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Good Reading and Reference

Dear Bay Weekly:

Thanks for your outstanding work at Bay Weekly, a publication I savor during bus commutes and reference often in my work with Calvert Library.

–Mary Thulin, Chesapeake Beach

Too Much of a Good Thing: Sweet Potatoes Challenge Locavore

Dear Bay Weekly:

I very much enjoyed all of the articles in the November 6 issue (as I do most every issue). We also have the piecrust problem, but one daughter has mastered it in Michigan.

I enjoyed Margaret Tearman’s article in particular and would like to emulate some of her efforts on using locally grown organic produce. I would also like to offer some sweet potatoes. I am a 65-year-old in Prince Frederick who has gardened since 1972, when we moved here. This past summer I planted sweet potato plants (fertilized with horse manure). There were only 25 of them, but I gave them too much room and reaped about 500 pounds of overlarge potatoes.

The potatoes are the white variety and are less sweet than the orange variety. The cooked flesh is very creamy with none of the stringiness I’ve found in the orange variety. They can be used in all the standard ways, plus do well in place of white potatoes with gravy.

I intend to give most away and know that about 100 pounds will go to St. John Vianney Church’s Thanksgiving dinner for homeless people. I wonder if Ms. Tearman could direct me to some of your contacts, neighbors, churches who could use the potatoes so that they don’t go to waste. I can deliver them free in banana boxes in the Calvert County area. If you served as a central conduit for those who could use them I would be grateful.

Also I would like to know of the food services you used since they may serve me as well.

–Bill Goodwin, Prince Frederick

Margaret Tearman’s reply: Glad you enjoyed the story.

We got most vegetables, eggs and some chicken from the Lambs Quarter CSA in Owings. For fruit and veggies not provided by our CSA, I shopped roadside farm stands. I buy grass-fed, antibiotic-free meat from Ivy Neck Farm in Southern Anne Arundel County and Zekiah Farm in Bryantown. 

As for all those potatoes, I suggest you contact two Calvert food pantries: SMILE, Inc. at 410-326-0009 and End Hunger at 410.257.5672.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Forget the Turkey!

Dear Bay Weekly:

How nice to read Margaret Tearman’s take on Thanksgiving Dinner. For 80 years I enjoyed, sometimes endured, turkey, dressing, sauerkraut and spare ribs (Baltimore heritage), candied sweets and pumpkin pie. Well, my 81st year is going to be different — similar to hers, but planned a couple of months ago. For starters, there will be oysters on the half-shell, then a nice Caesar salad. Main course will be steak and lobster! For grandson, there will be corn on the cob; for son, mashed potatoes with sour cream and garlic; for me, broccoli casserole; daughter-in-law has to wait until dessert for her choice: carrot cake.

I’m breaking tradition but looking forward to it.

Happy Thanksgiving,

–Edna Zahn, via email