Media that Matters: Good Food

Some food for thought during the Buy Local, Eat Local Challenge... A collection of short films on food and sustainability http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/mtm_good_food/ http://truths.treehugger.com/video/contest_entry_reality_in_the_s.php http://truths.treehugger.com/video/food_production.php http://video.google.com/videoplaydocid=5917890167458362959&q=corn&ei=gH6DSNjrLYSkrQLz9sySAw&hl=en http://video.google.com/videoplaydocid=5917890167458362959&q=corn&ei=on6DSLOSMYOcrwLM_9SsCw&hl=en http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5917890167458362959&q=corn&ei=X3 DSL2RJoSkrQLz9sySAw&hl=en http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFNzabpQ2X0 http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com/2008/04/the-locavore-de.html http://truths.treehugger.com/video/contest_entry_eat_local.php

Eat Local Challenge, Day 3

You've probably made great progress in recycling, changing how you drive, and use electricity and water. This week, think twice before you reach for that bottle of Coke, box of cereal, package of hot dogs or lunch meat, box of crackers or macaroni and cheese, jar of spaghetti sauce, banana, or imported specialty item. Your food choices have just as much impact on your carbon footprint. Need help? Visit the Buy Local Challenge site. On Friday the Cheverly Community Market will finish up the week with a Community Market Potluck. RSVP via eVite or email. We REALLY need your help! Already have other plans? You can still show your support for local food and the sustainability of the Community Market by making a donation to Cheverly Community Market, 2903 64th Avenue, Cheverly MD 20785.

Buy Local Eat Local

We're off and running with the Buy Local, Eat Local Challenge! How are you doing with the challenge? At our house so far today, we've had fresh local peaches, locally made sourdough and jam, green beans and tomatoes. And some family members have snacked on locally made salsa, chips and tortillas (and beer -- not local but much welcomed on a hot, hot day.) Oh, and we've had peppermint tea made from locally harvested peppermint...maybe we'll have some over ice to beat the heat. So it's been relatively easy so far. I'll be curious to see how it goes later in the week. Friday night's Market Potluck is sure to provide lots of fun...and food for thought! Please get your reservations in by Wednesday!

I'm also following along with the LOCAVORE nation on NPR's excellent The Splendid Table. This is a year-long experiment in which fifteen participants around the country try to get at least 80% of their diet locally, organically (when possible) and sustainably (when possible). The blogs are interesting reading and the site is really informative.

Let us know how your challenge week goes. New ideas? New recipes? We'd love to hear from you.

What a GREAT Market!

This was our best Market yet! Great weather, so many people having a wonderful morning, great music, and fantastic food, wines, produce and many things you just can't buy in stores. And if you needed even more relaxation...10-minute massages. Photos from this week are posted on flickr. If you have a story from the Market that you'd like to share, let us know! Saturday really was a perfect kickoff to the Buy Local Challenge Week. Remember -- eat local every day! We'll have lots of new content on the blog and the site this week -- look for vendor interviews, recipes and more. And we'll finish the week with a very special Market benefit potluck.

This just in!

John Childer's of Stanton's Mill will be at the Market this weekend. Stanton's Mill produces fantastic stone-ground flours and grains -- the real, old-fashioned way. THis means no preservatives, no chemicals and great taste, texture and nutrintional value! The product line includes graham flour, whole wheat flour, seven grain flour, white unbleached flour, yellow corn meal, white corn meal, yellow grits, white grits, rye flour, buckwheat flour, corn muffin mix, hush puppy mix and Amish funnel cake mix. The buckwheat flour makes -- hands down -- the best buckwheat pancakes you've ever tasted. John starts out on the long trek from Grantsville, Maryland, at 3:00am to join us at the Cheverly Community Market -- make sure you stop by his tent, pick up some flour and a mix or two...and maybe bring him a cup of coffee!

Your Market Stories...

Our first customer market story comes from Aimee Olivo...

I wanted to write in about the Brooks Brand Salsa at last weekend's market. It was FANTASTIC!!! My husband, Abel, is Mexican and grew up with a mother who hand-made tortillas each morning for their lunch boxes (yes, hand-made from scratch!!!). So you know he's a tough critic of all Mexican food! We both consider ourselves to be connoisseurs of salsa. So, you know it it high praise when Abel says that Brooks Brand is some of the best salsa he's ever tasted! It was the perfect compliment to the lightly-salted crunchy goodness of the Moctec tortilla chips. Our only regret: purchasing just one tub! Can't wait to stock up at the next Market!

Thanks for sharing, Aimee. Want to share your market story? We'd love to hear from you. Send your story here.

Order Your Sylver Spoon Cupcakes Early & Save!

Sylver Spoon's Nicole Sylver, a professionally trained chef who lives here in Cheverly, dreams about opening a cupcake bar like the ones in Georgetown, Dupont Circle etc... They are all the rage in NYC and San Francisco and Cheverly certainly could use one! " I am looking forward to participating in this week's market. I am happy to offer a discount on pre-ordered cupcakes: $2.00 each, with a 4 cupcake minimum. Same flavors this week: Red Velvet, Chocolate Chunk, Vanilla cupcakes with choice of Cream Cheese, Chocolate and Vanilla Buttercreams. Guests can still add their choice of toppings at pick-up." Call 202-492-1480 or email Nicole Sylver nsylver1@yahoo.com.

If you haven't had a chance yet to try these cupcakes, do it this weekend. They're fantastic -- a great hit at the last market (and they make a yummy market breakfast or late-morning pick-me-up if you can't wait to get your box home! Of course, they'd make a perfect dessert for a market meal, but we haven't been able to control ourselves yet...)