The shortest distance between two points is incontestably a straight line. But the route Matt Kirchner followed prior to launching Local Bound, a local food distribution business, meandered through South Jersey, North Carolina, Los Angeles, New York City and Point Breeze, and from baseball diamonds to family farms. Kirchner’s passion for playing baseball dominated his
MoreA Parade of Radishes by Peggy Paul Casella This time of year, fresh-picked radishes are hard to miss at the farmers market, all piled up with their neon-colored tubers facing out. So if you’ve only ever thought of them as a garnish, now is your best chance to give these ancient brassicas a second look.
MoreIllustration by Kathleen White Oil Change by Matt Bevilacqua For many people, excess cooking oil is something to pour down the drain after preparing a meal. But at Leigh Maida’s restaurants, all that greasy liquid has another destination: gas tanks, where it will power cars rather than block sewer pipes. “You have to do something
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Illustration by Kathleen White Leftovers by Justin Klugh On a cold night in Philadelphia, Jane grabs her box cutter and flashlight, a fistful of plastic bags and a container of baby wipes. “I take a step ladder for if I fall and can’t get out once I get in,” she says. “I usually don’t ever
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Second Harvest by Marilyn Anthony Monika Crosby, a “true blue farmer’s daughter,” does not grow vegetables. Employing what she calls “picking with a cause,” Crosby runs Philabundance’s gleaning program, coordinating volunteer vegetable harvests at three commercial farms in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Since 2014, Philabundance has redirected 760,000 pounds of produce to low-income families. Dating
MoreBeyond the Brown Box by Emily Kovach If you’re a seasoned CSA buyer, you probably already have a favorite farm that does heirloom tomatoes just right, or you know a farmer who will surprise you with a crazy new item you’ve never seen. This season, try a new kind of CSA. Here are some options
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Big changes to federal policy are cascading into local programs and breaking down barriers to healthier lives for some of our most vulnerable residents
MoreParsnips and Carrots by Peggy Paul Casella These earthy-sweet cousins have a lot in common: They both belong to the Umbelliferae (or Apiaceae) family of plants—along with parsley, fennel, celery, cumin, coriander and dill—which are characterized by feathery leaves and umbrella-shaped clusters of flowers. They both grow wild in Europe and West Asia, and they
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New Bakers, Bakeries and Cafés about Town by Emily Kovach For many of us, the workday begins with coffee and a bagel at the corner café and ends with a baguette from the local bakery. It’s a simple and satisfying pleasure to bite into a still-warm, aromatic sourdough, or see that our favorite kind of
MoreDaily Bread by Anna Herman It is hard to improve upon the fresh bread available from so many excellent local bakeries. But you can come close, and few things are as magical as transforming flour, water and salt into fragrant loaves—so it is worth your time to try. Whether turning out unleavened, hand-rolled flatbreads, or
MoreSweet Potatoes by Peggy Paul Casella They might not be as flashy as other super foods, but sweet potatoes pack a serious nutritional punch, and have impressive concentrations of fiber, potassium and other essential nutrients. Most notably, sweet potatoes are one of the most potent natural sources of beta-carotene and other pigment-related antioxidants, which have
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