Where do you get your recipes?

I love trying new recipes, but just like most people, I have a few trusted sources that I always go to. Here are some of my favorite food blogs and cookbooks…I hope you’ll check them out! Please share some of your favorites in the comments section…there can never be too many good recipes to go around.

Websites:

http://simplyrecipes.com/ - One of my primary go-to sites. Great variety of recipes (especially Mexican/Tex-Mex), I’ve never gone wrong with Elise’s advice. She also has excellent photography tips.

http://smittenkitchen.com/ - Another great go-to. Good recipes and hilarious commentary.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/ - If you aren’t afraid of butter, you’ll love the Pioneer Woman. Her recipes are simple, delicious artery cloggers ;). If cooking isn’t your thing, she also blogs about gardening and homeschooling, among other things. Lots of fun giveaways too!

http://www.101cookbooks.com/ - Blog by Heidi Swanson, author of the cookbook “Super Natural Cooking”. That pretty much sums it up…awesome vegetarian recipes.

http://annies-eats.com/ - I don’t understand how Annie, a doctor, has time to cook this much. I aspire to be this put-together one day. Lots of delicious baked goods and tips on meal and party planning.

Cookbooks:

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman – Mark Bittman is all about simplicity…recipes that you can look at once and just remember. This is a great reference if you’re unsure how to use a particular ingredient or make basics like vinaigrettes.

Local Flavors by Deborah Madison – Some of her recipes are a bit complex and others use unusual ingredients, but if you cook seasonally there are lots of gems in this book. Carry it to the farmers market with you and you’ll never be at a loss for what to do with all those colorful veggies!

I’m Just Here For the Food by Alton Brown – Alton Brown in the Bill Nye of the Food Network, and in his book he explains the science behind cooking…good to know, since cooking is essentially a science!

Magazines:

Cooks Illustrated – I just recently started getting their magazine and love it! Like Alton Brown, they use science to explain why certain techniques work and others don’t…like how the saturated-to-unsaturated fat ratio in a cookie determines its chewiness…who knew!

Again, please let all of us at Relay and around Charlottesville/Richmond where you get your favorite recipes and tips!

Buy local eggs, save Virginia agriculture

I wasn’t lucky enough to get to attend the Monticello Heritage Harvest Festival this year, but I recently watched some of the “Meet the Farmer TV” videos that were made at the event. Relay’s very own Neal, Lindsey, Cameron and Brittany were interviewed! Neal made some really good points about what the Relay business model can do for the community. Of course we want Relay to be convenient for our customers. That’s why our founder, Zach, came up with the idea…so he could spend more time with his kids and less time at the grocery store. But what can Relay do for our communities in Charlottesville and Richmond?

After the election on Tuesday, there is no doubt it anyone’s mind: it’s all about the economy these days. Creating jobs, stimulating growth, etc. etc. It seems like a daunting task, but many knowledgeable people at the Heritage Harvest Festival mentioned the same thing…that we can do a lot, just by keeping some of our food dollars in the local community. After doing a little of my own research, I stumbled across this article from the Virginia Cooperative Extension (an incredible resource for anything agriculture-related). First of all, agriculture is huge in Virginia, accounting for around 357,000 jobs in 2006. Second, many small- and medium-sized farms are struggling to survive, especially due to the tough economic environment. But here’s the kicker, in a direct quote from the article: “A similar study by the Virginia Cooperative Extension showed that if each Virginia household would spend just $10 of their total weekly food budget on local food and farm products, this purchasing decision would annually generate $1.65 billion in direct economic impact for Virginia’s economy.”

Of course we can’t dismiss the fact that there is a lot more work to be done to both improve the economy and create a truly vibrant regional food system, but that’s a big step! A big step that requires just a little extra effort on the part of the consumer…and here’s where Relay comes in. There are plenty of ways to spend those $10 on local foods if you so choose: farmers markets, CSAs, restaurants that serve local products, but we’re just trying to make it a little easier. So…how would I spend my $10 on local Relay products?

Richmond:

Harmony Hill Farm eggs - $3.09 (fresh and super tasty!)

Deer Run Farm butternut squash - $1.75 (Thought you didn't like squash...HA! This will change your mind.)

Granny Smith apples - $0.77 (Virginia grown. For snacking or in pie!)

Mountain View Farm Swiss cheese - $4.22

Charlottesville:

Meadow Run Farm green onions - $1.75 (I can never seem to have enough green onions…try them in miso soup!)

Hardy Farms Swiss chard - $3.00 (delicious and comes wrapped like a bouquet of colorful, edible flowers)

Belle Haven Farm soft dinner rolls - $2.49 (they smell amazing and taste even better)

Meadow Run Farm pie pumpkin - $2.00 (with the holidays coming, this needs no explanation)

Yum!

Sources and links:

Monticello Heritage Harvest Festival videos:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Virginia Cooperative Extension article

The Hook picture gallery of the Harvest Festival