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any people don’t buy into the local food movement becausethey say that local food is “elitist.” Yet some of the world’sgreatest cuisines—Chinese, Italian, country French, Indian—have their roots among people who had the least to work with:peasants. What can we learn from peasant cultures that canhelp us eat both economically and locally at the same time?Here are six “peasant food principles” to keep in mind as youincrease the local food in your diet year round.
Let the “Royalty” Eat High on the Hog
The most tender and most expensive cuts of meat on a pig, orany animal for that matter, comes from the animal’s least usedmuscles, which tend to be on the upper parts of the animal or “high on the hog.” Meat from the active leg portions of animals(chicken thighs and legs, pork shoulder and ham, beef brisketand chuck roasts) is tougher and usually cannot just be thrownon the grill and served medium rare.Bought from local farmers, these “peasant cuts” can be lessthan half the cost of the more “desirable” cuts and are actually
more flavorful. Cook them low and slow in braises, soups, stews
and slow roasts for affordable meals that are rich, satisfying,
and deliciously filling. These types of dishes also lend them-selves to being made in advance and reheated or can be pre-
pared in a slow cooker, making them a convenient meal for thecook on the go.
Never Throw Food Away
It’s estimated that Americans waste 25% or more of the foodthat we bring into our homes. Peasants can’t afford to wastefood and know tricks for using up every little scrap of food intheir kitchen. Localvores can do the same and bring their food
waste to zero while preparing delicious “free meals” with left-
over items that would otherwise end up in the garbage. Endsof bread can go into the “leftover bread” bag in the freezer and
someday become stuffing, bread pudding, a breakfast strata,
or bread crumbs. A leftover piece of ham from Sunday’s dinner,barely enough for one sandwich, can become a meal of hashby sautéing the diced ham with potatoes, onions, and otherroot veggies and serving it topped with fried eggs. Other great “free food” dishes to make with leftovers are frittatas or quiche,shepherd’s pie, meat pies, omelets, fried rice, sandwiches andwraps, casseroles and pasta dishes.
Adapt Recipes to What You Have
There is no special formula to the ingredients found in mostrecipes. Recipes are merely a list of ingredients that anotherperson put together. Don’t become a slave to the ingredientlist. Peasants know how to work with what they have becausethey have no other option. Some common substitutions include
using local whole wheat flour in place of white all-purpose flour,
local vinegar in place of lemon juice, substituting yogurt and alittle milk for buttermilk, kale for spinach, or maple sugar forbrown sugar.The next time you are ready to cook something and realize youare missing an ingredient, ask yourself, “What would a peasantdo?” Since the answer to that question would not be “run outto the store,” learn to make do with what you have and what islocally available.
Make Inexpensive Proteins the Cornerstone of Your Diet
Costing around $2 a pound, locally grown dry beans are a bar-
gain and an excellent protein source. Peasant cultures aroundthe world make beans and rice the foundation of their diet.While rice isn’t local, it can be easily localized by replacing it
with wheat berries. Instead of relatively expensive and non-lo-
cal canned beans, make your own by cooking up large batches
of locally-grown dried beans and freezing them in two-cup por-
tions in zipper bags with some of their cooking liquid; they willbe ready to go when needed.Eggs are another protein bargain. Even farm fresh eggs from
free-range local chickens are a bargain protein at less than $1
for a two egg serving.
Grow Some of Your Own Food
Peasants grow much of their own food or trade with neighbors
for what they don’t grow themselves. While we all want to sup-port our farmers, you can lower your local food bill by supple-
menting what you purchase from local farms with food that yougrow yourself.Tomatoes are a great place to start. And, if you can or freezetomatoes for the winter, it will save you a lot of money downthe road. Growing a mesclun salad mix is another easy homecrop that can deliver salads throughout the summer for penniesa serving.
Take advantage of “modern-day peasant” conveniences
Even today, many peasants throughout the world do not haverefrigeration or freezers. Luckily, most of us have access tothese modern day conveniences. Energy Star rated freezersare surprisingly inexpensive and easily earn their keep in the
first season. Follow instructions (found on many websites) for
how to properly freeze fruits and vegetables and start putting alittle produce away each week during the summer. By the end
of November, your freezer will be stuffed full of fruits and veg-
gies.
This article is based on a longer piece that Robin wrote for the spring2009 issue of Vermont’s Local Banquet.
Robin McDermott lives with her husband, Ray, in Waitsfield, where
they grow much of their own food. Robin is a co–founder of the Mad River Valley Localvore Project, serves on the board of the Vermont Fresh Network, and is a passionate home cook.
Affordable& Local
food lessons from a peasant’s perspective
by Robin McDermott
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