The Local Chip

Is there such a thing? Yes, Northern Virginia, there is!

When people ask me questions about eating local the first one is inevitably - where do I start? What do I buy? The Farmer's Market is by far the best place to begin (and at this time of year, the easiest). We have so many to choose from in NOVA and they offer up the best of what Virginia agriculture has to offer - but what happens beyond the market? Most of us have to eat something else besides what is pulled from our local soil. How do we choose what to supplement that bounty with? I want to support local businesses - and our local economy - but how? I want a fresher product from a smaller producer who emphasizes quality ingredients and accountability. I want less time to pass between production and my table. I'd like see less fuel used to get the product to me. There must be something better for me to eat than what is advertised on television. Right?? During my last four years of research I have been greatly encouraged to find that many of my favorite foods are produced and/or grown locally. Why don't I share one that I can't seem to live without - the tortilla chip.

Every time my youngest brother and I get together, someone inevitably says: "Bring on the 'chos!" We'll come up with any reason to make nachos. It just so happens that we have a wonderful producer of tortilla chips and related products in Manassas, VA: Abuelita Mexican Foods. I was introduced to the company by Whole Foods Market. Okay, wait a minute. Don't roll your eyes! I've heard the old "whole paycheck" nickname many times, but truly there is no store with a more comprehensive selection of healthy foods anywhere in our area. Having several Whole Foods stores to choose from around here is very helpful. MOM's Organic Market is another outstanding store, but there is only one in Northern Virginia (and it's worth the trip to Del Ray to check it out.) So, back to the chip...

A friend of mine once said "I can see trying to buy local with veggies and stuff, but I'm simply not giving up my Doritos!" AH! Let me introduce you to the Red Salsa Tortilla Chip! This is by far my kids' favorite chip. Slightly spicy, absolutely addictive and it satisfies my locavore spirit. The bonus? I recognize the ingredients! After my friend's comment, I stopped by 7-11, grabbed a small bag of Dorito's and decided to take a look at what the difference in nutritional makeup actually was.

...on the left is the Dorito's bag

on the right is the Nana's Cocina bag (Abuelita also uses the brand name Casa del Carmen)...

Doritos ingredients: Whole Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Soybean, Sunflower and/or Canola Oil), Salt, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Maltodextrin (this is a natural sweetener usually derived from of rice, corn or potato starch), Wheat Flour, Whey, Monosodium Glutamate (a controversial flavor enhancer commonly added to Chinese food, canned veggies, soups and processed meats - when added to a food the FDA requires that it must be listed on the label), Buttermilk, Romano Cheese (Part-Skim Cow's Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey Protein Concentrate, Onion Powder, Partially hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Corn Flour, Lactose, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Dextrose, Tomato Powder, Spices, Lactic Acid, Artificial Color (Including Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Red 40), Citric Acid, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Red and Green Bell Pepper Powder, Sodium Caseinate (a milk derivative used to provide a dairy flavor as well as a thickening agent), Disodium Inosinate (used commonly together with MSG to create a more savory flavor - derived from a substance found in meat, usually pigs or fish), Disodium Guanylate (used most often in conjunction with disodium inosinate for the same purpose), Nonfat Milk, Whey Protein Isolate, and Corn Syrup Solids.

Red Salsa Tortilla Chips ingredients: Stone ground whole kernel yellow corn, highly refined peanut oil, water, salsa seasoning (tomato powder, salt, sugar, natural flavors, onion, garlic, parsley, jalapeno powder, citric acid, corn starch, annatto extract (a naturally derived coloring from the pulp around the fruit of the achiote tree grown in tropical regions of central and south America), paprika extract, corn syrup solids, and maltodextrin (described above)), and trace of lime.

I corresponded with Abuelita foods and discovered that you can purchase their products at Costco, Wegman's, Bloom and Harris Teeter. More options - even better! Not only can I get a locally produced chip, but I actually minimize the impact on my body (lets face it, chips are in the naughty food catagory): less fat (for more chips in a serving size, by the way), less sodium, and fewer ingredients. Sweet! Actually, spicy.

P.S. Best local salsa EVER: Salsa Las Glorias (click the link to find out which farmer's markets Lily frequents!)

Food Tragedy

Well, last summer I came flying onto the blog scene fired up to share my experiences as a new gardener and LOCAVORE. What a treat! I had a great deal of inspiration to kick start this journey but I was surprised at just how much I loved it. Then, inevitably, hardship came. I am hardly the first farmer or gardener to encounter such stumbling blocks. On the contrary, it's part of the job description. You have to have an iron constitution to deal with Mother Nature's whims, hard physical labor, and, as it turns out, modern appliances.

After countless hours of digging, weeding, planting, harvesting, frequenting Farmer's Markets and therefore buying, blanching, cutting, freezing and canning... we had quite a stockpile for the winter! We canned: tomatoes, peaches, pickles, applesauce and strawberry jams. The bulk of what we preserved, though, was residing in the freezer: Snap peas, asparagus, jars of pesto, pounds of strawberries, blueberries, muffins, creamed corn, whole kernel corn, butter beans and more tomatoes. We couldn't wait to dig into that bounty in the dead of winter!

About three weeks after the last of the corn was put up and the last jar of applesauce was sealed, we were actually craving some cookie dough that I had prepared and frozen. I whistled as I sauntered down to the basement to retrieve the first of many items that our freezer would offer back to us over the coming months. Have you ever seen an image in a movie, on television or in real life that was so horrible that you couldn't accept what it was a first? You stare, but you don't really see it for a moment? That pretty much describes what happened when I opened the freezer door. The smell didn't even hit me at first. It was the strange colors and shapes that made no sense. Something was... was... SERIOUSLY WRONG. As my thoughts caught up with what my eyes were taking in I realized that I didn't feel any cold air. Things didn't look neat and tidy as they had when I put them in there. Ah... and then the nose awakened. P.... U... Rot. Yep. I didn't know how, when or why, but this freezer was absolutely, positively OFF. I instinctively yelled for my husband. Okay, shrieked. He came flying down to see what had happened. The kids flew down right on his heels. When he saw the freezer and the horror on my face he turned and said, "Kids - UPSTAIRS!" Smart. He knew what was coming and he wanted to save our tender girls from seeing their mother turn into an sobbing basket-case. He loves me. So, that's exactly what I did. I sobbed. For a little while. Then, the disbelief. Then the reality of what was lost. Ouch. That hurt. Hundreds of dollars, countless hours of work, and, of course, all of the produce we were supposed to eat over the winter.

How had this happened? We will never know (the plug behind the freezer was out of the socket and probably had been for some time based on the soupy mess left behind - the kids can't even reach it - actually, I can barely reach it - probably when a service person came in). What I can say is that after I had a good cry, I had a real God-moment. In my stupor, I climbed the stairs to go to my bedroom, which just seemed like a logical place to go in a stupor. As soon as I walked through the door I noticed a piece of construction paper on my bed. I identified the text, written in crayon, as that of my oldest child (she is 7). It had a smiley face in the middle at it read:

"It's that simple. Be grateful."

I can't explain what happened, but this profound peace came over me. In that instant, I was healed from my despair. That message was not from my daughter. It was from God. I know it was because of the thoughts that immediately followed, consoling me...

Two days before this epic food tragedy, my girlfriend and I had gone to the Green Festival in Washington, DC. It was amazing. The highlight was attending a talk given by the now well-known farmer, Joel Salatin. I had come to know him (as many have) in the book "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. He was so inspiring and knowledgeable. It was nice to have four years worth of study and investigation be affirmed by someone who is living it every day - sustainable, earth-friendly, sound agriculture. As I sat there studying this construction paper message on my bed, Joel Salatin came to mind and I imagined what he might say to me in this moment. It might be something like this:

1) The fact that a 38-year old woman from a suburb of DC even made an attempt to understand the food/agriculture issues that face our society today and take steps to promote change is a victory, not a loss.

2) The fact that a 38-year old suburban woman can directly relate to what farmer's have endured for centuries (crop loss, weather tragedies, financial hardship) and connect with those esteemed members of our society who provide us with our food is a victory, not a loss.

3) The fact that every single penny spent on the produce that was purchased from farmer's markets (as well as directly from farms) went directly into the hands of the farmer and back into the local economy is a victory, not a loss.

4) The fact that this particular woman and her family have the financial means (however meager), the physical wellness and ability to grow food for themselves and others is a blessing, not a curse.

There are people all over America every single day who don't even have access to fresh produce of any kind. I will be able to move on and do this again this season. There is nothing to be bitter about. I'd like to think that the loss of what we might have enjoyed all winter has grown us as individuals and made us more humble and grateful to have what we do have. It has fueled my desire to continue this journey and share it with as many people as possible.

It has also made me realize that I need to invest in a freezer alarm. Time to go plant the snow peas...