Amy Cotler has been an active contributor to the world of food for over 30 years, wearing many hats along the way: chef, instructor, recipe developer, and founder of Berkshire Grown, a non-profit promoting local foods and farming. Her blog, The Locavore Way, addresses farm advocacy issues and highlights recipes using seasonal ingredients Amy manages to dig up near her Massachusetts home.
A New York ex-pat ("I left Manhattan for the wilds of New England"), Amy has clearly taken to country life, and she doesn't hesitate to share nuggets of wisdom she's picked up along the way. Her tips range from the ideological to the practical. In one post, she urges readers to support their local agricultural commissions and help make their towns "farm friendly." In another, she advises those who aren't fortunate enough to have an asparagus patch in their own backyard -- she herself dutifully plans to plant some each spring but then remembers she's too impatient to wait 4 years -- to hit up local farm stands, or better yet, simply call upon a "generous friend with an asparagus bed."
In The Locavore Way, Amy also documents her food-related field trips, like a recent visit to Grafton Village Cheese Company, where she and her husband picked up some cheddar, later used as inspiration for a Grilled Cheddar with Broccoli Rabe sandwich (yes, the rabe was local). Her recipes are straightforward and approachable, making the most of a few simple ingredients: for example, Grilled Asparagus with Chive Oil, Spring Radish and Anchovy Butter Bruschette, and Fresh Chive Noodles with Early Spring Things.
See what other Food52 readers are saying.