On the evening of Dec. 31, 2009 -- less than two short months ago -- my husband, our 6-year-old daughter and I sat down and wrote our New Year's resolutions on slips of paper. Then we read them. It wasn't too hard to match resolution to family member, but what did strike me was that both my husband and I were thinking of food -- namely, eating better. My husband wanted to eat more fruits and vegetables, and I took it a step further by resolving to, as much as possible, eat local.

I'd wanted to do this for years, and did a lot of reading. Local food tastes better, feels better (I like that I'm supporting small local businesses), and provides better nutrition.

Worthy goals, but exactly where do you find local foods in the dead of winter when the farmers markets are shut down until at least May, and CSA (community supported agriculture) deliveries don't start until June?

As the drifts piled up around our dormant backyard vegetable garden in Peters, I found myself dreaming of the bounty I could have had if only I'd had the foresight. I could've bought fresh fruits and veggies in bulk and froze them; I could've gotten large quantities of storage-friendly foods such as apples, onions and potatoes and stored them in our cellar. I could've made salsa with all those bell peppers from our garden that ended up rotting in my fridge. I could've, but I didn't.

Luckily for me, someone else did, and others still are producing food.

It's the end of February now, and I'm glad to report that each week we eat brown speckled eggs from pastured hens, creamy milk from a small family-owned dairy, fresh Amish roll butter and artisinal grass-fed cheeses -- all produced by small farms in and around Pittsburgh. We snack on red apples, chop onions for a saute, mash up Yukon Gold potatoes, bake acorn squash and whip up salads from pristine mesclun greens -- all from area farms.

We're getting the bulk of our local foods from an area CSA sort of business that caters to the year-round subscriber. Founded by Mt. Lebanon resident and local food advocate David Eson, Isidore Foods launched in 2006 and today delivers local food weekly to more than 900 subscribers. Mr. Eson works with more than 35 local farms and businesses to secure vegetables, fruit, dairy, meat, bread and pantry items. Vegetable boxes are available for a weekly or biweekly subscription year round, thanks to Mr. Eson's creative approach, which includes using items that local farmers have frozen during the growing season (such as corn) and using produce that farms grew late in the fall and have stored (much as our grandparents did in their root cellars).

I also like that I can get bread, meat and dairy from Isidore. With my weekly box of varying vegetables ($14.50; last week's included a bag of spinach, frozen sweet corn, and 2 pounds each of parsnips, potatoes and beets), I order a weekly dairy box consisting of a gallon of milk, three blocks of specialty cheese, a pound of roll butter and a dozen eggs ($24). I also take advantage of Isidore's menu of "a la carte" items, often ordering buttermilk ($1.25), cream ($2), bacon ($4.62) or extra eggs ($3). Sometime I'd like to try the grass-fed lamb from Hearts Content Farm in Westmoreland County or some hormone-free, dry-aged steaks from McElhaney Family Farm in Beaver County. Having this variety and flexibility makes it easier to get more of my food from local sources.

In my search for local foods, I found another hidden gem, Frankferd Farms, a certified organic farm and flour mill in Saxonburg. They offer a free delivery service for families or members of a buying club that place an order over a certain amount (and anyone can place an order for pickup at the farm's retail store). I found the staff to be very helpful in getting me in touch with an established buying club in my area, and I recently got my first order. Frankferd offers local foods like its own flours and grains -- from buckwheat to blue cornmeal to kamut to rice flour -- but has also grown into a large distributor of all kinds of organic products from all over the country. Of note are local offerings such as tortilla chips made from Frankferd's own blue corn, granola, condiments such as strawberry and cranberry jam, and a large selection of local bakery goods that include whole-wheat and gluten-free items.

Thanks to businesses such as these, we're well on our way to eating locally. While my family is only two months into this journey, we're realistic that not everything on our table can be local -- though I do certainly get a kick out of it when I manage a meal that's 100 percent from our region's small farms.

For those starting out, I recommend frequenting local specialty markets and health food stores. At the least, you should be assured of finding local eggs, honey and milk. Certainly take advantage of subscription or delivery services that deliver, if not to your door, then nearby. Make a monthly food budget and weekly meal plans and stick to them, if you're worried about the slightly higher costs of local foods.

For the first time ever, our family made a budget for 2010 -- including groceries. While item per item, local foods cost more, I'm aiming to buy less and use what I have. That's where the meal plan comes in. I make my list of ingredients and stick to them. I try very hard to avoid the typical phenomenon of heading into the supermarket to buy five things and coming out with a cart full. The good news is we aren't spending any more per month on groceries. How? Because we're buying whole foods and cooking them ourselves. We find that when we eat quality foods, prepared well, we are more satisfied and less likely to turn to the real wallet-wasters -- processed, additive-laden convenience foods.

As the snow continues to pile up around my home, I feel good about our progress toward the goal of eating locally -- even though we're still firmly in the grip of winter. Yet I can't help but think: Just imagine how well we'll eat when June gets here.

White Bean and Kale Pasta with Smoky Bacon

PG tested

I found this recipe online when I got a large bunch of kale in my winter CSA box and was trying to figure out how to use it. Luckily, I had ordered some local bacon too, and had white beans in my pantry. The results were delicious.

• 1 cup of white beans, soaked overnight and cooked
• 1 1/2 cups of cooking water from the beans (add broth or water, if you don't have enough)
• 4 to 6 slices bacon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bunch kale
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 12 ounces penne pasta

Rinse the soaked beans, place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a low simmer and continue to cook until just soft (1 to 11/2 hours). Drain beans, saving the cooking water.

Cook bacon over medium heat in a large saute pan. Remove cooked bacon and pour out extra grease, leaving several tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan.

Saute chopped onions in bacon grease on low heat for 5 minutes. Then add the kale, bringing heat up to medium high, and stirring occasionally. When the kale seems fairly wilted, add the garlic and cook for a minute longer. (Meanwhile, start your pasta cooking, according to the package instructions.)

Add beans and cooking water to the saute pan. Bring to a low simmer and allow to cook for 5 to 10 minutes, so the flavors can meld and the kale softens to the desired texture. Salt and pepper to taste.

Mix cooked pasta and sauce. Crumble bacon on top of each serving and add freshly grated parmesan, if desired.

Serves 4.

-- thenourishinggourmet.com

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Butter, Sea Salt and Parmesan

PG tested

Winter squash is a cold-weather produce box staple. I've gotten acorn, spaghetti and dumpling squash. An easy way to extract the tasty flesh from the hard exterior is to slice your squash in half and roast in the oven. Once it's cooked, you can scoop out the insides and use in a variety of ways. This recipe dresses the squash very simply, but you can add on more toppings such as pesto, toasted nuts or chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

• 1 medium to large spaghetti squash
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• Fresh parmesan, Romano or other hard grating cheese

Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place squash cut sides down in a baking pan filled with 1/2 inch of water and cook at 350 degrees, or until tender, about 1 hour.

Remove squash from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Scoop out flesh and place in a large bowl.

Mix with butter, sea salt, pepper and grated cheese, to taste. Spoon back into squash halves to serve.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

-- Elizabeth May

Apples Sauteed with Butter and Cinnamon

PG tested

My mom used to saute apples for a quick and easy side dish. But in our house, this dish is also dessert-worthy, served with fresh whipped cream. I use apples from my CSA winter produce box, along with local cream I order from Isidore Foods' dairy source, family-owned Brunton Dairy in Aliquippa. Their heavy cream whips up nicely -- just add a touch of vanilla and sugar to taste.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 to 8 peeled, sliced apples
• Cinnamon to taste

Melt butter in a skillet or saute pan.

Cook apples over medium to medium-low heat until soft and slightly caramelized. I usually cook them for about 10 minutes, reducing the heat a few minutes into cooking. (If you find the apples are sticking to the bottom of the pan, you can always add a little water.)

Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste and serve with fresh local whipped cream.

Serves 4.

-- Elizabeth May

Mesclun Salad with Apples, Cheddar and Walnuts

PG tested

This is a salad I love to make all fall and winter long. Sometimes I sub out the cheddar for blue cheese and the apples for pears. You could also use your choice of nuts. I've been using the mesclun and apples that often come in my weekly vegetable box from Isidore Foods for this salad, as well as their artisanal grass-fed cheddar from Northeast Pastures, a cooperative of Amish farms from Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.

• 5 cups fresh mesclun greens
• 1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
• 2 1/2 tablespoons red-wine or balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• Dried or fresh herbs to taste
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar, sliced or shaved thin
• 1 large or two small apples, sliced

Rinse greens and drain or spin dry.

Toast walnuts in a small dry pan over medium heat, being careful not to burn them. The nuts will be ready when they are lightly browned and start to smell fragrant. Cool and chop nuts.

Make vinaigrette by whisking vinegar (you can substitute an equal amount of fresh lemon juice, if you prefer), Dijon mustard, sea salt, freshly ground pepper and any dried or chopped fresh herbs you desire until blended. Stream in olive oil, while continually whisking to emulsify dressing.

Prepare cheese and slice apples right before serving.

Arrange greens on a salad plate. Top with apple slices, cheddar and walnuts and drizzle with vinaigrette.

Serves 4.

-- Elizabeth May

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.