Local Dirt: Seasonal Recipes for Eating Close to Home

by Andrea Bemis

Overview

The author of the popular farm-to-table cookbook Dishing Up the Dirt returns with a dazzling collection of inventive recipes using farm-fresh ingredients, inspired by her commitment to supporting the local food movement.

For Andrea Bemis, eating locally is a way of life. After all, her and her husband own and operate an organic vegetable farm in the Pacific Northwest, and the produce they grow—from kale and kohlrabi to beets and butternut squash—is at the heart of the meals they serve and eat at their dinner table. They supplement their harvest with food produced by their neighbors, including the ranchers who supply their meat, and the orchardists who provide their fruit.

Andrea has always identified as a sustainable eater—until one day, when she opened a can of coconut milk and realized she had no idea where it came from. This propelled her to look more closely at her pantry, taking stock of the other ingredients that may have traveled some distance. Considering the energy used to transport the avocados, olive oil, and lemons to her Northern Oregon kitchen, she came up with an idea—a 30-day challenge to cook and eat only local food grown from local dirt, using ingredients produced within 200 miles of her home.

In Local Dirt, Andrea shares her journey through stories, photographs, and more than 80 recipes, re-creating a not-so-distant world when the ingredients cooked and eaten were produced within local communities. Organized by season, the delicious and creative dishes in this truly sustainable cookbook includes Fennel Gratin, Kohlrabi Yogurt Salad with Smoked Salmon, Winter Squash Toast with Honey & Hazelnuts, and Zucchini Swiss Chard & Chickpea Stew. Best of all, the recipes can be adapted to utilize any local fare. 

Ultimately, Andrea found that the “challenge” she set out for herself wasn’t a challenge at all, but an opportunity to go back to basics, slow down, and connect even more deeply with her community. In Local Dirt, she offers the inspiration, instruction, and advice we need to eat deliciously and sustainably.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062970282
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/13/2020
Series:	Farm-to-Table Cookbooks , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	319
File size:	38 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Andrea Bemis is the writer, recipe developer, and photographer behind DishingUptheDirt.com. Her recipes and Tumbleweed Farm have been featured in print and online publications, including the New York Times, The Kitchn, Well and Good NYC, EatingWell, and Epicurious. She lives in Oregon.

Editorial Reviews

08/03/2020

Bemis (Dishing Up the Dirt) presents a practical if predictable collection of recipes for local-to-her food, inspired by a 30-day attempt to eat solely items from within 200 miles of her Oregon farm. Chapters are broken out by season, but the organization within chapters feels random, so that strawberry shortcakes in the spring chapter are sandwiched between sugar snap peas and creamed chard. There’s also a discounting of immigrant contributions to the nation’s table; for Bemis, “eating like our grandparents did” means cooking narrowly defined “American” cuisine and eschewing items such as soy sauce and coconut milk (though she uses Mediterranean staples olive oil and canned tuna). An introduction recounting the author’s forays into butchery and tuna fishing includes observations like “Beef is complicated. The industry on a whole is super flawed.... But then you get to know actual ranchers... it’s clear that they’re stewards of this beautiful country.” The recipes are solid and easy to prepare, such as pork shoulder roasted for hours, and macaroni and cheese with bacon and nutmeg; a surfeit of soups and stews include a broccoli cheddar puree, as well as a lamb stew with carrots and parsnips. Bemis does include a few innovative offerings, such as a pot pie filled with ground pork, kale, and pumpkin for fall, and mushrooms cooked over an open flame to welcome spring. Readers will appreciate the straightforward recipes, but may not share the author’s wide-eyed enthusiasm for what is essentially familiar fare. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"In Local Dirt, Andrea Bemis nails the argument for eating locally. She has created an incredibly useful tool for learning how to cook with fresh and local ingredients and provides tips and tricks for adapting to a locavore diet. We can’t wait to try dishes like the Spring Vegetable Stew and the Fennel and Hazelnut Gratin. This is not just a beautiful cookbook—Bemis takes us on a lovely, culinary journey."  — The Pollan Family, New York Times bestselling authors of Mostly Plants and The Pollan Family Table

“By now we're familiar with the clear and time-tested wisdom in favor of eating locally all year long. Doing so supports our local economies, takes better care of our planet, and it tastes great. Learning to follow the rhythms of seasonal eating however, is not always as obvious; this book provides a straightforward, practical approach for seasonal eating.” — Joshua McFadden, James Beard Award-winning author of Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables

"Andrea shows us how eating locally is an opportunity to be more connected to the people in our community and to ourselves. And of course she always has the best flavor combination ideas. I mean, zucchini butter? Grilled garlic scapes? Farmhouse onion rings? Yes, please!"  — Erin Gleeson, author of The Forest Feast

"Local Dirt is so much more than an inspiring cookbook full of delicious recipes - it's a tool for anyone seeking to nourish themselves with good food from local, trusted sources. Andrea makes you rethink where your food comes from and how to truly shop local to nourish your body and soul."  — Mary Heffernan, rancher and author, Five Marys Ranch Raised Cookbook

From the Publisher

"Andrea shows us how eating locally is an opportunity to be more connected to the people in our community and to ourselves. And of course she always has the best flavor combination ideas. I mean, zucchini butter? Grilled garlic scapes? Farmhouse onion rings? Yes, please!" 

Erin Gleeson

"In Local Dirt, Andrea Bemis nails the argument for eating locally. She has created an incredibly useful tool for learning how to cook with fresh and local ingredients and provides tips and tricks for adapting to a locavore diet. We can’t wait to try dishes like the Spring Vegetable Stew and the Fennel and Hazelnut Gratin. This is not just a beautiful cookbook—Bemis takes us on a lovely, culinary journey." 

The Pollan Family

"Local Dirt is so much more than an inspiring cookbook full of delicious recipes - it's a tool for anyone seeking to nourish themselves with good food from local, trusted sources. Andrea makes you rethink where your food comes from and how to truly shop local to nourish your body and soul." 

Mary Heffernan

By now we're familiar with the clear and time-tested wisdom in favor of eating locally all year long. Doing so supports our local economies, takes better care of our planet, and it tastes great. Learning to follow the rhythms of seasonal eating however, is not always as obvious; this book provides a straightforward, practical approach for seasonal eating.

Joshua McFadden