It may not exactly look like deep winter, but spring is still a long way off and the soil in the gardens is pretty well frozen solid. Are you dreaming of fresh, local food in abundance? What is to be found in the North Country on the back side of the farming calendar? Locavores can rise to this challenge.
Last March, Adirondack Harvest teamed with Cornell Cooperative Extension to bring "Food From the Farm: Eating Local in Clinton County" to Plattsburgh. We turned to our list of regional farmers and processors, hired a chef dedicated to cooking with local ingredients and organized a display area to educate and excite the community. It was a huge hit, and we vowed to make this an annual event — yet there was room for improvement.
For the 2012 event, we've expanded "Food From the Farm" to include producers in Essex and Franklin counties, offering a more diverse array of products.
And to really expand, we've moved from the basement community room at the Plattsburgh City Gym to the actual gymnasium upstairs. This increased our event space, which was essential because we had to turn many local food enthusiasts away last year.
The layout will involve two main areas. One half of the gym will feature more than 20 tables and booths, essentially functioning as a farmers market with educational displays. This part of the event offers a chance to meet the region's farmers, sample products and learn about the local food opportunities — maybe even sign up for a CSA (community supported agriculture). This market zone will remain open to the public and active for the duration of the event.
The other half of the gym will feature a sumptuous dinner produced by Chef David Allen of Longitude Catering in Plattsburgh. Allen and Adirondack Harvest have been working to track down local ingredients for the meal. Even with the less-than-ideal growing conditions last year and this tricky warm winter hampering optimal vegetable storage, the abundance is impressive. Allen will perform a task similar to the "Iron Chef" program. We've given him a list of available ingredients, and it's up to him to produce the meal.
We've found all types of meat: beef, pork, lamb, chevon (goat), bison, chicken, turkey. Then there are all the goods that store well: honey, maple products, cheese and value-added items such as wine, jams, jellies and other condiments. Hardy North Country hens continue to lay, so eggs are plentiful. We were most concerned about locating enough vegetables, but we found squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, celeriac, carrots, beets, garlic, herbs (dried, frozen and fresh), kale, salad mix, spinach, pea shoots and sweet corn (canned at the peak of flavor). We are also blessed with wonderful local orchards, so we have apples, cider and hard cider. The resultant menu is one we can anticipate with eager taste buds.
We've renamed the event "Food From the Farm: Eating Local in the North Country." The farmers market and displays are free and begin at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 3, and the dinner starts at 6:30 and requires a $20 prepaid ticket for entry. Tickets — available at the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Clinton County, 6064 Route 22 — are limited so purchase soon. For more information, call 561-7450 or email Amy Ivy at adi2@cornell.edu.
Laurie Davis is an educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Essex County and is the coordinator for Adirondack Harvest. Reach her at 962-4810, Ext. 404, or by email: lsd22@cornell.edu.
