"Local" food was the only thing to eat.
Today, with grapefruits from Texas, bananas from El Salvador and salsa from New York City, filling our plates with homegrown food is a struggle.
But two Utah chefs are up for the challenge.
On Oct. 3, John Hardesty and Efrain Mejia, are among 400 chefs across the country who will take part in the "Eat Local Challenge." The chefs will serve a lunch made entirely of ingredients produced within a 150-mile radius of their kitchen.
The national challenge is sponsored by Bon Appetit Management Co., which operates restaurants and cafes on university campuses and specialty venues. Its Utah establishments include the Novell Cafe in Provo where Hardesty is the executive chef, and the Lomond View Cafe, at the Frensenius Medical Care Manufacturing plant in Ogden where Mejia works.
Neither chef is new to the "eat local" concept.
"Whenever possible we try to support local businesses by featuring their products in the cafe," said Hardesty. But offering an entire meal requires some research and innovation.
On that day, The Novell Cafe, which is open to the public, will have roasted turkey from Moroni, glazed with lavender honey from Mona. There will be roasted red potatoes and turnips from a farm near Utah Lake and baked apples from Santaquin.
At the Lomond View Cafe - which only serves employees at the plant - Mejia will have, among other items, tamales made with Weber County corn and peach and plum crostini. The fruit comes from Willard and the flour from Lehi.
"The local produce is sweeter. Sometimes it doesn't have the best shape, but flavor-wise it is the best," said Mejia.
Better flavor is one of the main reasons that "eat local" have become culinary buzzwords among American chefs and gourmands. Food that has traveled in the back of a truck for several days or has been stored in a warehouse for months loses flavor and nutritional value.
In the United States, however, most food travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to table, according to the Worldwatch Institute, an international think tank for environmental and social trends. Those miles are up as much as 25 percent from 20 years ago.
Environmental experts say that food transportation uses up million of gallons of fuel each year and contributes to the country's air and water pollution problems.
And what about the recent E. coli outbreak in spinach? Health experts say that although outbreaks can't be avoided, they would surely not be as widespread if the country relied on more local farms rather than mass producers.
Of course, it's impossible to have a completely local kitchen. Especially since most people aren't going to give up items such as maple syrup or vanilla that aren't produced here.
But within the state's borders, there are breadmakers and cheese producers and people who raise lamb, pork and beef. If it can't be found in Utah, look to neighboring states.
Eating local is more of a mindset, said Christi Paulson, leader of Slow Food Utah, a local culinary group. It's as simple as deciding to eat fruits and vegetables in season.
"We as Americans are spoiled, thinking we can have whatever we want when we want it," she said.
By eating local,
consumers also can help build the economy and produce jobs. For
every $1 that is spent on a Utah product, $1.50 to $2.50 is added to
the state's economy, according to estimates by the Utah's Own
program that promotes statemade products.
Many chefs across the country - and in Utah - are
partnering with local farmers, encouraging them to grow unique
vegetables such as heirloom tomatoes and Japanese eggplant not
found in grocery stores.
The chefs promise to buy a percentage of the produce.
Hopefully diners will like what they eat and, in turn, support those farmers through Community Supported Agriculture programs and farmers' markets, said Paulson.
"As more chefs
use local products it will drive the demand and farmers can grow
more," said Paulson. "It's kind of the trickle-down
theory."
Six reasons to eat local