Let it be known: We are big fans of the state of Vermont here at Eat Boutique. It’s not that much of a stretch, of course — many of us are New Englanders, or New Englanders at heart, and we love the entire region. But there is just something about Vermont and I was ecstatic when I recently came across a cookbook by the name of Dishing Up Vermont. Vermont recipes, made with Vermont-centered ingredients, offered up by Vermont chefs, farmers and food makers. I was smitten at my first flip-through.

While Dishing Up Vermont doesn’t bill itself as a cookbook that specializes in fall foods, it certainly has me heading straight to the farmers’ markets and into my kitchen to cook up quintessential New England savory dishes and sweet treats.  It may be that Vermont — and the region as a whole —really comes alive in autumn.

As it turns out, October might just be the prettiest month of all in New England. I mean, people travel here to SEE LEAVES. Yes, they are lovely, colorful leaves, but still, that’s saying something.  I heard the other day that this year’s colors might be delayed because of the odd weather we’ve had this summer and fall. I’ve also read that we won’t be getting the best of the foliage this year, and that instead of vibrant golds and bright oranges, we might see more burnt red and ochre. This Boston Globe article suggests that while people are still traveling to Vermont, they are paying more attention to damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene than the leaves. Sure enough, it’s been a rough few months for our neighbors up north. It has been heartwarming to see the food community gather close and support one another during these tough times, as we witnessed with our friends at Fat Toad Farm while they raised funds for their fellow farmers at Evening Song Farm. It has been incredible to see an entire state — and in many cases the entire region — rally around this cause.

So here’s what I have to say all of you: Visit Vermont. Eat their incredible food. Support the farmers and food makers who already work so very hard year-round, only to have been devastated by the big storm this summer. Be inspired and share what you have with your friends, loved ones and neighbors.

In that light, I wanted to share a great recipe with all of you today from Dishing Up Vermont. This soup felt familiar, but like much of the recipes in this cookbook, there was a nice kick and a few new ideas that inspired me (loved the bright taste of orange juice here).  It makes me happy to think that this healthy, warming soup will see me through the fall and much of winter. With my next batch, I plan to invite my family and friends over to enjoy it with me.

Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

From Dishing Up Vermont by Tracey Medieros

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-4 carrots, peeled, ends removed, and cut into small pieces
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons sweet curry powder (such as Penzey’s brand)
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth or water, or as needed
• ¼ cup orange juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Chives

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat Add the carrots, the sweet potatoes, onion and garlic. Saute until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and continue to cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the vegetable broth to cover the vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are fork tender, approximately 15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and puree the mixture with a handheld blender, or transfer mixture to a blender or food processor in batches, and puree until texture is smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add more broth or water.
4. Transfer puree back to stockpot (if necessary), and slow whisk in orange juice. Heat through, and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chives, crème fraiche, or homemade croutons.

Notes:

• My soup was much thicker the next day, so I added water as I reheated it.
• I don’t often keep orange juice in the house, so I used the juice of a whole orange, which worked wonderfully.
• If you don’t have an immersion blender—I can’t recommend them enough. It’s my favorite kitchen tool!
• I loved adding my own homemade croutons to this comforting soup, recipes below.

Homemade Croutons

This is a great thing to do with stale bread heels that you don’t eat in time. I often collect those bits and pieces in a bag in the freezer and make them into croutons or bread crumbs as needed. This time, I had almost an entire loaf that wasn’t going to be eaten in time— I made huge batch of croutons to have on hand for fall salads and soups. These croutons, stored in a tightly sealed container, will stay fresh for up to a month.

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of bread (I like using a hearty, seeded multigrain), cut into small ½ inch by ½ inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For variety: add herbs, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400˚.
2. Cube bread and add to a large bowl. Add olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss well.
3. Spread the bread cubes in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until croutons are golden brown.

Good luck to the soul who stands between a California Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel and me. Seriously, get out of my way.

I like wine and, especially, red wine. When I’m in northern California, I can drink a fancy red bottle or take my jug to the local vineyard to fill up on solid house wine. Either way, I’m happy because in California, I’ve got options.

Not so much in New England.

In fact, when a winemaker from a vineyard along the Coastal Wine Trail (which covers Rhode Island and Massachusetts) told me it’s impossible to make good red wine north of Connecticut, I pouted and considered a move out west permanently.

That was until I battled through thunderstorms to make my annual journey to Woodstock, Vermont in June.

I’ve been visiting Woodstock for ten years. My husband and I met Deirdre Heekin and Caleb Barber, proprietors of Osteria Pane e Salute, when we put ourselves in their hands for one of our first very fancy dinners as a couple. We chose our dishes based on their very seasonal and local menu, and Deirdre paired each course with her carefully-curated wines.

I love when someone who loves wines tells me what to drink.

Each year, we visit their bistro-size restaurant and, each year, I learn about so many boutique wines that Deirdre has discovered during her trips to Italy. Deirdre and Caleb visited during their honeymoon and return to taste, cook and get inspired during the off-season each year.

Lucky for us.

In June, we followed our typical 1-2-3 plan for a visit to Woodstock.

1. We checked into our favorite inn: The Woodstocker Inn

2. We ate and sampled beers at our favorite brewery: Long Trail Brewing Company

3. We dined in one of the best restaurants ** in New England: Osteria Pane e Salute

There was one slight alteration to this pretty awesome agenda. Deirdre and Caleb have started making wine on their eight-acre farm about 10 miles from the restaurant in Barnard, Vermont. And as a little gift to my husband, I surprised him with a tour of their farm, from which they grow vegetables and herbs for the restaurant, and a tasting of their very first wine vintage in progress at La Garagista. (They already make classic method ciders and aperitivi, delicious cordials and liquors to serve before a meal, and digestifs, for after a meal.)

The entire farm was stunning and quite special. And when I relayed the Coastal Wine Trail story to Deirdre just as we sipped her red wine, she gave me a look and a smile, and it was very clear to me that though the wine was still developing, I was soon going to have a favorite New England red wine.

Deirdre and Caleb are very busy with the restaurant and the farm and their wine tastings and all those trips to Italy but if you ask very nicely, they’d let you tour and taste their wines too.

Deirdre and Caleb have written several books: Libation, a Bitter Alchemy; In Late Winter We Ate Pears: A Year of Hunger and Love; and (my personal favorite) Pane e Salute: Food and Love in Italy and Vermont. They’re also on Twitter and write the inspiring blog Fuoricitta. I’ve written about Osteria Pane e Salute before too.

** Now I don’t make a broad statement like this very easily. But my first experience dining at this restaurant, and every single visit since, has inspired me. Their passion for food and wine inspired me to find my own and they’re one of the reasons I choose to work in food. Yes, those are big shoes to fill but they fill them beautifully.

Eat Boutique is an online magazine + market for food enthusiasts to celebrate the best pure, local + comforting handmade foods. We call it: food that hugs you back. Looking for the perfect gift? Eat Boutique sells gift boxes filled with handmade sweet and savory treats. Send food that hugs you back today.

Last week, I followed one of my favorite chefs to the country. Chef Jason Bond of Bondir restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts, launched the Whim dinner series at Smolak Farms, a weekly Wednesday night event that places amazing urban chefs in the bucolic setting of a remote country farm.

Imagine green garden soup with fresh summer truffle and strawberry semifreddo with pistachio shortbread enjoyed under a tent in a field by a pond. It couldn’t have been more delicious and, very quickly into the evening, the group of strangers around our shared dinner table became good friends, yapping about our dogs and our desperate need to escape our fast-paced life for something far more civilized, in the woods.

Tickets are still available for this Wednesday night series. If you’d like to know a bit more about what to expect at one of these lovely events, I’ve put together a little photo essay of our evening. I hope you’re able to enjoy a nice meal in a field at some point this summer, whether at Smolak or in your own back yard.

Eat Boutique is an online magazine + market for food enthusiasts to celebrate the best pure, local + comforting handmade foods. We call it: food that hugs you back. Looking for the perfect gift? Eat Boutique sells a handmade gift box filled with handmade sweet and savory treats. Send an Eat Boutique gift box today.

People are often surprised when I tell them that I’m not from around here. I think many people assume I am from Maine, probably because I could wax poetic about the Pine Tree state for hours. I don’t mind if people think I’m from Maine, or the Boston area, because I have grown to love this section of the country so much that I often forget myself that I grew up (quite happily, I will add) in Pennsylvania with a brief stint in Virginia.

One of the best parts of not being “from here” is that I am always finding new pockets of New England that I never knew existed. Earlier this year, my sister moved to the alluring town of Northampton, and I began a love affair with Western Massachusetts. Last month, I spent some time in the Woodstock, Vermont area, and quickly proclaimed that this was my favorite spot and soon found myself gazing through storefront windows at real estate listings.  I tend to get a little extreme when I discover a new spot.

So it was no surprise to me that I quickly fell for the seaside town of Westport, MA when I first visited vacationing friends there a few summers back. When I received an invitation to visit again this summer, I jumped at the chance. Westport, to me, is pretty much perfect. The combination of family farms, a calm tidal river, great beaches, and gorgeous historic homes makes my heart ache just thinking about it.

Unlike other areas by the ocean, Westport retains its near-rural feel, and lacks some of the over development that other beach towns experience. Plus, they have excellent food there, and a real sense of responsibility and loyalty to the local food movement. And why not? This section of southeastern Massachusetts grows some of the best produce (I can personally attest as a CSA member of nearby Silverbrook Farm in Dartmouth), produces some of New England’s best wines, and is now home to one of the most intriguing cheese-makers in the region, Shy Brothers Farm.

Those shy Santos brothers represent the third generation of their family to live and work on their Westport dairy farm. A few years ago, they faced the frightening prospect of losing their farm – and their way of life – due to out of control milk prices that led to declining profits from their traditional dairy business. With the help of some enterprising friends, they took another look at their land, their herd and their goals and began to make some pretty vast changes, transitioning from producing milk to producing their own artisan cheeses. After a lot of research, hard work and a few trips to France, the brothers created a unique cows’ milk cheese that they call hannahbells, named for both the shape of the cheese and after their mother, Hannah. These shy brothers, so close to losing everything, can now see their cheese being served at some of New England’s finest restaurants, for sale at specialty shops around the region, and doing brisk internet sales. They have also begun to receive a lot of well-deserved buzz for their cheese, raking in several awards and a lot of press.

Their website gives you some great suggestions for using the adorable and tasty miniature cheeses, as well as providing you with information on where to find hannahbells at stores and in restaurants. Personally, I love popping these little thimble sized morsels into my mouth just the way they are, or alongside a nice glass of wine and some cured meats. However, as the hannahbells melt very well, it is also fun to experiment, as I have with the recipe below. The slight earthiness of the hannahbells makes them a natural fit with mushrooms, shallots and rosemary. Serve these crostini up as an easy appetizer for drop-by guests, or alongside a big green salad for a weekend lunch or light dinner.

I have yet to try their newest product, a ricotta-like cheese that they call cloumage, but I plan to as soon as I can get my hands on it. After all, tasting locally made cheeses is very much like tasting the region itself, as the core ingredients start with the unique pasture blessed with warm sun, rolling fog and the cool sea air. Based on what I have tasted so far with the hannahbells, I will say that I think Westport is a very fine terroir indeed!

Mushroom and Hannahbell Crostini

Ingredients

• 1 container of hannahbells (I used their Classic French version, but I think any of the flavors would work well!)
• 1 baguette, cut into one inch thick rounds
• 1 pint of mushrooms, sliced (I used simple white mushrooms, feel free to go fancier if you prefer, but mine were delicious)
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
• special equipment- a silicon brush

Directions:

Turn on the broiler. Heat a pat of butter (about 1/2 tablespoon) and olive oil over medium heat until the butter melts and begins to just bubble. Add the sliced shallots and cook until just translucent and fragrant (probably one of the best scents in the world, by the way). Add mushrooms and cook until lightly browned and the moisture has cooked off, about 10-12 minutes. Add the finely chopped rosemary, and season with salt and pepper and mix until well incorporated. Empty the mushroom mixture into a medium sized bowl and put aside.

Put the rest of the butter into the pan with the minced garlic and heat until butter has melted and garlic is no longer raw and is becoming fragrant (be careful not to burn the garlic). Take the sliced baguette and “paint” the slices with the melted garlic butter and place on a cookie sheet.

Toss the chopped hannahbells with the mushroom mixture and spoon an equal amount onto each round. Place the cookie sheet under the broiler and cook until the cheese has melted and the edges of the toasts have lightly browned. Be careful not to burn the toasts, as the broiler will cook them very quickly- probably about 5 minutes.

For more information about the Shy Brothers Farm, see their great website. Make sure to also check out their blog, as they make a few great beer and wine pairing suggestions! Click here to see where you can purchase these special cheeses.

While Eat Boutique is not necessarily a site where we discuss the politics of food, this subject matters to any one who cares about what they eat, where that food comes from, and the people that produce that food. In that vein, we thought you all might be interested in learning more about a new documentary about the rising movement of Americans who are seeking to re-invent our food system. The film, called FRESH, celebrates the farmers, purveyors and consumers who are taking matters into their own hands. The documentary also serves as a guide to empower people like us to take action in small and simple ways that can make a big difference.

To celebrate the release of the movie in the greater Boston area, a series of events and farm-to-table dinners have been planned. Last week, a group of local food advocates, including Willow Blish from Slow Food Boston, John Lee from Allandale Farm, J.J Gonson from Cuisine en Locale, and Jeff Morin from City Feed and Supply, served on a panel to discuss their roles in the local food movement.

When the evening was opened up for questions, it was clear that the people in the room last night were frustrated. From discussions covering the state of food served in our schools, to the affordability of farmers’ market produce, to food deserts, there is certainly much to cause anger. However, as John Lee, the owner/farmer of Allandale Farm said last night, five years ago, there never would have been a 100+ crowd gathered to listen and discuss the state of local food. Five years ago, it was almost impossible for Lee to sell produce that wasn’t tightly wrapped in cellophane, with all of the leaves chopped off and no sign that it actually came from the ground. Things are changing for the better, and rather than dismissing this recent interest in our food as a trend, we should continue to educate ourselves and those around us about the food that we eat.

While the problem is extremely multi-faceted, the message was clear: vote with your food purchases. Every time we buy food, we are making a significant choice. As they say, money talks. As much as you can, buy food that has been produced by small-scale farms and within your region. Connect with those farmers, know from where your food comes. Your body will thank you and you can enjoy that food even more, knowing that your farmers have been paid a good, fair wage and that your food hasn’t traveled, un-ripened, from thousands of miles away in an 18-wheeler. If you can’t make it to a farmers’ market frequently, start being that squeaky wheel. Ask for fresh, local produce at your local grocery store. The more consumers that ask for locally grown produce, the more likely that something will happen.

What else can YOU do? For starters, you can learn more about the movement by seeing the movie FRESH, but you’ll have to hurry. In the greater Boston area, you can see the film at the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square until June 25. While FRESH week’s activities are nearly over, you can visit any of the restaurants that hosted farm-to-table dinners and talks and enjoy quality, local food.

We’d love to open up this discussion to our readers. What simple changes have you made to better connect with the food that you eat?  Do you know an un-sung hero in the local food movement that is doing amazing work? Share with us below!

You’re probably wondering whether the words farm and fashion belong in the same sentence. I considered the two words to be akin to the relationship between oil and water; never, no matter what you do, shall the two mesh. Well, let me tell you that I maintained that point of view until I ran into one of the local farm girls at Green Meadows Farms in Hamilton, Massachusetts.

I was super busy socializing with the pigs, chatting them up while they dug into their grain. Seriously, what else is there to do when the pigs eat but talk at the air? After three months in Paris, I was just grateful to speak with a creature that may, in fact, understand my words. The pigs would chuckle and giggle, feigning interest in my lousy jokes, unlike all those Parisians who simply stared, then winced and walked away. The pigs didn’t wince, not once.

Neither did the hens. They didn’t wince either. But like the pigs, they were far more interested in those huge grain bins than my idle chit-chat. They were so interested in that grain, several of them hopped into the bright bins, digging into a smorgasbord of yummy bits – yummy to them, at least. So… I was chatting with the pigs and then the hens and then ran into the most beautiful farm girl I’ve never seen. What, beside that huge smile, makes this farm girl so beautiful? Check out her outfit, people!

On this early Saturday morning, this farm girl had very little to wear at home. She pulled out whatever was clean and on hand, which included a short gray t-shirt, adorable plaid running shorts (the kind we used to wear in college), and the most sparkly leggings I’ve seen outside of the New York City Halloween Parade. Seriously.

So perhaps some of you think this outfit is a little unusual… it is! And thank goodness. Farmers are always wearing those boring baggy jeans, short sleeve t-shirts and John Deere hats. This farm girl had a different sort of inspiration that Saturday morning. While dealing with her lack of clean clothes, she made a decision that made me smile. She made my day. And when I asked to take her picture, including the super up-close photos of her long legs, she smiled, flattered by the compliment. I had, in turn, made her smile (and perhaps made her day, who knows…)

So I had my smile and snapped my photos and let her go on about her morning’s worth of tasks, which included feeding those hungry hens. I kept chatting with the animals, pointing out how lucky they were to have such a happy sparkly farm girl dosing out their grain.

This is a story of a long table draped in white, lined with perfectly placed wooden seats, standing in the middle of a field, waiting for the guests to dine beneath flickering swallows’ tails, along-side butterflies and trailing bean vines.

Outstanding in the Field began in 1999, in Santa Cruz, California, when a man named Jim Denevan had an idea: To dine at the source on the very soil that nourished the bounty on the plate, in the company of the farmers who cultivated it. Soon San Francisco cooks were tramping out to the farms to get involved, and the al fresco/adventure dinners began to spread across the country. In 2003, Jim and Katy Oursler bought a 1953 vintage bus and started East to set up dinners anywhere beautiful and meaningful, always close if not on a farm, by local loving chefs, mostly under the open skies. Since 1999, they’ve included 180 farm dinners, including six tours of North America.

Since the North East is where I’m drooling from, I’ll give you a few examples of farm and chefs coupling for a magical night: Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm on Nantucket, Old Chatham Sheepherding Company in Old Chatham, NY, and Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, NH have hosted Outstanding Dinners prepared by (not necessarily at the mentioned farms) North East restaurants like Harvest in Cambridge, The Pearl on Nantucket, and Prune in New York.

So go to the website and make a reservation for a field, a winery, a cathedral, a cave of your choice. Once you arrive at your hallowed destination, you will be greeted by a glass of wine and a tour of the site by the hosts. Then you will remove to the long table to sit family-style with the other 149 guests. (The Outstanding table seats 150.) Each course will be paired with a wine selection, usually local if possible, and you will dine on the food grown if not right under your feet then very close by, by chefs trained to extract art from these fruits of the vine. You will eat and drink until the sun sets, the stars come out, and the cows come home.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said the sky is the daily bread of the eyes. Pick a date, a farm, a dinner and let your eyes feast, too.

The North American Tour list has launched, and tickets go on sale Saturday, March 20 at 12 pm EST, and typically sell out fast.

I miss Summer. I know I’m not the only one. But while others miss the beach and icy margaritas, I miss visiting the farmers’ market each week. Last year was the first time I signed up for a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Each Monday, I would visit the friendly folks at the Silverbrook Farm tent, where unlike other CSAs, they give you free reign to choose your vegetables. Throughout the Summer and Fall, I experienced the micro-seasonality of a southeastern Massachusetts farm, greedily snatching up bags and bags of amazingly flavorful tomatoes, greens, onions, potatoes, basil, berries, peaches, plums, apples, squash, and eggplant. I couldn’t resist stocking up on Silverbrook’s colorful jams and jellies, some of which I hid away in my pantry so I could have bursts of summer all winter long. I see I’m not the only one who fell for their jam!

While New York City and Rhode Island love winter farmers’ markets, Boston is seriously lacking on that front. When the market closed in November, I sadly headed back to my supermarket with the goal of trying to eat as seasonally and locally as possible. Fast forward to February when my co-worker told me about a winter farmers’ market that she had recently visited. I was so excited by the idea, I peppered her with questions until she agreed to take me along.

Last Saturday morning, we made our way to the town of Wayland to visit the sprawling Russell’s Garden Center. The place was packed! We wandered past Russell’s beautiful greenhouse and through vendors selling hummus, salsa, and dried fruit leather, until we came upon the farm stands. I recognized Red Fire Farm, and soon began to examine their offerings of root vegetables and greenhouse grown spinach, collards and greens. A recipe began to take shape in my head, and I set about gathering rutabagas, turnips and parsnips – vegetables known to me by name, but not as much by taste. I couldn’t wait to get them home and roast them up!

The following is the loose recipe I created for this massive haul of winter vegetables. Feel free to use different vegetables, and to increase the amount of the maple balsamic mixture. I served them over polenta with feta cheese sprinkled on top for a great wintry meal.

Maple Balsamic Roasted Root Vegetables

Ingredients

• 3 rutabagas
• 3 parsnips
• 2 turnips
• 4 large carrots
• 3 radishes
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp maple syrup (honey would also go nicely here)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 glug of soy sauce (optional)
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, stripped from woody stems
• 2 teaspoons rosemary, stripped from stems and chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Turn the oven on to 400 degrees. Line two cookie sheets or jelly roll pans with tin foil. Wash and peel the root vegetables and cut into uniform sized pieces. (I usually go for a smaller size so that they don’t take as long to roast.) Place all cut vegetables into a large bowl and set aside.

In a smaller bowl or a glass measuring cup, combine the vinegar, maple syrup and olive oil (and add the soy sauce here, if you are using). Pour the mixture over the vegetables and toss to coat well. Roast the vegetables, tossing once in awhile, for about 30 minutes or until browned and softened.

There is one Saturday remaining (February 27) at the winter farmers’ market at Russell’s Garden Center. Don’t miss your chance!

Today, while reading about Michael Pollan’s new book, Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, I found myself nodding “yes,” in agreement with his message, which he succinctly summarized in In Defense of Food: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Pollan is preaching to the choir with me, but I did still order the new book — there’s still plenty of room for improvement in my diet!

In fact, I recently acknowledged that most of the changes I’ve made in the last few years — like joining a CSA, planting a garden, and cooking at home — revolve around the “mostly plants” part of my diet. But, as a life-long meat-eater* with no plans to convert to a strictly vegetarian diet, I decided it was time to apply the same standards to my meat choices. Let’s face it: It doesn’t make much sense to be eating organic lettuce and an heirloom tomato on top of a burger that has been injected with antibiotics.

So, about three months ago, I decided that I would a) eat less meat, and b) only eat meat from local sources. My local farm stand, Heron Pond Farm, offers meat from Kellie Brook Farm in Stratham, NH, so this certainly made the challenge easier. And, although the local meat is more expensive than what you pay in a supermarket, the cost was offset by the fact that I was buying less of it.

What I noticed immediately was that local meat looks a little different from “factory-farm” meat; there is more texture and — sorry — more blood. I was momentarily grossed out, but then reminded myself that the whole point was to be aware of where my meat comes from — if I am going to eat it, I should be able to look at it before it’s been turned into a breaded rectangle! (A recent conversation with my four-year-old, in which I realized that she had not made the connection between “a chicken” and “chicken” — despite the clue that it’s the same word — also highlighted this issue.)

I’m also so happy to not be buying the “factory-farm” meat that is contributing to what many cite as the #1 source of global warming (just google “factory-farm meat and global warming” for many sources). And, yes, I know that I am a drop in the ocean (make that a drop in 100,000 oceans), but we can’t NOT do sensible things just because we think our actions alone won’t have an impact.

Admittedly, I have not been totally vigilant. I still often cook with boxed chicken stock. Once, I made for friends a warm beet and bacon salad that turned out to be too delicious to resist. I even forgot my mandate a few times while out socializing. Oops! Mostly, though, I stuck to the plan. I was even able to order meat while dining out, thanks to restaurants like Zampa, in Epping, NH, whose owner buys from local NH farms. I’ve since loosened the reigns a bit to include meat that has been purchased by people whose quality assurance I absolutely trust, like Flatbread Pizza.

Ultimately, I decreased my meat intake by at least half, while increasing its quality. I think Michael Pollan would approve. Just don’t tell him about my dessert habit…I’m a little more resistant to change in that department!

*I recommend watching Food, Inc, or reading Eating Animals if you’re looking for more information. As for whether we should be eating meat in general…that is a whole different discussion!