Sweet as Sugar

We visited our local Farmers Market this weekend and came home and admired the beautiful local and organic bounty. Almost too pretty to eat. We have carrots, swiss chard, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, new potatoes, green pepper, garlic, bok choy, lettuce, strawberries and eggs. We also came home with local milk, creamer, cheese, yogurt, hot dogs, hamburgers, and breakfast sausage. Very sweet.

But, as I start to run out of basic things normally stocked in my larder, I am beginning to find more challenges to this diet. Each time I run out of something I ask, Is it grown or made locally? Can I find a local substitute for this? Can I make it myself? Can I live without it?

Take sugar, for example. Sugar cane is grown in warmer climates closer to the equator. Where I live, I have different options: honey, maple syrup, stevia and even agave nectar are made or grown locally. I can substitute one of these in most recipes calling for sugar.

Honey works well in breads and some baked goods, but not all. It's good in yogurt. But I don't care for it in my coffee. I like stevia okay in my coffee (another not-local product, yikes), and it has a zero glycemic index and zero calories, but I really prefer the flavor of raw sugar in my coffee. The flavor of stevia is strong and has an aftertaste, but it is certainly better for you than saccharin or aspartame.

Maple syrup is very sweet and you need less of it than the sugar called for in most recipes, but it is very high on the glycemic index. In other words, it really affects blood sugar levels. Agave syrup is from the agave plant (indigenous to Mexico) that is gaining popularity as the new low-glycemic sweetener, is 40% sweeter than sugar (however they figure that out) but it still does affect blood sugar levels. I like agave in my coffee. There actually is an agave farm in the Hudson Valley with a company called Organic Nectars.

IMO, some baked goods just need real sugar to taste right. I don't bake a lot, but when I do, I don't want to sacrifice the integrity of some treasured recipes with substitutions. Of course, any of these options is better than highly refined white sugar. But what choice will THIS family make, based on our desire to eat locally? Surely, with the great number of natural and local substitutes we have, I can for the most part, use a local substitute for raw sugar. But I don't think I can have a larder without it. It will have to go on my list of "Can't do without completely, but will cut down where I can."