Season 4, Spring 2008

We sit down with Leda to learn about her experience on her year long 250-mile diet. One of the main reasons she went into this was to help the environment, but reducing the waste and energy that comes along with transporting foods. What she did not expect was to find her roots here in New York, and a stronger sense of belonging.

For our 250-Mile Skordalia recipe, we shopped for some potatoes at the Greenmarket in Union Square, New York. The nice thing about eating local food is that you get to shake the hand of the person who feeds you. Eating local helps shorten the supply chain between producer and consumer, and benefits both.

Leda makes her skordalia (a Greek garlic and potato dip) with field garlic, which is prevalent in Central Park and most other areas around the city, including her garden. Field garlic has a subtler taste than regular garlic, and is definitely local. Watch and learn how to identify and forage your own field garlic.

Leda teaches us how to make her local version of Greek Skordalia Dip, a recipe passed down to her by her Greek grandmother. Because not all of the traditional ingredients are available, she makes some adjustments, such as using homemade vinegar instead of lemon. The taste is wonderful, because it reflects the natural taste of the ingredients grown locally.

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