The one in which we talk about eating locally...

It is 98 degrees outside my window here in Pennsylvania right now. A hot, muggy, sweltering 98 degrees - and it's only 8:53 am as I start this blog entry. It's suppossed to go over 100 today. As I sit here with a damp hankerchief wrapped around my neck (truly the best way to cool yourself off on a day such as this!) I am consciously stopping myself from cursing this heat and humidity (especially after the fall preview we got last week.) I'm trying to focus on the positive of this inferno. It will be short lived - school is starting next week and surely fall is just around the corner. And, it's making my tomatoes grow.

And grow they are! The bounty of tomatoes parading through our kitchen these past few weeks has been nothing short of miraculous. Clearly, Mother Nature is loving my committment to eat local this year, and in her effort to support this endeavour, she's sending forth the most delicious tomatoes.

I'm sure by now, you've heard about the Local Food Movement. If it hasn't already, the word locavore will surely pop up in your news reading before summer is over. If you're interested in doing the local food thing, this Eat Local Challenge post is a great overview to start with. I've adopted the locavore pledge outlined in that post:

• If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic.
• If not ORGANIC, then Family farm.
• If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business.
• If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Fair Trade.
• If all else fails, at least don’t eat at McDonald’s!

If you're not sold yet on the benefits of eating locally, watch this:

I encourage each of you to try to have at least one local meal this week. With summer's bounty upon us, there's no better time to taste the flavors of your local markets and see their wonders for yourself. As for me, I'm off to eat my heavenly little bounty:

Abundant Tomato Salad

1 garden tomato, roughly chopped (I used an heirloom brandywine picked from the garden this morning)
1 handful of fresh arugula, ripped into bite sized pieces (from the farmer's market)
1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped fine (from the farmer's market, though it wish it were from brother-in-law's garden becuase his garlic is outstanding!)
4 ounces fresh mozarrella (that recipe will come on another day!)

2 tablespoons good olive oil
splash of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Toss it all together and let it sit for a bit to meld (10 minutes or so) and eat with some fantastic rustic bread

It's heaven in a bowl.