The Local Food Report

Gleaning Gets Local Food to Those in Need

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 an...

Slow-Rise Bread Uses an Unusual Local Grain

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.

Young Couple Opens Bean to Bar Chocolate Factory in Truro

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 Apr...

Three Locals Talk about Raising, Slaughtering, and Butchering their Pigs

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. Th...

Wellfleet Cook Shares Holiday Recipe for Local Lemon Curd

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 adjustin...

Vineyard Author Offers New Take on Kale

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, Dia...

Need A Quick and Easy Last Minute Dessert? Try “Cranberry Goodin Pudding”

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.

Truro Farmer Brings Back Historic Nantucket Pumpkin

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 ...

Grass-Fed Beef Packs Higher Nutritional Punch

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 Locavo...

In Wellfleet, Kefir Grains Make Delicious Fermented Drink

Kefir is the Russian word for a sour-tasting drink made with cow's milk. It's often confused with yogurt. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with a woman in Wellfleet making her own kefir and learns how the beverage is different from other fermented dairy products. You can find a recipe for kefir with how-to steps and photos from Helen Miranda Wilson on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

Cape Cod Beer Makers Walk Us Through the Brewing Process

Beer relies on four ingredients: malt, water, hops, and yeast. But as evidenced by the number of beers and breweries around the globe, there are infinite ways to combine these ingredients for a tasty beverage. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with Todd Marcus of Cape Cod Beer about how he makes beer from start to finish. You can find a list of Massachusetts brewers on the Massachusetts Brews Guild website. And there's a nice article on pairing beer with food from an old...

“Real Pickles” Business Thrives on Lacto-Fermentation

Learn to Make Sauerkraut and Reap the Health Benefits

Sauerkraut has a long history. Like other preserved foods, it was once an important source of nutrients during the long, cold winter months. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay continues her focus on fermented foods and talks with a Wellfleet woman about her recipe for fermented cabbage. You can learn more about the sauerkraut and find Helen Miranda Wilson's recipe for the dish on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.

Homemade Kimchi is Tasty and Good for Digestion

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 Locav...

Local Eggplant Varieties Abound

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.

Unusual Green Beans Measure 19 Inches Long

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 Victo...

An Old Breed of Cattle Makes Good Local Eating

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 pie...

Italian Fig Trees Thrive in Wellfleet

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...

Surprise! Sweet Potatoes and Artichokes Grow on Cape Cod

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'...

Bestselling Author Advocates Protecting Our Local Fisheries

Homegrown Raspberries Make Top Notch Shortbread

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 har...

Local Growers Share Favorite Summer Bean Varieties

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.

Local Blueberry Varieties Come in All Colors, Flavors, and Sizes

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 in Full Swing on the Cape

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.

Unusual Local Herbs Add Flavor to Summer Dishes

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.

Garlic Scapes: An Unusual Veggie That’s Handy 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 Loc...

With Local Strawberries, Variety Makes a Difference

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 ...

Black Sea Bass Are Tasty and Back for the Summer

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 wei...

Orleans Gardener Tries Grafting for a Healthier Tomato Plant

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.

Community Farm to Start up on Nantucket

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 conc...

Nantucket Farmer Shares Favorite Tomato Varieties and Planting Tips

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.

Waldorf Students Grow Food for Cafeteria Year Round

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.

Barnstable Public Library Loans Seeds to Gardeners

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.

Vineyarders Inspired to Start Saving and Sharing Community Seeds

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...

Spring Brings Rhubarb Back Into the Kitchen

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.

A Family of Bitter Herbs Makes for Good Food, and Medicine

Most of us like sweet. But what about bitter? This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with herb farmer Donna Eaton from Dennis about a bitter family of herbs that have a long history of use as both food and medicine. The genus Artemisia includes tarragon, mugwort, southernwood, and over 180 other herbs known for their bitter flavor and the silvery green color of their leaves, and many grow wild on the Cape. You can find a recipe for tarragon vinaigrette and learn more about pla...