Winter Survival

You may be asking, “Who in their right mind would start a blog about locally grown food in Montana on the cusp of winter?” That would be me…the one with my hand raised. But actually I think it’s a perfect time. We Montanans spend at least six months of each year in the cold clutches of old man winter and I for one want need some help surviving him without my beloved farmer’s market. So here are some tips I put together to help you to continue to savor local food through our infamous Montana winters.

                                                                                                                                  

1)      Create your own freezer section.

Freezing is a great way to preserve several kinds of fruits and vegetables. With the knowledge of a few simple techniques on how to freeze properly, you can look forward to several months of preserved local produce. Fruits and vegetables are best frozen in pieces and several kinds need to be blanched or slightly cooked first. I’ve also had success with freezing fresh herbs. Just be sure to spread them out on a flat surface when you first freeze them, then place them in freezer bags. I’ve also chopped up fresh herbs and frozen the pieces in water in ice cube trays. You then have cubes ready to throw into a bubbling soup or stew to add flavor. I’ve found the website, http://www.helpwithcooking.com/ to be a great resource for step by step instructions on how to freeze all sorts of food. Of course, canning and pickling are also good ways to preserve food but I know absolutely nothing about these techniques. If anyone would like to offer up some advice, I’d love to hear it.

2)      Eat out.

This is probably my favorite tip. Restaurants have increased access to local food and better ways to store it than the average individual. That means many local restaurants like Biga Pizza and The Red Bird can make it a point to keep local food on their menus throughout the year. Take a drive down to Hamilton and experience uber-local food at Sleeping Child Farms, the only Farm to Table restaurant in Montana, which means they grow the food used in the restaurant on the premises.

3)      Expand your thinking from just locally grown food to locally produced food.

Honey from Victor, olive oil from Bozeman, pasta from Polson, bread from Missoula, eggs from Cascade. Local food doesn’t have to mean only fresh produce you just bought from the cute little man I recently bought cucumbers from at the farmer’s market. Many Montana producers create wonderful products that can be enjoyed all winter long and most of them strive to use local ingredients in the process. The Good Food store has a great local food section and a nifty handout that lists all the Montana-made food on their shelves.

4)      Drink up.

Ok, this might be my favorite tip. When it comes to local, don’t forget the beer…or the wine…or the liquor. We are fortunate in Montana to have some of the best microbreweries in the country. Wineries and, more recently, distilleries are sprouting up in many areas. These folks not only make a tasty product but the majority of them include locally grown grains and fruits in the process. Nothing gets me through a dreary, damp Montana winter day like a pint of Cold Smoke from Missoula’s Kettlehouse or a hot buttered rum using rum from Whistling Andy’s in BigFork. 

Those are my tips. If you have some of your own you’d like to share I’d love to hear from you.