Eat local. Eat what’s in season. Eat organic. Here’s why Chef Judy sources locally and why you should (really) have her cook for your family with these ingredients.

Easy on the Wallet
Let’s begin with cost. When produce is in season locally, the relative abundance of the crop usually makes it less expensive. Think of the packaged herbs you see in a grocery store during the winter – a few (usually limp) sprigs of basil, all too frequently with black speckles and moldy leaves, cost about $3 per half ounce. In contrast, the gorgeous, bright green, crisp basil you see in both grocery stores and at farmers’ markets in the summer when basil is in season often sells for as little as $1-2 for an enormous bunch. It’s the basic law of supply and demand, and when crops are in season you’ll be rewarded financially by purchasing what’s growing now.

It’s the Taste That Counts
For most of us, the taste of the food we buy is every bit as important as the cost, if not more so. When food is not in season locally, it’s either grown in a hothouse or shipped in from other parts of the world, and both affect the taste. Compare a dark red, vine-ripened tomato still warm from the summer sun with a winter hothouse tomato that’s barely red, somewhat mealy, and lacking in flavor. When transporting crops, they must be harvested early and refrigerated so they don’t rot during transportation. They may not ripen as effectively as they would in their natural environment and as a result they don’t develop their full flavor.

Foods lose flavor just as they lose moisture when they are held. Fresh, locally harvested foods have their full, whole flavors intact, which they release to us when we eat them. It’s hard to be enthusiastic about eating five servings a day of flavorless fruits and vegetables and it’s even harder to get your children to be enthusiastic about it.  Chef Judy picks from the best of the locally grown, in season foods to create your meals with- so you always have flavors bursting in every bite.

Variety All Year Long
Many people are surprised to find that a wide variety of crops are harvested in the fall (squash, apples, endive, garlic, grapes, figs, mushrooms) and winter (citrus, kale, radishes, turnips, leeks) in addition to products that we readily associate with the summer like sweet peas, corn, peaches, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and green beans.  This variety keeps your taste buds alive and excited for the next meals Chef Judy creates. It also provides balanced nutrition for you and your family year round.

Help the Local Economy
When Chef Judy uses fresh, local food ingredients in her meals, you both do a service to the local economy. It will help keep people working and keep the economy running strong. It is a way to give back to the community, but also help your own family eat healthier at the same time.

Create Great Tasting Food
Even beyond helping the economy, there is a lot to be said to just how much local and fresh food lends to be able to take advantage of natural flavors and juices that come out in every meal.

Serve Your Family and Guests With Healthier Dishes Made by Chef Judy.
Fresh and local ingredients can go a long way to making the food healthier. This is because fresh, local seafood, meat, fruits, vegetables and seasoning ingredients are going to have natural taste that is not masked by spices and preservatives. There won’t be anything needed to help preserve the food in the freezer for a period of time.

Fresh, local fresh food simply creates healthier dishes in a very natural way with its own natural flavors.
Local and fresh ingredients are pivotal to the quality meals Chef Judy creates. They provide her meals with more taste, save you money and time. They also do wonders to help the local economy in terms of giving back, keeping people working, and refueling the marketplace.

Ready to give a Chef Judy a try? Simply call or e-mail her and set up your initial meeting with her today.