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(Leda was previously featured on Taste of Local here):

TL: Spring is here (although it doesn’t  feel like it), and soon farmer’s markets will be teeming with local produce.  That isn’t so during the winter.  Looking back on the winter months, what options do people who want to eat locally have during the colder months?

LM: Actually, winter is not so bad thanks to increased offerings at the farmers’ markets and more CSAs offering winter shares. Some fresh greens (kale, collards, spinach) can be had at least until March, along with root vegetables and winter squash. Queens County Farm Museum had the great idea of freezing pints of their heirloom tomatoes and selling them at the Union Square market for people to make winter soups and sauces with.

When it is really bleakest is mid-March till mid-April. The new spring crops haven’t come in yet, and the farmers are running out of their stored crops such as the root vegetables. Only a few farmers manage to keep offering fresh greens during that time. The storage apples are getting to be mealy and really only good cooked, and no other fruit is available. It’s at that time especially that I turn to my pantry.

TL: How can people who are considering an all local diet prepare now for next winter?

LM: This gets down to that pantry I mentioned. Even if people don’t have skills in canning or pickling, they can still freeze fruits as they come into season. I still have blueberries and plums from last year in the freezer that I am enjoying on yogurt and on pancakes–goes a long way towards fending off late-season apple boredom! If people do take the time to learn a few other food preservation skills, they can vary their winter diet even more.

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