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Letter from the Front
from Carol Bretz, Executive Director
This is my favorite time of year for eating because of the availability of excellent locally grown produce. I live in New Waterford and have 7 farm markets within 10 miles of my house. How delightful! The variety of local produce seems to increase each year as more county residents turn to the local farm community for their summer fruit and vegetables. This is a good thing. I try not to buy any produce from a grocery store over the summer months if I can purchase it locally in Columbiana County.
When I was growing up, backyard gardens were a common thing and we ate seasonally. 
My mother canned and froze the garden’s bounty for our winter meals. Grocery stores back then in the 1950’s did not have a large selection of produce available in the winter months so we relied on what my mother put up. I fondly remember one of my favorite winter meals; my Mom’s home canned stewed tomatoes as a side for her home made macaroni & cheese with homemade chocolate pudding for dessert. Our meat came from the local farm community via a small meat market in East Palestine. Eggs and fresh chicken came from our own Rhode Island Reds and White Leghorn chickens.
We take for granted our ability to enter a grocery store in the winter and buy grapes from Chili, greens and other fresh vegetables from Mexico and California, 
cheeses, wine, pasta and olive oil from Europe, and exotic fruit and other food items from Asia and Africa. The price we pay for this fresh produce and other imported foods does not reflect the true cost of growing it and shipping it long distances. It does not reflect the difficult and dangerous lives of many farm workers in less developed countries. Our reliance on food that is produced outside of our immediate region is of concern economically, environmentally and politically. Obviously, no one wants to forego coffee, tea, imported olive oil and spices. But when you can purchase food
locally it is a good thing to do. You see where the vegetables, fruit or meat comes from; you help support the farmer who raised it, and you benefit the local economy by spending your money here at home. The quality of locally grown food is superior to food that is shipped in from distant parts of the world. A peach shipped in out of season is not even a remote comparison to a fresh peach in season grown by a local farmer. The recent press coverage on the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s inability to fully screen food imports from China to ensure safety and wholesomeness should make consumers eager to turn to local food sources.
So enjoy the local produce season while you can. The sweet corn will soon be gone and nectarines and peaches are near the end of their season also. Consider putting up some tomatoes or peaches. Don’t be afraid to try canning and freezing if you’ve never done it. It’s not hard; it just takes time, proper equipment and a good canning/freezing guide such as the Ball Blue Book. I purchased my updated Ball Blue Book at a local hardware store; since my mother’s old copy that I previously used was printed during WWII. Every summer in late August and early 
September, I haul out my trusty old Victorio Strainer and make a couple of batches of tomato juice. I freeze one batch and put the other up in small pint jars to bring to work in the winter. It’s quite a treat on a cold snowy day in January to open the pint jar and drink the taste of summer. No preservatives, minimal sodium, maximum fresh taste and the memory of a pleasant afternoon listening to NPR on the patio while I turn the handle of the Victorio Strainer and watch the thick red juice drain into the stock pot.
Freezing fruits and vegetables is less time consuming than canning them. There are many simple recipes for freezer jam and jelly. 
Your canned and frozen goodies can be great Christmas gifts for a friend or relative that doesn’t cook much. If you have children, putting food by is a great family activity. Go to your local hardware store with your kids for your canning and freezing supplies. Bye and Bye Hardware here in Lisbon has a good selection of equipment you will need. Take
your kids to the farm market with you to buy your produce. When you get home, let them shuck the corn or snap the beans you’re going to put up. They will take pride in the food they helped preserve and enjoy eating it during the winter. Most of all they will relish the time spent with a loving parent learning a new skill together. It will be one of their fond memories when they are adults.
I’ll leave you with a recipe for an old summer standby. I refer to it as “Columbiana County Soul Food”, or Green Beans, Ham and Potatoes. There are many ways to make this main dish, and once you make it you’ll develop your own touches and short cuts. Serve this dish to your family with fresh sweet corn, fresh sliced tomatoes on the side, and cucumbers and onions in a sweet vinaigrette with fresh dill. You’ve captured the essence of late summer in Ohio. Oh yes, don’t forget the fresh sliced peaches for dessert.
Green Beans, Potatoes and Ham
- 2 pounds of small, new redskin potatoes
- 2 pounds of green beans – I use half yellow wax beans for added color
- 2 cups of cubed smoked ham or cooked bacon
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 large onions chopped
- 2 cans low sodium chicken or vegetable stock, you may wish to add water if you want more broth
- 1 bay leaf – optional
- ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil or butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
P.S. – don’t tell your doctor!
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Check out May's Letter from the Front
Check out June's Letter from the Front
Check out August's Letter from the Front