Hi, I’m Annie! I am the voice behind the blog Pesto for Pennies. I have a long-time passion for creating recipes around vegetables, fruits, and herbs that I grow in my garden or have readily available in my community. Here are some of the reasons why cooking with local and seasonal foods benefits you, your family, and even the planet.
- Knowing where your food comes from or where it is grown gives you power as a consumer to make informed choices
- Growing your own food or buying fresh local ingredients reduces your carbon footprint, saving energy and time
- Eating organic limits the consumption of pesticides and herbicides in your food
Prepared foods are laced with additives and preservatives. Local and seasonal foods are fresher, nutrient-packed, and full of flavor. Better ingredients = delicious rewarding meals.
So where do you find local produce and healthy food? You can start with your own garden, of course, but other options are farmer’s markets, grocery stores that sell local produce and have healthy food sections, food co-ops and CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture), and local farm and produce stands.
Pesto for Pennies provides recipes, gardening tips, and techniques as well as strategies for food preservation.
If you are looking for some great, easy-to-make vegetarian and/or vegan recipes, start here:
- African Peanut Stew
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Annie’s Famous Pesto
- Carrot Pineapple Quick Bread
- Easy Baked Hot Poppers