The Martlet

With plenty of fresh produce still lingering from summer, now is the perfect opportunity to try eating locally-grown food.

Eating local is not only healthy, but also reduces the amount of fossil fuels used to transport food items, which decreases your carbon footprint.

Because most of a “locavore’s” food doesn’t travel far, it is harvested at its peak ripeness and most say it tastes better than food that has traveled days to get to the Island.

Local food can be found in small amounts at supermarkets around Victoria, but those wanting an abundance of local food should check out farmers’ markets, such as the Moss Street Market, the James Bay Market and the Bastion Square Market.

Because certain items that many of us have grown to love (such as sugar and coffee) can be hard to find locally, most locavores aim to eat 90 per cent of their food from local sources.

Here is a recipe to help bring out the locavore in you.

Garden Spaghetti

1 spaghetti squash

15 ml (1 tbsp) oil or butter

3 tomatoes, diced

1 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

20 ml (1 1/2 tbsp) vegetable stock or white wine

local cheese (Cracked Pepper Verdelait from Natural Pastures)

Fresh basil

Salt and pepper (for taste)

Halve the squash lengthwise and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Cook squash at 175°C (350°F) for 25-30 minutes. When squash has about 10 minutes left to cook, start preparing the topping.

Heat oil or butter in a frying pan. Add chopped onion and cook for about three minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Tomatoes come next, followed by the stock. Sauté for a few minutes until everything is hot.

Remove squash from the oven. Hold the squash (be careful, it’s hot!) while using a fork to grate strands of squash onto a plate. It will look very similar to strands of spaghetti.

Top with vegetable mixture, then add grated cheese and a few leaves of fresh basil.

Makes two big portions.