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Kale is one of the few local greens that’s available almost year round. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with author Cathy Walthers of West Tisbury about her new cookbook Kale, Glorious Kale. They cover everything from the nutritional benefits of the green to kale varieties and recipes—including some that might come as a surprise.

You can see a picture of some of the most common local kale varieties and find Cathy Walthers’ recipe for Kale Granola on Elspeth’s blog, Diary of a Locavore.

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Happy Thanksgiving! This week on The Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay gives thanks for local cranberries—and brings us a story on growing and cooking with the tart berries from bog owner Ralph Tupper of East Brewster.

Ralph shared his family recipe for Cranberry Goodin’ Pudding with Elspeth, and you can find it on her blog, Diary of a Locavore.

This piece is a rebroadcast. It aired originally on 11.18.2010.

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Peter Burgess is into local history. Several years ago, he discovered a variety of winter squash called the Long Pie Pumpkin that came to Nantucket in 1832 aboard a whaling ship. Over time the variety was forgotten and almost lost, but Peter is one of a growing number of New England farmers trying to bring it back. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth talks with Peter about how to grow and cook with Long Pie Pumpkin, and why he thinks it’s a variety worth saving.

Elspeth’s posted her grandmother’s recipe for pumpkin pie on her blog, where you can also read more about the history of the Long Pie Pumpkin.

This piece is a rebroadcast. It originally aired September 22, 2011.

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If you’ve ever shopped for local beef, you’ve probably heard the terms “grass-fed,” or “grass finished.” Many people will tell you 100-percent grass-fed beef is better for you than conventional grain-finished beef, but the specifics can be confusing. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with a nutritional consultant from Orleans and a butcher from Chatham about some of the differences between grain- and grass-fed cattle.

You can read more on Elspeth’s blog, Diary of a Locavore.

This week’s piece is a rebroadcast. It aired originally 11.14.2013.

Kefir is the Russian word for a sour-tasting drink made with cow’s milk. It’s often confused with yogurt. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with a woman in Wellfleet making her own kefir and learns how the beverage is different from other fermented dairy products.

You can find a recipe for kefir with how-to steps and photos from Helen Miranda Wilson on Elspeth’s blog, Diary of a Locavore.

Beer relies on four ingredients: malt, water, hops, and yeast. But as evidenced by the number of beers and breweries around the globe, there are infinite ways to combine these ingredients for a tasty beverage. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with Todd Marcus of Cape Cod Beer about how he makes beer from start to finish.

You can find a list of Massachusetts brewers on the Massachusetts Brews Guild website. And there’s a nice article on pairing beer with food from an old NYT article by Mark Bittman.

This piece is a rebroadcast. It originally aired on July 21, 2009.

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Sauerkraut has a long history. Like other preserved foods, it was once an important source of nutrients during the long, cold winter months. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay continues her focus on fermented foods and talks with a Wellfleet woman about her recipe for fermented cabbage. You can learn more about the sauerkraut and find Helen Miranda Wilson’s recipe for the dish on Elspeth’s blog, Diary of a Locavore.

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Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish made by fermenting vegetables. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth talks with Holly North of Woods Hole about how she got hooked on kimchi and how she makes it. Holly walks Elspeth through the process of putting together a quick cucumber kimchi and talks about the flavors involved in a perfect dish—everything from garlic to chiles to seafood.

You can find Holly North’s recipe for Hot & Spicy Cucumber Kimchi on Elspeth’s blog, Diary of a Locavore, where you can also find links to learn more about the digestive benefits of lacto-fermented foods and the history of kimchi.

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The names are beautiful: Nubia, Gretel, Fairy Tale, Nadia. Michiaw, Orient Express, Long Violet, Galine. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with local farmers about what types of eggplant they’re growing, and how they like to cook with them.

You can learn more about the varieties mentioned in the piece and find a recipe for eggplant caponata on Elspeth’s blog, Diary of a Locavore.

This piece is a rebroadcast. It originally aired September 19, 2013.

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Local gardens are overflowing with green beans this time of year. Most are short and snappy. But Victoria Pecoraro is growing two unusual varieties—Orient Wonder and Red Noodle—both of which measure over a foot long! This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with her about how she started growing these Asian yard-long beans and how she likes to eat them.

You can find a recipe for Spicy Stir-Fried Long Beans with Peanuts and Chiles over here. And you can see more pictures of Victoria’s yard-long beans on Elspeth’s blog, Diary of a Locavore.

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Highland cattle are originally from the rugged mountains of northern Scotland. Archaeological evidence dates the breed back to the 6th century, and the animals first came to the United States in the 1800s. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with a family from Dennis who tend a herd of 20-25 Highland cattle for beef.

You can find a recipe for grilled grass-fed steaks on Elspeth’s blog, Diary of a Locavore, and see pictures of the Seawind Meadows Highland cattle.

This piece is a rebroadcast. It originally aired 11.07.2013.

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Twelve years ago, Charlie Amsler planted two tiny fig trees in his front yard in Wellfleet. Today, they’re huge, thriving plants that produce loads of fruit each September. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with Charlie about the history of the trees, how figs grow, and what they need to thrive in our unique Cape climate.

You can find a recipe for fig and arugula salad with prosciutto and gorgonzola on Elspeth’s blog, Diary of a Locavore.

This piece is a rebroadcast. It originally aired September 13, 2012.

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Most people think of sweet potatoes as a southern crop, and artichokes as something from the Mediterranean. But both plants can thrive on Cape Cod. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay visits the Barnstable County Fairgrounds demonstration garden to learn about growing these two unusual crops.

You can see photos and learn more about the vegetables, fruits, and herbs growing in the garden on Elspeth’s blog. And here’s a link to the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension website, where you’ll find all kinds of resources for gardeners, including information on soil samples, pest management, and a master gardener hotline.

This show is a rebroadcast from 8.23.2012.

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Elinor Arsenault grew up baking in the small town of Royalton, Massachusetts, where a good portion of the population was Finnish. This week on the Local Food Report, Elinor shares her Finnish-inspired recipe for a traditional raspberry shortbread made with raspberry jam from her own Orleans-grown berries.

You can find Elinor’s recipe for raspberry shortbread on Elspeth’s blog, Diary of aLocavore.

And you can check out the SEMAP (Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership) fruit harvest calendar over here. Raspberries are in season twice a summer: once from late June through late July, and again from mid August through early October.

This piece is a rebroadcast. It aired originally August 15, 2013.

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Green beans are one of the quintessential foods of summer. But they’re not as similar as they seem. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with growers at the Orleans Farmers’ Market about what bean varieties they grow, why they like these beans, and how they cook them. You can read more about the bean varieties mentioned in the piece and find a recipe for Salad Nicoise on Elspeth’s blog, Diary of a Locavore.

This piece is a rebroadcast. It originally aired August 8, 2012.

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Have you ever noticed how some blueberries are light blue and others are dark navy? How some are tart and some are sweet? Some tiny and some huge? This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with the owner of a pick-your-own blueberry farm in Dennis about what varieties he grows and why. You can learn more about both wild and domesticated blueberry varieties and find a recipe for blueberry buckle on Elspeth’s blog, Diary of a Locavore.

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Blueberry season is in full swing on the Cape. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay visits a local pick-your-own farm in Dennis, and talks with pickers from ages 1 to 96 and from all over the east coast about what they’re planning to do with all their berries.

You can find links to the recipes people are making on her blog, Diary of a Locavore.

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You’ve probably heard of chervil, lemon basil, and lemon verbena. But have you ever cooked with them? This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with several local growers about these unusual summer herbs—what the plants are like, and what to do with them in the kitchen.