When I seek out ingredients, I make an effort to find good quality local items. Sometimes that means eggs and greens that travel fewer than 20 miles to get to me in the Florida panhandle. Other times, when something is not available on a truly local level, I try to find it regionally (usually Florida, Georgia and Alabama). It is not always possible, but when I have a choice, I buy local. Buying local helps the local economy, and uses fewer resources to go from farm to table. It also makes me focus on buying items that are in season, which is when they are the least expensive and taste the best.For me, local buying is easy when it comes to seafood. It is abundant in the Gulf of Mexico and Choctawhatchee Bay. Local buying has also worked well with cheese, honey, vegetables and meats. One of the meats I buy is the ranch-raised rabbit from Seely's Ark in Ocala.
This article appears in Jul 22-28, 2009.