Livin’ La Vida Locavore

Whether you’re back from the farmers’ market without any idea of how to prepare that glorious bunch of kale or collards; want to adopt a more healthful way of eating but aren’t sure where to find the freshest produce; or love the idea of farm-to-table dining but don’t know how to begin, worry not: Amy Cotler’s new book, The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food, is a comprehensive guide to finding, preparing, preserving, and, of course, eating fresh, seasonal victuals.

Cotler, a chef, writer, teacher, and longtime farm-to-table advocate who was the founding director of Berkshire Grown, begins by taking us shopping, exploring farmers’ markets, farm stands, pick-it-yourself farms, and community supported agriculture (CSA) farms that sell memberships or shares, entitling participants to weekly portions of the harvest. She then delves into preparing—and eating—all this regional bounty, offering a series of nine “open recipes,” which welcome substitutions and experimentation.

One of the most useful sections of the book is an alphabetized list of greens, roots, vegetables, and fruits, each with several preparation tips, perfect for kitchen novices or for seasoned cooks who want to incorporate new ingredients, such as jicama, cardoon, or salsify, into their repertoire.

While The Locavore Way includes only a few recipes, Cotler’s website (www.amycotler.com) offers a wealth of tempting dishes to try by way of her weekly recipe blog. Recent posts feature her Winter Shiitake Stew with Polenta, homemade Korean kimchi, and decadent Rich ’n Easy Black and White Truffles.

Cotler also offers a series of four-and-a-half hour, hands-on locavore cooking classes, beginning June 10 in her rustic 1810 home in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Each class includes a three-course meal and wine; two of the classes will be all day and include a farm trip. Or create a seminar of your choice for six or more participants.

In The Locavore Way, Cotler shares ten reasons to eat locally produced food. The first, however, is the most compelling: for the sheer pleasure of it. [MAR/APR 2010]
 

THE GOODS

The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food
By Amy Cotler
Storey Publishing

Photo courtesy Berkshire Food Journal
Illustrations by Marc Rosenthal/courtesy Storey Publishing