Fall Season: Food and Menu Ideas

One of the challenges of eating seasonally is knowing what is going to be in season when and having a plan to use those ingredients. The past couple of weeks, I've spent a bit of time making a list of what will be in season in my area this fall and gathering recipes.

Perhaps you'd like to make use of my list? As I use the recipes, I'll post them on the blog, so eventually, there will be a whole "recipe book" for each season. In the meantime, feel free to peruse and download my ""Fall Season Food" list. The first part is a listing of food that will be in season (E-early, M-mid, L-late) followed by recipe ideas.

Let me know if you find this document helpful (and if you download it). This will help me judge if future documents will be helpful to others.

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Making Sustainble Fish Choices

In general, I go for wild-caught fish. I don't buy it terribly often, so I don't mind if it occasionally comes from far (Alaskan salmon, for instance), but try to avoid fish that comes from far off when there are closer-caught options. I also usually avoid farmed fish - especially salmon. Some people say it is it better to purchase farmed fish and not contribute to over-fishing, but it seems to me that anything grown in industrial conditions isn't good. And most farms these days are industrial farms...including fish farms.

But I think there is a more important aspect to consider rather than "wild-caught" vs "farmed" vs. "local", and that is sustainability. Figuring out what is sustainable in the fish industry, however, is not easy for the layman.

I found a resource to share with you that might help - I know it helped me!

Top Ten Sustainable Fish Choices and Ten Fish You Should Avoid Eating at foodluvin.com

So, what do you think? Which of these choices surprised you? What changes might you make based on this. I know I'm glad I've been opting for Wild Alaskan Salmon lately...and this week I'm going to try Farm-Raised Rainbow Trout. Normally, I would have eschewed "farm-raised", but it is the most sustainable option I can make at my supermarket this week.

Now if I can just learn to fish. :)

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Monthly Link Harvest - August

One of my favorite things about blogging is the great bits of information you run across all over the blogosphere. I enjoy sharing what I find, too.

Here are some interesting and, hopefully, useful articles I've run across in the last month. I'm calling it a "Link Harvest":

10 benefits of higher fuel prices. Well, that's something.

Solar-powered dryers (HT: The Common Room) (Ok, this is really about clotheslines and home owner's associations.)

Reducing waste - Food Waste!

When to buy organic and when you shouldn't.

Is switching to reusable really that important? Here are 50 reasons that say, "Yes!"

From the USDA - a chart to help you determine what can be frozen and for how long.

A great post, with photos, about making compost...and some further links.

Art work: The Corn Harvest - August by Pieter Brugel the Elder (1556)

Tomato pruning and a contest!

A sweet smelling tomato warmed by the summer sun - that is my favorite summer vegetable. Do you love to grow tomatoes? I do! Here's a tutorial on how to prune tomatoes for my fellow tomato lovers.

So, what does this have to do with a contest? Well, the Desert Diva is hosting a little a contest and all you have to do is leave a coment on her blog (this post) and share with her about your favorite fruit or vegetable OR share with her about your farmer's market. And you might WIN!

If you stop by, please let her know I sent you!

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