This is the second time I have tried to eat locally. The previous 6 weeks were in the autumn, so there was plenty of fruit available. This time I am finding the lack of fruit harder.
Until Saturday I was existing on home made damson jam and apples that a friend had stored from her garden. Then I cleaned out the freezer and found a few raspberries and blackberries harvested from the garden in the autumn- what a treat! A local fruit grower was also at the Impington Village College Farmers’ Market this week. As well as apples and apple juice, he also had pears. Perhaps we could arrange a home made jam swop so that we have some variety.
The monthly Farmers’ Market is also very good for local honey, eggs, fish (landed at Lowestoft), chicken, game, pork and beef. On the egg stall you can refill a litre bottle of rape seed oil for £3. This is produced at Chatteris. The vegetable stall was fantastic this week, proving it isn’t all about potatoes and cabbage. I bought Kohl Rabi (which the stallholder recommended grated for salad), celeriac, celery, leeks and carrots. There is generally a lack of salad at this time of year so I’ve resolved to try and grow some in future. I’ve ordered spinach and maize which claim to grow all the year round. I’ll let you know how they get on.
For first-timers, Daily Bread sells oats and flour from Huntingdon and the Farmers Outlet on Hills Road has local cheese Lincolnshire Poacher and Wobbly Bottom goat cheese. To get local milk you have to go to Morrisons at Cambourne. At this point you start to wonder if the benefit of local produce is perhaps being offset by travelling some distance by car. It is much easier for retired people like me to eat locally as we have the time to shop around but I’m sure it is harder for people who are working full time.
My excused items are tea, yoghurt (yes, I know I could make some but haven’t got round to it yet), butter and rice.
Posted by Penny
