Fellow Corvallis blogger, Kate has presented an enticing challenge to those of us who live here in the Corvallis/Albany area.  Her new site, Mid-Willamette Valley Eat Local Challenge encourages us to make an effort to include locally produced ingredients when preparing our meals.    Whether you prepare one meal of local ingredients per week or simply include local ingredients in every meal you make-  your participation helps our local economy- especially local farmers.  There are added ecological benefits as well.   For me-  well the choice is simple:   local produce hasn’t been trucked across state line and hasn’t been sitting in a box in a grocery warehouse.   Local produce is fresh and delicious- the very characteristics that I value most in any dish I prepare.
 

With the delectable bounty that the fertile Willamette Valley offers each year, it’s easy to ‘eat local’.   You can find local produce, meats, and eggs at the Corvallis and Albany Farmers’ Markets- both of which open next weekend (Aug 19th).   You can also find local ingredients at any of the number of area fruit / vegetable stands, some area supermarkets (Richey’s carries local produce!), and even from your own garden.   

Over the course of the challenge, I will be documenting my progress here at GBTL.    I will also be including recipes and photographs (duh!) of the dishes I prepare.    The challenge actually runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day (May 26th - Sept 1st), but I plan to begin chronicling my participation immediately following opening day of the Corvallis Farmers Market.

I encourage you to check out the Challenge website, sign up for the challenge, and do your part to support our local economy.  It’s a delicious and healthy way to start the summer!

It seems that everywhere I went today, I was confronted with purple food.    Well, I guess I wasn’t confronted by it…  I rarely find edibles confrontational.   But I sure did see an awful lot of purple eats.

The Corvallis Farmers’ Market was my first stop of the day.  I arrived just after 8AM, while many vendors were still setting up their booths.  With a bit of time to kill, I decided to walk through a couple of the downtown alleyways, between and behind some of Corvallis’ oldest structures.   By the time I had passed through two blocks of alleyway, the market was bustling with activity and it was time to see what the farmers had  brought to market.

It’s still early in the season, so there really isn’t much of a selection yet.  But it gets better and better each week.  (I’m looking forward to the rich primary reds, greens, and yellows of summer produce.)   But for now, springtime is a great time for fresh onions and garlic, potatoes, and salad greens.   

At the market, I picked up a few of these gorgeous sweet onions, some colorful potatoes (in both purple and gold hues), purple asparagus (never knew that this even existed), fresh spinach, and strawberries.  I believe that dining should be a  multi-sensory experience…  to truly be pleasurable, you need to combine taste, aroma, and presentation.   These richly colored offerings should dress up the plate nicely.  Now, I just need to replace my boring plates and start cooking!

After the market, I visited the newly remodeled Safeway on Philomath Blvd.   Whoooo yeah!  It’s not Whole Foods or Metropolitan Market, but it’s the closest thing we’ve ever had to a fine, full-service supermarket.  I would love to be let free in there, just me and my camera.  The lighting, the rich decor, and the selection were truly impressive.  Safeway is typically a bit on the pricey side (their purple asparagus was $10.99 lb), but for the experience, it’s worth it.   I’m actually looking forward to my next big grocery shopping trip!

Corvallis is growing up.  But (minus the druggie scum that is living/frequenting the triplex across the street from my place), our little town is doing it with grace and style, and so far… hasn’t lost any of it’s charm.