Who Can Resist A Talking Pepper?

Loved this promo on our Connecticut NBC affiliate! Check it out: "Buy Local Be Green".

Hopefully it catches people's eyes and they'll want to know more. I mean, who could resist talking bell peppers? Not me.

On the website there are fun facts about the benefits of buying local and there is also a place to "pledge" to buy local. The website isn't particularly thorough, but it's a start. One quick suggestion: Links to where folks can find/buy local food would be helpful.

Still, very cool.

Thanksgiving Starter

My favorite part to Thanksgiving dinner ... side dishes. I love the array of root veggies, real cranberry sauce, homemade stuffing. Yum! The turkey is good, but oh how I do love the side dishes. In honor of all the tasty things going alongside the turkey here's a wonderful soup to start out the meal.

Roasted Garlic & Acorn Squash Soup

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 1 head of garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 leeks, thinly sliced
• 2 lbs. of acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Topping (optional): Sour cream, chopped chives

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Trim off the tips of garlic head so the tops of the cloves are slightly exposed. Place the head of garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle on the olive oil, add a pinch of salt.
3. Wrap it up tightly and roast in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. Once nicely roasted, set aside to cool.
4. In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat.
5. Add the leeks and saute until softened.
6. Add the squash, orange zest, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.
7. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
8. Pour in the stock, bring it to a boil.
9. Reduce heat to simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the squash is tender (about 20 minutes).
10. Once squash is tender remove from heat and let cool slightly.
11. In a blender, working in batches, puree the squash mixture and the roasted garlic cloves.
12. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
13. In the center of each serving add a tablespoon of sour cream and a teaspoon of chopped chives. Ready to serve!

I'll be sure to include my local farmers on my list of things to be thankful for this year! I hope you will too. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

Movie Time: The Future of Food

The other night I finally had the pleasure of watching the documentary The Future of Food. The film is an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade. While I have already seen The World According To Monsanto (my first eye opening movie viewership into the scary world of GMOs), I never cease to be amazed, frightened and angered about this topic. If this is the future: be afraid, very afraid.

However, The Future of Food did not leave me completely filled with "doom and gloom." I am always the optimist. As I've said before, I have to believe that as consumers we can change where things are headed. We have to have loud voices to educate fellow consumers, to force GMO labeling, to stand up against the corporations. No, not an easy task by any means, but important nonetheless.

For further education about GMOs and what we can do as concerned consumers I recommend visiting: Say No To GMOs. The The Future of Food website also has links to ways we can get involved.

Here's the trailer for The Future of Food.

Local Wine

I'm always feel like I am the last to know ...

But the other day I learned about a fun program designed to help promote local wine: The Passport to Connecticut Farm Wineries Program. Yes, they make wine in Connecticut. The program runs until the end of November so I suppose I have a lot of catching up to do. Well, at the very least I will make a mental note to get my "passport" next year.

Here's the 411 about the program:

The Passport to Connecticut Farm Wineries Program, sponsored by the Connecticut Farm Wine Development Council and administered by the state Department of Agriculture, runs annually from May until November and challenges residents and tourists to visit at least 14 Connecticut farm wineries. Passports bearing at least 14 different visit stamps at the end of the season are eligible to be entered into a random drawing for a two-week vacation for two in Spain. Two vacations for two are awarded each year. (No purchase is required during visits to qualify.)

According to the CT Dept. of Ag., wine making is a relatively new, but quickly growing, industry in the state. The first farm winery, Haight-Brown Vineyard in Litchfield, opened in 1975. This year, the state boasts 30 licensed farm wineries, each making between three and 14 different wines. Several include specialty fruit wines and hard ciders in their product lines. (Personal note: If you haven't had hard cider before, I highly recommend it.)

For a complete listing of vineyards and wineries in Connecticut, and for more information about the Passport to Connecticut Farm Wineries Program visit the CT Dept. of Ag. website or click here to download the brochure.