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Every localvore knows the feeling that settles in around early spring: It's been five months since you agreed to eat food grown close to home, but your social conscience is only so patient. You find yourself sneaking guilty glances at the salad section of the grocery store.

The mesclun is still from California. But to succumb now — to purchase out-of-state roughage — would be unconscionable. Which makes you wonder: How do ethical eaters craft off-season meals that are both tasty and non-masochistic?... Read more

Strolling around his Burlington property, Jon Normandin identifies edible plant species like an experienced field guide. Dressed in navy workpants and a red-and-white flannel shirt, the white-haired IBM employee points out peach, plum, pear and cherry trees covered in delicate white flowers; blueberries and cranberry plants; pungent-smelling Egyptian "walking" onions, and herbs such as anise and tarragon. Next to his loamy vegetable garden, in the asparagus patch, plump green spears have pushed through the still-cold spring soil. These plants are just a sampling of Normandin's productivity.... Read more

Omnivores who support the Vermont Fresh Network probably won't have much of a dilemma about shelling out 10 bucks a pop for the nonprofit's raffle tickets, on sale through May 31. The prize is pretty special: a June 10 dinner for two at Penny Cluse Café with Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto.... Read more

Is pork "the other white meat," as the marketing slogan of the National Pork Board would have it? Not according to Walter Jeffries of West Topsham. Jeffries, who keeps free-range hogs on his Sugar Mountain Farm, points out that pasture-raised pork isn't white — it's red. Pigs that can exercise pump more blood into their muscle, making its color ruddier than that of pigs under lockdown.... Read more

Imagine getting a big basket of farm-fresh vegetables, a dozen eggs and some local, organic meat delivered — to your desk; no farm visit required. The pilot project starts in June, when Burlington's Intervale Center launches a new, multi-farm CSA, serving four area businesses.... Read more

This year, the White House is expecting 60,000 people at its invitation-only holiday parties. One of the items on the menu is “Vermont white cheddar,” confirms Julie Adams, deputy press secretary to First Lady Laura Bush, though she was unable to verify the cheese’s provenance. A quick call to Cabot, the state’s largest producer of a cheese fitting that description, was not returned by press time.... Read more

Tech-savvy Burlingtonians eager to order pizza by text message will have to wait a little longer. Although 2700 Papa John's pizza joints across the country are now shipping out pepperoni pies in response to e-communication, the B-town locale isn't one of 'em. According to a Pearl Street PJ's staffer, Ryan Meron, "It's something that's still in the experimental phase. From what I heard, it's been very successful, so I won't be surprised if they run it out on a national basis." Verizon? Fairpoint? Unicel?... Read more

Church suppers — Vermont cuisine doesn't get much more down-home. Driving along the state's rural roads, you'll find unassuming places of worship with marker-scrawled signs announcing "Spaghetti dinner next Saturday, $6" or "Baked Ham Supper, with all the fixins." For a traveler on a cold autumn night, the price is right and the company is pleasant. Plus, there's nothing as comforting as a plate of . . . raccoon?... Read more

Gary Paul Nabhan has hunted wild peccaries, pit-roasted cactus flowers, and won a MacArthur "genius" fellowship. This past weekend, he was the keynote speaker at the 12th Annual Vermont Fresh Network Forum. The theme of the gathering was "Eat It to Save It" and focused on bringing back indigenous foods, such as heirloom veggies and heritage animal breeds that are becoming extinct. Ever heard of the gilfeather turnip?... Read more

Folks who hate running to the store in the winter will love Pete's Greens' new "Good Eats" CSA share. While the basic version of the community-supported agriculture arrangement supplies weekly portions of roots, squash and greens - with enticing extras such as frozen strawberries and tomatoes - subscribers can upgrade with a bread-and-cheese or "localvore" add-on, or both.... Read more