Locavorism and veggies in Northern latitudes?

[HerthElde]

I think this is one thing that derailed my attempts to eat well toward the end of my pregnancy last winter. I would really really like to eat locally appropriate foods in the winter but that doesn't leave much room for many veggies. Obviously leafy greens aren't going to grow naturally in Northern latitudes in the middle of winter. So what do people eat? Lactofermented veggies, probably? And root veggies? Does anyone do this? What do you eat? What do you suppose a nutritionally complete menu would look like? We've been living on frozen peas and green beans. Help!

[Ruthla]

I'm wondering the same thing- but my main concern is about locally derived salt and spices. But then I think about water pollution and think that maybe I'm better off with the salt mined from Utah than local salt (if it even exists- should I go to the beach and collect sea water to make my own salt?

Eating seasonally in the winter (on Long Island anyway) consists of lots of stews that are heavy on the root vegetables, meats and poultry, and sprouts you can grow in your own kitchen. Lots of baked goods such as pies (meal type pot pies or dessert/side dish pies like apple or pumpkin) sourdough breads, quick breads (like pumpkin bread). Even pizza can be "localvore friendly" if you use local grains for the crust, sauce made from local tomatoes (preferably canned or frozen when they were in season) and cheese from local dairy animals.

[yllek]

Originally Posted by HerthElde

I think this is one thing that derailed my attempts to eat well toward the end of my pregnancy last winter. I would really really like to eat locally appropriate foods in the winter but that doesn't leave much room for many veggies. Obviously leafy greens aren't going to grow naturally in Northern latitudes in the middle of winter. So what do people eat? Lactofermented veggies, probably? And root veggies? Does anyone do this? What do you eat? What do you suppose a nutritionally complete menu would look like? We've been living on frozen peas and green beans. Help!

Do you have a farmer's market that is open during the winter? Ask the local farmers what is coming to market in the winter.

My little winter garden produces kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, peas, Swiss chard, TONS of lettuce, spinach, beets, carrots, cilantro and parsley. Later when we install more beds, I hope we'll be getting potatoes, parsnips, rutabagas, cauliflower, turnip, radishes and maybe a few others. Now granted, I'm in CA, with temperatures only getting as cold as the 20s at the worst. But there are a lot of market gardeners and farmers that use row covers and such to extend their season of similar veggies well into winter. Eliot Coleman, organic gardener extraordinaire, produces a ton of veggies in Maine winters.
http://www.fourseasonfarm.com/main/a...s/mother2.html

Dh and my goal is to get virtually all our produce totally out of our garden by 2010. It doesn't get more local than that. Obviously, certain things in our diet won't be local, but we're hoping to get close...