for the perfect tomato growing plan (p. 57) and advice on which plants grow best together (p. 28).
• Efforts to make kids more garden-savvy are highlighted in the February 2008 issue (p. 30) as well as the Best Varieties of 2007 (p.44).
• A cover story in the June 2006 issue about growing more in small spaces.

If you find an interesting article you want to share, please leave the issue and page number in the comments section of this post. Enjoy!

Welcome to the “New Carnivore Movement”

This an article about meat – where it comes from, how it’s processed and how people’s eating and shopping habits tend to come full circle. Do you want to know how your meat, when it was alive, was raised? Or which breed of meat you’re buying at the grocery store? Or if the person who took it apart made as little waste as possible? It’s an interesting read for those interested in seeking out and buying meat from our local producers. The article describes the hipster urbanites who are cramming into this shop to learn how to butcher their meat and buy from upstate NY farms. Thank goodness we here at Buffalo Locovore are little closer to the source!

http://www.newsweek.com/id/182035/page/1

Alfred University Gets Greener

As an alum, I'm very happy to hear that one of WNY's local universities is (literally) buying into the local food movement. Here's the press release about AU taking steps to purchase locally grown products: http://www.alfred.edu/pressreleases/viewrelease.cfm?&ID=5166

This idea makes so much sense, especially since Alfred is nestled in rural farm country and quite frankly, the views out of my dorm's apartment sophomore year always reminded me that there are probably more cows than people living in Alfred.

What really strikes me, though, is how the environmental movement has made its way into our national conversation and culture. When I started at Alfred ten years ago, I intended to be an environmental studies major. When I arrived on campus, I was advised to double major because I was told “environmental studies” wasn’t a robust enough field of study to justify an entire major. Can you believe that now? It seems like you can study just about anything you want related to environmental stuff and get a degree out of it. Which isn’t a bad thing but I’m so amazed and still trying to figure out what where some of the major players (Al Gore?) and events (Hurricane Katrina? Global warming in general?) that really brought the environmental movement to the forefront these last few years.

I’m envious of the kids who get to choose from so many “green” majors today although I suppose one’s actions/career speaks louder than a degree. Now that I work in the business development/advocacy field, I think it would be amazing to be a director or VP of corporate/social responsibility. A green czarina!

Gardener's Blog

I have recently been checking out this fun blog called Kitchen Gardeners International. It has a lot of great advice and numerous links to other resources. It includes contributions from Barbara Damrosch, author of The Garden Primer--one of my favorite reference books for home gardening. The site is also advocating for the Obamas to plant a victory garden on the White House lawn in their first 100 days, something mentioned in a previous post as an issue that Alice Waters promoted during the inauguration festivities.

My grandmother sent me a book that she'd saved since World War 2 about how to grow your own victory garden, and it is pretty cool. It is practically falling apart so I don't want to use it too much, but I'll see if I can get a good picture of the cover to post here.

Alice Waters at the Inauguration

The Associated Press has an article that ran in today's Buffalo News about local food movement leader and famous chef Alice Waters hosting a big pre-inaugural party with local food. She is also advocating for a victory garden on the White House lawn, as there was during World War II. You can read the article here.

Spring Plannings

Although it is about three degrees outside, and Buffalo is covered in snow and slush, now is the perfect time to start making plans for when the world turns green and things start growing again.


Many of the fine farmers who run CSAs are using this time of year to plan out what they are going to grow, how many seeds they need, and how they are going to operate this year. If you are not familiar with CSAs, it is short for Community Supported Agriculture--an farm where non-farmers (i.s. city-dwellers) can buy a share in the farm and then receive a share of the harvest each week. It is a great way to reconnect to the food that you eat and to get to know one of your local farmers, and it is a good way to try new vegetables that might not otherwise make it to your table.


Now is the time to start reserving your share with whichever CSA you choose. There are a number of local operations, some of which have delivery sites in the City of Buffalo. Whitney and Ann were our main CSA "correspondents" last summer, and you can read back through some of their old posts for their comments on what the CSA experience was like for them. I did not sign up for a CSA last year, but this year I think I am going to take the veggie plunge!


If you check our web links on the right, there are a couple that will help direct you to a few local CSAs.


Also, if you are planning your own garden for the Spring, seed catalogs started arriving a couple of weeks ago. Burpee, of course, is the classic source for seeds. Does anyone know of a local source for ordering seeds?

Buying local on Etsy

Greetings from bad blogger Whitney! It's been awhile--cough August, cough cough--but I'm renewing my pledge to post on Buffalo Locavore. You'll be hearing from me a lot more in 2009.

While we focus mostly on local food here on the blog, I thought I'd divert attention away from the edible and over to one of my favorite sites, Etsy.com. During this past Christmas shopping season, I tried to buy local as much as possible. What that meant to me was choosing local shops over Target and the mall. I think my gifts were a hit.

In addition to walking the Elmwood strip, I found myself logging onto Etsy and browsing the handmade goods available from crafty Western New Yorkers (for those of you unfamiliar with Etsy, I suggest checking out their information page and browsing the site. In short, it's an easy-to-use eBay for handmade and vintage goods).

On Etsy, you're more often than not buying goods directly from their creators: handknit scarves, beautiful paintings, and artisan jewelry are among the many offerings. And because the Etsy peeps are awesome, you can even hone in on an area of the world from which you wish to purchase your homemade gifts through the site's "Shop Local" page.

After typing in "Buffalo NY," check out these great finds (all made in and around Buffalo):

This "Romantic Cuff" from Paperhill is described as "something that Lizzie from Pride & Prejudice might wear" and "lovely in place of a traditional corsage or be a perfect touch for rehearsal dinner or for the bridesmaids." $30.

Not only are these earrings beautiful, they're incredibly affordable. The shop beadediris describes them as "made with 16mm vintage green moonglow lucite rounds" and recently included them in a special Buy-4-get-Free-Shipping deal. $5.50.

This photograph from Linden Tea, "Twisted," can be ordered as an 8x10 print on glossy or matted paper. $18.

If you haven't bought a 2009 calendar, consider this locally-designed piece from DesignCircus $8.50. and be reminded of your effort to buy local every day. On sale for $8.50.

What are you waiting for? Get over to Etsy!

New Logo

All of us here at Buffalo Locavore would like to give a HUGE thank you to freelance graphic designer Brian Bray who designed our lovely new logo.

Fresh Pasta is Easy and Delicious

As I mentioned in a previous post, I got a pasta machine as a Christmas gift. I have previously tried to make pasta from scratch on two different occasions. The first was when I was in high school and I took a home economics class on regional and international foods. The second attempt was several years ago when I made ravioli from scratch. In my high school class, I had a pasta machine to flatten and cut the dough, but the second time around I had nothing but patience and a marble rolling pin. Back in September one of my food resolutions was to make fresh pasta, and with the help of the right equipment I was able to produce some excellent fettucine.

Making fresh pasta is very easy. I took my noodle recipe from Patricia Wells' excellent cookbook Trattoria. You should be able to find a good fresh pasta recipe in any decent Italian cookbook or online, but Patricia Wells is my personal favorite. It is also the book I used for the sauce recipe, which was essentially crushed tomatoes (a great use for any that you may have canned over the summer) simmered with sauteed garlic and olive oil, and then finished with a pat of butter and freshly grated pecorino romano cheese. It took me about an hour and a half to make the whole dinner, though that includes an hour to let the dough rest (a good time to do the prep work for other dishes).

Pasta is essentially eggs and flour that are kneaded together until smooth. You let them rest for a little while and then you go to work with the pasta machine. The machine helps finish the kneading process in addition to creating the thin sheets that are then cut into noodles. The thin sheets feel soft like silk as they come through the pasta machine, and can then be put through the noodle attachments for fettucine or spaghetti. Some pasta machines have multiple attachments you can use, but you can use a pizza cutter if you want to make ravioli, lasagne, or farfalle. Some cookware stores even have little pasta cutters that look like a cross between pizza wheels and pinking shears.

Fresh pasta takes far less time to cook that dried pasta--between 3 to 5 minutes in boiling water. It has a wonderfully fresh taste that is particularly good with simple sauces.

The picture at the top of this post is my fresh pasta creation served with a skinless, boneless chicken thigh that was sauteed in olive oil with garlic and fresh snipped rosemary (yay for potted herbs).

WNY Farmer/Chef Conference

Here is an exciting event coming up next month, presented by a group called the Field and Fork Network:

Field and Fork Network's first annual Farmer-Chef Conference will be held on Monday, February 23rd at Byrncliff Resort & Conference Center. Our daylong conference will offer Western New York's chefs and other food industry professionals the opportunity to network with local farmers and artisan food producers.

Our key note speaker will offer advice and inspiration to chefs and farmers alike, and a lunch featuring local products will typify the bounty that Western New York agriculture has to offer (even in mid-February). During the conference, chefs and farmers will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops together that will further their understanding of the local food movement, its promising future, and their place in it.

To register for the conference, please visit our website at http://www.fieldandforknetwork.com and click on the conference page for registration forms. The fee for the conference and lunch is $50 per person. You can download the appropriate form (there is one for chefs, farmers and "other" food industry), fill it out and send it to the address noted along with the conference registration fee. Space is limited so we recommend you register as soon as possible. Please feel free to contact us via email or phone with any questions.