Recipes: Favorite recipes can provide the basis and inspiration for new recipes that use all local ingredients. Don’t be afraid to experiment; you just might discover the world’s next greatest culinary invention!  You can find recipes that we’ve already re-worked on the Eat Local Challenge section of our blog.   We encourage you to share your favorite all-local recipes with the community by adding them to our recipe collection. You can either drop them off at the Belfast Co-op, post them on our blog or email them to Fran at education@belfastcoop.com.

Sweeteners: To use honey in place of sugar, use 7/8 cup for every cup of sugar, and reduce the liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons. To use maple syrup in place of a cup of sugar in baking, use 3/4 cup, but decrease the total amount of liquid in the recipe by about 3 tablespoons for each cup of syrup you use.

Vinegar: Vinegar is another way to add interesting flavors when spices are not available. Ask around; If you haven’t made any someone in your community may have some.

Salt: It is a locally produced product.  Look for it from the Maine Sea Salt company at the Co-op.  You can also use seaweed to add salty flavors to recipes, which adds in extra nutrition as well as flavor.

Cooking fats: Can’t find a locally-produced oil that is suitable for high heat cooking?  Try ghee.  Ghee is made by clarifying butter.  Melt 1 # of butter on medium heat.  Reduce heat slightly once butter just comes to a boil.  You will notice that as the butter continues to boil, the solids will separate out from the liquid; continue to cook until the remaining liquid turns golden brown.  The ghee is done when the liquid is clear all the way to the bottom (about 15 minutes.)  Strain liquid through a cheesecloth to remove any remaining solids and store the ghee in an airtight container at room temperature indefinitely.

Cooking Stocks: Don’t throw those food scraps away!  Veggie, chicken, and beef stock can provide excellent flavor additions to a variety of food when certain spices are not available.  Stocks can be used in sauces, casseroles, soups, and as cooking liquid for grains.  To make a stock, combine veggie scraps, animal bones, and any available herbs or seasonings in a large stock pot.  Pour in enough cold water to cover the contents of your pot and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and continue cooking.  Veggies will give up most of their flavors within 45 minutes, and bones or meat scraps should boil for a couple of hours.  You can strain out all the solids and continue cooking your stock down until the flavors become as rich and concentrated as you like.  Any salt that you would like to add for flavoring shouldn’t be added until the end.  Make a big batch and store it in the freezer so you always have some on hand.

Cheese making: Cheese can be very simple and fun to make at home. Try it, you might like it!  The following is an excellent website for making simple yogurt and cheese:  http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/CHEESE.HTML.