Cabbage is one of those vegetables I never give much thought to, but love every time I use it in a dish. Cabbage is a major food crop around the world and a key component of dishes like sauerkraut, cole slaw and kimchi. Nutritionally, cabbage is a huge source of vitamin C and contains significant amounts of B6 and B9. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.

I’m a huge fan of the trend called “slow food”. Google it, you’ll find many great sites! Along with carrots and potatoes, cabbage excels in dishes cooked in low moist heat for 5-6 hours in a covered cast iron pot. Add the meat of your choice (corned beef works great in this dish) and any seasonings you like and you have a very easy and delicious meal. One thing that surprises many when they first experience slow cooked cabbage is the complete lack of “edge”. When used raw, cabbage can have a very sharp edge. Cooking, especially SLOW cooking releases the natural sugars found in vegetables and cabbage is no exception. Slow cooked cabbage is savory and slightly sweet. Delicious!

Ken

Editor’s note:  If you’ve never tried a really fresh cabbage, be prepared for a happy surprise when you cut into the cabbage and juice squirts out.  I love a sweet, crunchy slaw made with cabbage, green pepper, onion, and carrots.  The best dressing is mayo with a bit of cider vinegar and sugar added!  YUM.

On a warm weather day, at the historic 1880s Firelands Winery, http://www.firelandswinery.com, in Sandusky, Claudio Salvador, partner and winemaker, entertains guests and visitors with the latest tips on wine service.

“My grandparents owned 70 acres of vineyards in a small country town in the Veneto, where we gathered every harvest,” says the engaging Salvador, who grew up in a closely knit Italian family steeped in winemaking.

The ultimate connoisseur, Salvador was educated in fermentation sciences and chemistry at Italy’s University of Padua in Conegliano Veneto. He trained with the centuries-old Zonin family in Tuscany, then made Virginia’s Barboursville first official wine. “Let your taste and intuition be your guide when serving and enjoying wine,” he says with a grin. “The shared celebration of wine, food, and life is wine’s most humanizing aspect.”

* Store wine in a cool, dark place around 55 degrees Farenheit free from vibration, ventilation, and direct sunlight.

* Serve white, pink, and sparkling wine slightly chilled at 45-55 degrees Farenheit, and red wines cool or room temperature at 60-65 degrees Farenheit.

* Use a corkscrew with leverage and worm to open wine. Align worm with a point and spirals to prevent cork from weakening. Pull so corkscrew grips the cork and holds.

* Plain, nine ounce, stemmed, all purpose glasses are best for tasting.

* Stand older bottles upright, then pour wine from bottle to decanter in front of candle. Decant younger wine from bottle to decanter 15 minutes before serving.

* Pour wine toward center of wine glass and examine for freshness, then fill just below widest section of glass for swirling and aerating.

* Press bottom of stemmed wine glass and rotate in circle to release wine aromas. Add wine until 1/3 full; smell aroma. Ingest air and gurgle to aerate wine for flavors. Swallow or spit wine in a spittoon, rinse glass with water.

“This simple wine protocol enhances the quality and taste of wine, heightens the overall wine experience, and raises the bar on the popular culture,” he says.

Submitted by Patricia Latimer, author of Ohio Wine Country Excursions

On Wednesday, September 16^th, Middlebury college students, professors, area farmers and “foodies” convened in the basement of the Ilsley Town Library in Middlebury Vermont for a community potluck and discussion with local chef and author Amy Trubeck. The discussion was part of a larger community conversation around the issue of local food in Vermont.

The conversation centered on Trubeck’s 2008 book, The Taste of Place: A Cultural Journey into Terroir. The book describes the abstract French concept of terroir and explores the possibilities for a regional food system in Vermont. Terroir is the idea that foods from a specific place take on qualities from the soil and become unique to that place. The first part of Trubeck’s book focuses on the implications of terroir on France’s food production systems. Different regions of the country focus on producing a particular product, and producers receive a special label from the state through a system known as appellations d’origine contrôlées. These regional labels give products such as wine and cheese a certain level of authenticity and they become inherently linked to their region of origin.

The discussion on Wednesday night focused on the possibility of re-creating a similar system of terroir in the United States, specifically in Vermont. Trubeck prefaced the conversation by arguing that food production in the United States has never been focused on regions.

“The history of agriculture in our country is that it has always had the mentality of, ‘We’ll stay here until it doesn’t work anymore,’” said Trubeck, “We’ve never been particularly localized.”

However, she pointed out that in recent years Vermont has begun to focus on its regional specialties, such as milk, cheese, honey and maple syrup. Trubeck argues that these products are beginning to constitute a regional food culture. One example of a co-operative regional food system that is helping to contribute to this culture is the Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro. This dairy farm has invested in a 30,000 sq. ft. cheese cave, and is allowing many local area dairy farmers to age their cheese in the caves.

“The cheeses that are produced in this cave will all have a similar quality,” said Trubeck.

Another way that Vermont is beginning to develop its own terroir or regional food commodity is through the production of maple syrup. Trubeck, along with Middlebury College Professor John Elder and others, has been working to identify particular sensory qualities in maple syrup from different regions across Vermont. Trubeck’s book has garnered much attention to the idea of creating a Vermont terroir.

“Amy’s book has been an important part of the conversation around local food,” said Elder. “She has influenced the state – (Vermont Governor) Jim Douglas recently took a trip to France to learn more about the concept of terroir and its implication to build on terroir in Vermont. Taste of Place has helped place cultural value on our agricultural systems and get support for our farmers.”

One community member brought up the fact that although Vermont is known as a dairy state, many dairy farms throughout the region are struggling to stay afloat. Trubeck argued that this is because there is no regional, localized system for producing milk despite the fact that Vermonters pride themselves on their cheese and milk.

“The milk from all of our local dairy farms goes straight to the Hood processing plant and there is no distinction made between milk from different farms,” she said.

Trubeck clarified that her interest in local food is based on “food as a source of pleasure and as a sensory experience,” rather than a moral interest. When asked about Vermont’s future for developing a terroir, Trubeck stated that her interest is in “creating a livelihood for producers, preserving the natural landscape, and creating a cultural heritage.”

As community members began to chime into the conversation, it became clear that Trubeck’s book has become a part of the broader dialogue about how the majority of our nation’s food is currently being produced. Several community members expressed an interest in local food because of environmental interests, while other stated that they simply wanted to feed their children good, healthy food.

From the Middlebury Campus Newspaper, Molly Holmes, staff writer

Twenty years ago, I started my gardening career. Although a move to Ohio and raising two kids has changed the capacity of my gardening, I realized I HAVE to garden. For so many reasons, but most of all, my sanity. Getting out there to dig, weed, prune and mulch allows me an outlet and space to ruminate and toss around in my head all my troubles. I garden my troubles….well, not quite away, but it certainly allows for me to put some things into perspective. No doubt my husband has learned not to question when I say I’m heading out back! I truly believe that if everyone gardened, even just a tiny bit, our world would be much more peaceful

Jody Lathwell, Market Manager

Tremont Farmers Market

More info:

www.tremontfarmersmarket.com

216-403-9436

Summer is winding down. The days are getting shorter and the nights are cooler. But before winter weather arrives, spend an autumn afternoon getting your garden ready for next year.

Before you begin your garden clean up, sit down and take some notes. Make a sketch of your garden layout, which will help plan a rotation schedule for next year’s crop. Note areas of your garden that hold moisture, any particular insect or disease problems, and the cultivars of vegetables you tried this season.

Rotating crops in next year’s garden is a crucial element in dealing with the blight that affected vegetable gardens this year according to Steve Hudkins, Assistant Professor and Extension Educator at the OSU Extension in Trumbull County.

“Three things are necessary for disease; a host, a pathogen, and the right environment,” said Hudkins. “This is a soil-borne disease so rotating crops is essential.”

Next pull up tomato cages, trellises, or any other plant supports from the garden. Clean them and store them away for the winter.

This year it is especially important to sterilize tools and equipment to kill disease. “Wipe everything down, including tools, with a bleach solution and hot water,” recommends Geoff Geer, a Master Gardener at the OSU extension.

Pick up any fall fruits or vegetables from the garden, including dried up “mummies” as insects can overwinter in the garden on these. Remove any plants that had insect or disease problems. Destroy them by throwing them in the garbage or burning them. Don’t compost them or plow them under, Hudkins stresses, as they will re-infect the garden next year.

Crop residues from healthy plants, such as roots, leaves and stems, are a valuable source of organic matter and will break down to improve the texture of garden soil. Plants that have not had pest problems can be cut up and put in the compost pile, or turned into the soil for added organic matter.

Leaves from your trees, grass clippings, and straw can be added to the garden also. Leaves should be ground up or shredded so they’ll break down faster. To enrich the soil gardeners could add compost or manure from an herbivore, such as cow or chicken manure. Finally add additional nutrients as determined by the soil test and till all this matter into the garden, recommends Geer.

Soil testing is a good investment for the garden and an excellent way to measure soil fertility. It’s inexpensive and helps maintain plant health and also helps maximize the productivity of the garden. The standard test measures several important soil nutrients, lime, and soil pH. Hudkins feels this might be a good year for gardeners to add fixed copper or copper sulfate to garden soil; according to the OSU extension website Ohioline, fixed copper is a fungicide and bactericide. Read the label and apply according to the instructions.

When the garden is cleaned up and fertilized, till the organic matter into the soil. Hudkins strongly recommends tilling the garden in the fall this year because most disease microorganisms are destroyed once the plant material is mixed into the soil and begins to rot. It isn’t really necessary to smooth the garden after fall tilling since the freeze-and-thaw cycle actually helps improve the texture of the soil.

If you’re planning to harvest garlic next year, now is the time to plant the garlic bulbs. Choose the larger outer cloves for the best garlic and make sure that the cloves are free of disease and are smooth and fresh. Plant the cloves about five inches apart in an upright position in the row about one-half to one inch deep. Don’t divide the bulbs into cloves until you’re ready to plant them or the yield will be decreased. Your garlic will be ready to harvest in the middle of July next year.

Finally, cover crops are a simple way to boost the garden’s growing potential. They are fairly easy to seed, relatively inexpensive, provide a “green manure” and make your garden look attractive. “Rye would be a good cover crop this year,” said Hudkins.

Both Hudkins and the Master Gardener consultant Geoff Geer emphasized again that the end of our conversation how important it is this year to destroy any unhealthy plants to prevent some of the problems which have caused so much damage to gardens this year from recurring next season.

“This year we’ve had multiple diseases at the same time; late blight and early blight came together, the cucumbers and melons are rampant with downy mildew,” said Hudkins. Hopefully this “perfect storm” of conditions won’t be repeated for vegetable gardeners next summer.

Melissa Miller