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Return to the local farmer's market, Aug 2009 - 37 from Flickr

Vilsack and Merrigan announced that this week will be “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” week. They apparently have $65 million set aside for various programs and will be rolling those out in the next few days. While I’m all in favor of the general idea, at this point I’m on the “wait and see” side of the fence. Why?

It’s easy for government to step in and say, “Hey, look at us! We’re good guys!” when they have money they want to throw at a problem that has caught the public’s attention. Safe food, local eating, sustainable farming, all the buzzwords that have filled the air and airwaves this summer have caught the USDA’s attention. That’s good. But will they hear the cattleman who brings legitimate argument against food safety bills which would force him out of business and put hundreds or thousands of consumers one step further from safe food instead of closer? Are they listening to the lies about raw milk being dangerous perpetrated by big dairy? Do they hear the whole argument about the importance of removing government subsidies from corn and other food products to restore balance to the marketplace or only the part Big Ag’s lobbyists have the power and money to push?

Think I’m just being skeptical without reason? Let’s do a quick comparison of three tiny blurbs from today’s press release:

“Reconnecting consumers and institutions with local producers will stimulate economies in rural communities, improve access to healthy, nutritious food for our families, and decrease the amount of resources to transport our food.”

Sounds good, Secretary Vilsack. Decrease amount of resources to transport our food. Looks like you’re advocating local food supply.

“‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ seeks to focus that conversation on supporting local and regional food systems to strengthen American agriculture by promoting sustainable agricultural practices and spurring economic opportunity in rural communities.”

Lovely! Deputy Secretary Merrigan agrees. But wait…

“USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service proposed regulations to implement a new voluntary cooperative program under which select state-inspected establishments will be eligible to ship meat and poultry products in interstate commerce. The new program was created in the 2008 Farm Bill and will provide new economic opportunities for small meat and poultry establishments, whose markets are currently limited.”

Oh. So, here we see not the acceptance of small and local establishments as being valuable and viable within their own locality, but an expansion of shipping across state lines. Funny, that sounds an awful lot like more of the same “get big or get out” line to me. I thought we were trying to support local and regional food, not send my local and regional food two or three states away. But maybe I’m confused. Symbolic rhetoric solely for the sake of public adulation does that to me sometimes.

But, in the meantime, consumers (that’s you and me, folks) can make of this week what we choose. So, go to the Farmer’s Market. You know you’ve been meaning to, but the parking, and the summer heat, and well…

Start here. Find your market. Then, just go. Be bold. Introduce yourself. Ask about those bumpy aqua-colored squash. Find out how to cook okra so it doesn’t get slimy. Hear about the purple and white spotted green beans that turn light green when they are “done” cooking. As Michael Pollan says, “Shake the hand that feeds you.” Buy something. Bring it home and eat it. Know your farmer and know your food. You’ll learn something about yourself. And when you do, come back here and share!

This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays, hosted this week by Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

When red bell peppers reach the height of their availability in late summer, they are inexpensive, delicious and sweet. But, it’s nearly impossible to eat them all before they start to go squishy! Lacto-fermenting is a great way to preserve these gems. Allowing the peppers to soak in whey encourages the growth of healthful bacteria which supports your immune system and digestion. The sea salt discourages bad bacteria from taking over while the good bacteria flourishes.

A slice of these peppers on a sandwich or in a salad is wonderful. I love them on a slice of bread with butter. They are also delicious added to casseroles (after baking so the good bacteria isn’t killed off before it gets to you!) or blended into a sauce to pour over fish. It’s a simple process, but I’ve taken photos to walk you through it.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Olive oil to rub on the peppers
4 Tablespoons whey
A clean, wide-mouthed quart canning jar and lid
1 Tablespoon sea salt
Roasting pan
Red bell peppers
paper sack or two

Rub the bell peppers with olive oil while your broiler heats up. Set them in the glass baking dish.

Put the glass dish in the broiler and turn the peppers as the skin darkens on each side. If you have a gas stove, it works just as well to hold the pepper with tongs over the flame until each side gets blackened. You don’t want the peppers to cook, just darken, so use high heat and cook fast.

Drop the peppers into paper sacks and close them up.

The steam they create will loosen the peels, which then you just peel off with your fingers.

Cut the peppers open and scoop out the seeds, then cut them into strips. Drop the strips into your clean jar adding a little of the salt after each “layer”. Add whey. When I separate whey, I freeze it into ice cubes of 2T each. Then when I need some, I just take out the number of cubes I need and let them defrost.

Push down gently on the peppers to release their juices and get the all under the liquid. (I understand there’s a special tool for this, but my meat hammer works just as well.)

If there isn’t enough liquid, add a little clean, filtered water to the jar. It’s very important all the pepper strips be covered in liquid. You also want the top of the peppers to be about an inch below the top of the jar because they will expand a little while they ferment.

Put the lid on the jar and label it. Leave your jar undisturbed for three or four days (much depends on the temperature of your house and tasting will be your best judge of “doneness.”) Then refrigerate the jar until you are ready to use them.

I wish I could tell you exactly how long these last. I have had comments to my blog that they last six weeks, others say closer to three months. They never last here that long because we eat them up so fast!

This post is part of the Tuesday Twister blog carnival, hosted by GNOWFGLINS.