Local Foods - Fresh Foods When On The Go

Finding local foods when camping is the way to go.
Shopping for a camping trip isn¡¦t hard. You make lists
of what you need, hit the supermarket, and there you go.
But, in fact, there often are better ways that let you
sample regional specialties and cook the freshest
food imaginable.

We were heading to North Carolina's Outer Banks, on the first of what have become annual camping trips. Along the road was a series of signs advertising a family farm market. It was on the way. And we needed to stock the larder anyway. So decided to stop. It was one of the best decisions we made.

What we discovered wasn't just a roadside stand, but a full-bore market, easily the size of our regular supermarket at home. It was filled with local foods - seasonal fruits and vegetables, grown on the family farm, as well as jams, jellies, and other canned goods. Some of them we'd never seen before, and have come to love, such as the exclusive peach salsa, and fruit ciders such as peach, blueberry, and even strawberry.

We used some of that peach salsa that very night, in fact, to create a glaze for a pork loin.

Granted, not every area you travel to has markets of this size and diversity. But the fact is, local food, particularly locally grown produce, are available everywhere. You'd be wise to ferret it out.

Often enough we're only talking about a tabletop farmstand, flanking the road. Sometimes the farm kids are manning the booth. Sometimes, hard as it is to believe in this day and age, the produce is put out on the honor system. Take what you want and leave payment behind in the cigar box sitting there.

These stands of local foods won't have the diversity of the big markets. But whatever they are selling is as fresh as fresh can be. Check out the corn in a supermarket, for instance. Who knows when (or where) it was picked? Or how long it's been sitting there? But the corn on that farmstand was picked mere hours ago. You can see the field it came from.

Speaking of fields, don't neglect the "U-Pick" places that seem to be proliferating. Virtually every vegetable, fruit, and berry you can otherwise buy is available at these places. We usually contact the state agricultural department of where we'll be going, to find out where the U-Pick farms are located. These are obviously the very definition of local foods.

Even if you don't feel like picking your own, those places usually sell at retail as well. Plus you're sure to find other farm stands with local foods located near the U-Pick farms.

You won't always find fresh produce being sold from a formal stand. Many times it's being peddled from the back of a pick up truck. The vendor has bought it locally, or driven a couple of states away to pick up a load.

We never know what those guys are selling until we stop and see. More times than not we make a purchase. We've bought apples, and peaches, and melons that way. Tomatoes and beans and okra. Cucumbers for a dinner salad, and strawberries for breakfast. It's always a pleasant surprise.

While you always expect produce at these outlets, don¡¦t be surprised at what else you find. Local seafoods, for instance, are often sold from the backs of trucks or off of slap-dash stands. We've bought crabs that way in Maryland, and lobsters in Maine. As much shrimp is sold that way in the Carolina Low Country as in regular stores. And I'll never forget the oysters we purchased from a truck in Louisiana; sweet and dark as home-made sin.

Seafood is almost always available, too, directly from the fishing boats. If you're near a port, swing by when the boats come in. You'll find real bargains that way, in both shellfish and finned fishes. And you certainly can't ask for local foods to be any fresher then when coming off a day boat.

As you drive around, always expect the unexpected. There was the time on Grand Manan Island, for instance, in the Bay of Fundy. We were trying to find a beach, and, instead, found a sign: =>Smoked Fish. Following the arrows we came upon some kids selling smoked kippers and herring from a stand no different than a lemonade stand in other venues. Naturally we bought some. That was our lunch, in fact, when we finally found that beach.

Watch for the signs that say "fish fry;" and "pancake breakfast;" "Oyster Roast;" and "church supper." You'll find some of the best in local foods and cuisine at such affairs, usually at prices that you can't match even if you cooked it yourself. As good as the food are the people serving it, who often will be glad to share their recipes, and tell you about places to visit that only the locals know.

For those of us involved in outdoor recreation, the best part of such contacts is that we learn the great places to hunt and fish. Or are invited to try new experiences. We once were taken "conching" after meeting a lady at one such oyster roast in North Carolina. Welks are locally called conchs, you see. And they're a special treat in that part of the world. But, to the best of my knowledge, there's no commercial fishery. You either gather your own or do without.

This wonderful lady not only took us conching, she later took us home, taught us how to prep and cook them, and provided a great dinner with her family to end the day as well.

You won't make that kind of contact in a supermarket!