Local Food Report

I first tasted milkweed a few years ago. I was at Ceraldi in Wellfleet—a restaurant known for its focus on hyper local ingredients— and I tried the plants’ shoots. They were bright and snappy and so gloriously green-tasting that I wanted to learn more. Co-owner and chef Michael Ceraldi explains what Asclepias syriaca, or Common Milkweed is.

This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with Peter Fossel of Swan River Farm in Dennisport about how to grow leeks with long, white stems.

In 2009, Eric Glasgow and his wife retired from city life and bought a defunct dairy farm on Martha’s Vineyard. Ever since, they’ve been learning how to make dairy farming as low waste and low impact as possible.

In many local gardens, rhubarb is the first plant ready to harvest. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth talks with her mother, Liz Pierson, about their favorite family rhubarb recipes. Favorites include spicy rhubarb chutney to serve with Indian food, a rhubarb custard pie similar to lemon meringue, and a sweet, tender rhubarb cake. You can find a complete list of the recipes mentioned in this piece on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

In the mid 1800s, Cayuga ducks were one of the most popular meat birds in New England. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with Rebecca Gilbert of Native Earth Teaching Farm in Chilmark about why the breed fell out of favor, and why she thinks it's worth bringing back. You can learn more about Cayuga ducks on the Slow Food website, as part of their "Ark of Taste."

Have you ever had a wintergreen berry? This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay goes on a hunt for the native edible with Donna Eaton of Cedar Spring Herb farm in Harwich. The ivy green leaves and bright, cherry red berries are all over the Cape, and the fruit is especially tasty this time of year. You can read more on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

Selective breeding is not a new thing in the food world; humans have been selecting for desirable traits in plants and animals for thousands of years. But it is getting more sophisticated. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with a Wellfleet oysterman who's growing oysters with three sets of chromosomes instead of the normal two. You can read more about "triploid" oysters on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

n Europe, scallop roe is a delicacy. But Americans haven't developed a taste for it—yet. In The Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay examines scallop roe, which is packed with omega-3s—good for everyone, and especially important for mamas and babies. See a video of How to Open a Scallop and find out more about scallop roe on Elspeth's Blog, Diary of a Locavore.

Fish is important for good health, but it can be expensive. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with the fishermen and organizers behind a new program called Fish for Families that's working to get high quality local seafood to Cape Cod families in need. You can read more about Fish for Families and find out about the groups behind it on their websites: Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance The Family Pantry of Cape Cod And you can see pictures of a dogfish distribution at the Family Pantry on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

Many local farmers have a greenhouse to help extend the growing season. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with a young Brewster farmer who got a grant from the state to build a mobile greenhouse. The structure itself is 25 feet long by 12 feet wide, but it can slide back and forth over two fields 12 feet wide by 50 field long. Lucas Dinwiddie of Halcyon farm will use this system to cover different crops at different times of the year. You can find plans to build a mobile greenhouse here, and see more pictures of the mobile greenhouse Lucas Dinwiddie built on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore. This piece is a rebroadcast. It aired originally on January 9, 2014.

According to the EPA, Americans throw out 14 percent of the food we buy. And all but 2 percent of that goes into landfills. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with Falmouth resident Mary Ryther about her new composting business that's working to change that. You can learn more about Mary's operation and other efforts to cut down on local food waste on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

Gleaning is an ancient practice, as old as the Torah. It means to gather leftover grain or other produce from farm fields after a harvest, and traditionally was a form of charity. In most places, the tradition has died out. But today on Martha's Vineyard thanks to a program called Island Grown Gleaning, it's alive and well. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay attends a potato glean with a group of eighth graders from West Tisbury. You can learn more about Island Grown Gleaning and their parent organization Island Grown Initiative on their website. And you can see more pictures of the kids in action on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

Spelt is an ancient grain—a hybrid of regular bread wheat and another wheat variety called farro or emmer. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with Ed Miller of Wellfleet about a slow-rise spelt bread made with locally grown grain. Read more on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

The bean to bar chocolate movement is on the rise. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with a young couple in Truro who've opened a chocolate factory. She learns about sourcing beans, how the production process works, and what characteristics make for a top notch chocolate bar. You can find a recipe for a chocolate bundt cake and see photos from Chequessett Chocolate's factory on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore. This is a rebroadcast. This piece originally aired on April 10, 2014.

These days, we don't often interact with the animals we eat. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with three local people about raising, slaughtering, and butchering pigs. She weaves their voices together to bring the animals from life to death and finally to the table. You can find links to several essays about raising, slaughtering, and butchering pigs on her blog, Diary of a Locavore, along with links to some of the YouTube videos on butchering mentioned in the piece. This is a rebroadcast. This piece originally aired on December 19th, 2013.

Three years ago, Elspeth Hay brought home a Meyer lemon tree to keep outside in the summer and in front of a sunny window all winter. This year, it's bearing fruit for the first time, just in time for the holidays. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth talks with Kim Shkapich of Lola's Local Food Lab in Wellfleet about her recipe for lemon curd and the science behind it. You can find Kim's recipe for lemon curd on Elspeth's blog, where you can also read more about her tips for adjusting it to your taste and growing your own Meyer lemon tree.

Kale is one of the few local greens that's available almost year round. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with author Cathy Walthers of West Tisbury about her new cookbook Kale, Glorious Kale. They cover everything from the nutritional benefits of the green to kale varieties and recipes—including some that might come as a surprise. You can see a picture of some of the most common local kale varieties and find Cathy Walthers' recipe for Kale Granola on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

Happy Thanksgiving! This week on The Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay gives thanks for local cranberries—and brings us a story on growing and cooking with the tart berries from bog owner Ralph Tupper of East Brewster. Ralph shared his family recipe for Cranberry Goodin' Pudding with Elspeth, and you can find it on her blog, Diary of a Locavore. This piece is a rebroadcast. It aired originally on 11.18.2010.

Peter Burgess is into local history. Several years ago, he discovered a variety of winter squash called the Long Pie Pumpkin that came to Nantucket in 1832 aboard a whaling ship. Over time the variety was forgotten and almost lost, but Peter is one of a growing number of New England farmers trying to bring it back. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth talks with Peter about how to grow and cook with Long Pie Pumpkin, and why he thinks it's a variety worth saving. Elspeth's posted her grandmother's recipe for pumpkin pie on her blog, where you can also read more about the history of the Long Pie Pumpkin. This piece is a rebroadcast. It originally aired September 22, 2011.

If you've ever shopped for local beef, you've probably heard the terms "grass-fed," or "grass finished." Many people will tell you 100-percent grass-fed beef is better for you than conventional grain-finished beef, but the specifics can be confusing. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with a nutritional consultant from Orleans and a butcher from Chatham about some of the differences between grain- and grass-fed cattle. You can read more on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore. This week's piece is a rebroadcast. It aired originally 11.14.2013.

Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish made by fermenting vegetables. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth talks with Holly North of Woods Hole about how she got hooked on kimchi and how she makes it. Holly walks Elspeth through the process of putting together a quick cucumber kimchi and talks about the flavors involved in a perfect dish—everything from garlic to chiles to seafood. You can find Holly North's recipe for Hot & Spicy Cucumber Kimchi on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore, where you can also find links to learn more about the digestive benefits of lacto-fermented foods and the history of kimchi.

The names are beautiful: Nubia, Gretel, Fairy Tale, Nadia. Michiaw, Orient Express, Long Violet, Galine. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with local farmers about what types of eggplant they're growing, and how they like to cook with them. You can learn more about the varieties mentioned in the piece and find a recipe for eggplant caponata on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore. This piece is a rebroadcast. It originally aired September 19, 2013.

Local gardens are overflowing with green beans this time of year. Most are short and snappy. But Victoria Pecoraro is growing two unusual varieties—Orient Wonder and Red Noodle—both of which measure over a foot long! This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with her about how she started growing these Asian yard-long beans and how she likes to eat them. You can find a recipe for Spicy Stir-Fried Long Beans with Peanuts and Chiles over here. And you can see more pictures of Victoria's yard-long beans on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

Highland cattle are originally from the rugged mountains of northern Scotland. Archaeological evidence dates the breed back to the 6th century, and the animals first came to the United States in the 1800s. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with a family from Dennis who tend a herd of 20-25 Highland cattle for beef. You can find a recipe for grilled grass-fed steaks on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore, and see pictures of the Seawind Meadows Highland cattle. This piece is a rebroadcast. It originally aired 11.07.2013.

Twelve years ago, Charlie Amsler planted two tiny fig trees in his front yard in Wellfleet. Today, they're huge, thriving plants that produce loads of fruit each September. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with Charlie about the history of the trees, how figs grow, and what they need to thrive in our unique Cape climate. You can find a recipe for fig and arugula salad with prosciutto and gorgonzola on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore. This piece is a rebroadcast. It originally aired September 13, 2012.

Most people think of sweet potatoes as a southern crop, and artichokes as something from the Mediterranean. But both plants can thrive on Cape Cod. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay visits the Barnstable County Fairgrounds demonstration garden to learn about growing these two unusual crops. You can see photos and learn more about the vegetables, fruits, and herbs growing in the garden on Elspeth's blog. And here's a link to the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension website, where you'll find all kinds of resources for gardeners, including information on soil samples, pest management, and a master gardener hotline. This show is a rebroadcast from 8.23.2012.

Elinor Arsenault grew up baking in the small town of Royalton, Massachusetts, where a good portion of the population was Finnish. This week on the Local Food Report, Elinor shares her Finnish-inspired recipe for a traditional raspberry shortbread made with raspberry jam from her own Orleans-grown berries. You can find Elinor's recipe for raspberry shortbread on Elspeth's blog, Diary of aLocavore. And you can check out the SEMAP (Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership) fruit harvest calendar over here. Raspberries are in season twice a summer: once from late June through late July, and again from mid August through early October. This piece is a rebroadcast. It aired originally August 15, 2013.

Green beans are one of the quintessential foods of summer. But they're not as similar as they seem. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with growers at the Orleans Farmers' Market about what bean varieties they grow, why they like these beans, and how they cook them. You can read more about the bean varieties mentioned in the piece and find a recipe for Salad Nicoise on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore. This piece is a rebroadcast. It originally aired August 8, 2012.

Have you ever noticed how some blueberries are light blue and others are dark navy? How some are tart and some are sweet? Some tiny and some huge? This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with the owner of a pick-your-own blueberry farm in Dennis about what varieties he grows and why. You can learn more about both wild and domesticated blueberry varieties and find a recipe for blueberry buckle on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

Blueberry season is in full swing on the Cape. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay visits a local pick-your-own farm in Dennis, and talks with pickers from ages 1 to 96 and from all over the east coast about what they're planning to do with all their berries. You can find links to the recipes people are making on her blog, Diary of a Locavore.

You've probably heard of chervil, lemon basil, and lemon verbena. But have you ever cooked with them? This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with several local growers about these unusual summer herbs—what the plants are like, and what to do with them in the kitchen.

If you've been to a local farmers' market recently, you've probably seen a garlic scape. They're long, thin curly green stalks with a pointed bud on the end, and they smell just like regular garlic. But what are they exactly? And what do you do with them? This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with local growers and farmers' market shoppers about this unusual form of garlic and how to cook with it. You can find a recipe for garlic scape pesto on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

It's obvious that lettuce comes in all sorts of different varieties. Most people know the difference between Romaine and Boston Bibb. But strawberries? In grocery stores, they pretty much all seem the same. That's not true, though, on local farms. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth talks with growers from all over our area about what strawberry varieties they're growing and why. You can find a recipe for strawberry shortcake on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore. And you can learn all about strawberry varieties over here.

Black sea bass are a small, delicate fish in the grouper family. In 2000 the species were declared over-fished, but today the mid-Atlantic stock is considered rebuilt. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with a couple in Chatham who uses a traditional fishing method called weir fishing to catch black sea bass. Elspeth's shared a recipe for Thai flavored fish stew with black sea bass on her blog, Diary of a Locavore, where she's also written more about the history of the weirs. For more, check out this past article by Elspeth on weir fishing in Edible Cape Cod. You can read more about Black Sea Bass on Fishwatch.gov.

We've all heard of grafting grape and apple plants. But tomatoes? This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with Orleans gardener Joe Leghorn about his quest for the perfect tomato. This year he grafted 96 disease resistant tomato rootstock plants with tomato seedlings grown for their fruit qualities. You can read more about tomato grafting on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

As of 2011, Nantucket County had the highest median home prices in the nation. Land is at a premium—which makes starting a farm on the island extremely expensive. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth talks with a Nantucket non-profit working to make it easier to grow food on the island. Their latest project is the development of a community farm, where beginning growers can start a business without having to purchase land for very little overhead cost. You can learn more about the concept on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

Now is the time to get your tomato seedlings in the ground. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with Bartlett's Farm vegetable production manager Andrew Spollett, who grows over 15 acres of tomatoes for the farm. They discuss his favorite varieties and how to take good care of tomato plants once they're in the ground. For a complete list of the varieties mentioned in the piece, you can visit Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

Many schools are looking to school gardens as a way to teach kids how to grow their own food. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay visits the Waldorf School of Cape Cod in Cotuit, where a newly erected hoop house enables students to grow food for their lunch program year round. You can read an essay by gardening teacher Kim Allsup on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore, where she also links to several other area schools with hoop houses.

There's a new card catalog at the Sturgis Public Library in Barnstable. But instead of books, it lends seeds! Gardeners in turn grow the plants, save their seed, and bring some back to the library at the end of the season. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay learns how the program works, and how to save bean seeds from start to finish. You can learn more about some of the varieties the program offers on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

Ken Greene is the founder of the country's first seed library in a public library. Recently he came to Martha's Vineyard to help the community get a local seed library up and running. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with Ken about how a seed library works and what some of the community challenges and benefits are to getting one going. You can read more about the shape the Vineyard seed library is taking and the varieties it will offer this season on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore. Next week Elspeth will learn about a seed library in Barnstable.

In many local gardens, rhubarb is the first plant ready to harvest. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth talks with her mother, Liz Pierson, about their favorite family rhubarb recipes. Favorites include spicy rhubarb chutney to serve with Indian food, a rhubarb custard pie similar to lemon meringue, and a sweet, tender rhubarb cake. You can find a complete list of the recipes mentioned in this piece on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.