Courtney Wade - The Catskills Farm To Table Cookbook

I LIKE TO KNOW where my food comes from. Not in the broad sense of which grocery store were my items picked up atactually knowing where my food comes from.

Growing up on a farm in a small town in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, the concept of food traceability was instilled in me at an early age. Some may call it being picky, finicky, or even snobby, but Ive embraced this quality in myself. Knowing where the meat and vegetables on my plate originated from, along with the methods with which it was grown, harvested, and prepared, are things that everyone should care about.

The term farm to table refers to an environment and nutrition-based movement that promotes local, healthier, and pure food products, as opposed to those that are processed. The goal of the farm to table movement is to connect individuals with the natural world by allowing them to understand and see where their food comes from.

The farm to table movement naturally promotes community involvement, toowhen someone cares about where their food is coming from, they also want to know the farmer or producer responsible for it. And this is where the Catskills really shine, with farms throughout the region offering farm tours and hands-on learning and restaurants featuring as many locally sourced products as they can, promoting seasonal eating. Small breweries and distilleries are opening with unique offerings utilizing ingredients found locally, while summertime farmers markets make accessing these valued goods easier than ever. Recently there seems to be more than one in every town!

All this is because the Catskills offer everything needed to actively participate in this movement, which has now become a way of life. From plentiful land to grow vegetables and graze livestock, rivers and streams for fishing, and forest for wild game and foraging, those who look to embrace a more mindful and engaged way of eating find endless opportunities waiting for them in the Catskill Mountains.

This cookbook is your guide as you roam about the Catskills, offering recipes to take you through the seasons of upstate New York. Fresh vegetables and fruit, meat, dairy, wild game and foraged produce all take center stage, because that is what eating in the Catskills is all about. The hardworking farms and restaurants that emphasize the use of local goods and produce year-round are also featured, providing a tour of the farm to table movement in the Catskills.

Knowing what goes into the food on your plate is not a trend or a fadits a renewed understanding of the processes, the time, the individuals, the community, and the lifestyle behind it all.

Stinging nettles were one of the first wild plants that I learned to forage for. I like to use them in place of spinach in recipes; just be sure to steam or blanch them to get rid of the stingers.