Consider local options for holiday meals

One of the underlying principles of modern sustainability is the shorter the distance between producer and consumer, the better for our environment, our local economy, and our sense of community. Buying local reduces fuel consumption and pollution during transportation, reduces the packaging and invests money back into our community, rather than far-away, faceless corporate coffers. It creates relationships between neighborhood buyers and sellers. In the upcoming holiday season, we will have opportunities to test our dedication to the Buy Local ethic, and make a difference in the lives of suppliers by patronizing places like Huckleberry’s Natural Foods, Main Market Co-op, and local farmers markets. To assist with the challenge, the staff of Huckleberry’s helped prepare recommendations for holiday food and drink items with local producers. Many of the items can be found directly from the suppliers or local stores. Cider The fruit used in Tieton Cider Works’ cider comes from Harmony Orchards, a family-owned grove that sits above the Tieton and Naches rivers. The current owners’ grandfather homesteaded the land in the 1920s and today, the fruit is transformed into crisp, organic, gluten-free ciders. Wine According to the 2011 Washington State Wine Tour Guide, Spokane has 18 bonded wineries, and seven have area satellite tasting rooms. Here’s a selection: • Arbor Crest Wine Cellars • Barili Cellars • Barrister Winery • Caterina Winery • Grande Ronde Cellars • Latah Creek Wine Cellars • Lone Canary • Mountain Dome Winery • Nodland Cellars • Overbluff Cellars • Robert Karl Cellars • Vintage Hill Cellars The Spokane Wine Company, housed within Huckleberry’s, offers a huge variety of most local wines and often hosts tastings. Wine specialist Lou Anne Moxey loves helping people find the right choice. Breads and Rolls Spokane is home to numerous bakeries. But if you prefer to bake your own breads and pastries, Tara Wright of Fusion Flours offers gluten-free baking mixes. After suffering for nearly 20 years with fatigue, joint pain, bone and muscle pain and cramping, a doctor finally diagnosed celiac disease. Wright initially found available gluten-free options less than desirable, so she tried to find recipes for affordable, healthy and delicious gluten-free baked goods. She experimented for months before finally creating what she believed was the perfect combination of flours for gluten-free goods. Tara’s mixes can be found in the bulk section and and gluten-free sections at Huckleberry’s, as well as in many local pizzerias’ crusts. More info is available here. Produce Eating what’s in season is a necessary component of the local diet. Fall brings apples, pears, beets, cranberries, grapes, kale, potatoes, pumpkins, winter squash, mushrooms, radishes, rutabaga, turnips, and garlic. This selection should be more than sufficient to create tasty holiday sides. You can also try allrecipes.com, one of several tools that let you search for recipes by ingredient. If you find yourself overwhelmed and under-stocked, Huckleberry’s general manager Monica Hampton says the store’s 9th Street Bistro can create missing/extra dishes with adequate notice. Meat In our community, there is often no need to buy meat from a rancher who you can’t call or meet in person for a pick-up, like Main Market Co-op, which only buys natural or organic meat from producers located within 2 hours driving distance and are committed to the humane treatment of animals. One of these suppliers is Palouse Pastured Poultry, where birds roam, graze and socialize on grass in large open pens, drink fresh water out of an artesian well and eat grain grown by the farmers themselves. The farmers are Emmy and Allen Widman, who met in a natural resource law class at Washington State University. The couple lives in Rosalia where they raise three children, 1,300 chickens, 130 ducks, and over 200 game birds. On the family’s web site, Allen writes, “When you buy a bird or eggs from Palouse Pastured Poultry, you not only get the best, freshest product available, you make our family and lifestyle possible.” To order, contact Main Market here, or the farm directly at (509) 523-4833 or palousepastruredpoultry.com. Pie Pies, especially crust, are intimidating to some chefs. Fortunately, Walter’s Fruit Ranch in Greenbluff always is ready to save the day with homemade fruit pies. The desserts are assembled in the orchard’s kitchen and given to customers to bake at home (meaning that you could probably get away with taking the credit, depending on your conscience). Varieties include pumpkin, apple, cherry, blueberry, peach, huckleberry, rhubarb, marionberry, raspberry, and every combination of these fruits imaginable. The pies can be found at Huckleberry’s or the orchard’s café/store. You can also get more info online here. Coffee Spokane is blessed with very talented local roasters including Craven’s, Roast House, Doma, Tom Sawyer and Four Seasons. This is an easy way to support a local business and to learn more about Fair Trade. Hopefully this little glimpse of local options encourages you to bring at least a couple homegrown items home for the holidays.