Tips and Recipes

Tips
The ways you participate in the Buy Local Challenge are as individual as you are. You may take a simple approach and add one or two farm items a day to your meals -- perhaps fresh eggs with breakfast one day, a snack of local fruit or a glass of local wine on another. But if you want to get creative, here are few ideas to get you started.

- Visit a farmers’ market or a pick-your-own farm with your family and friends and create a dish together like strawberry shortcake or peach cobbler.

- Take a basket of locally grown fruit to your office to share with co-workers.

- Plan a dinner party menu around locally grown produce or perhaps a wine-tasting event featuring wine made from grapes grown in your region.

- Dine out at local restaurants that are participating in the Buy Local Challenge – show them your support.

Sample Menus
Here are sample menus created by Chef Brett Grohsgal and Chef Julia Shanks for eight days of delicious dining featuring local products in season.

Recipes
Try this Southern Maryland Oyster Soufflé on the Half Shell, submitted by Chef Loic Jaffres & Chef David Donnells from Café des Artistes or these recipes from Chef Brett Grohsgal and Chef Julia Shanks.

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There’s More! Visit the Online Community to view more tips and recipes -- and be sure to post your own.