They're fresher, they're better for the environment, and Arkansas has wide variety of foods to choose from.

Here’s something to chew on: Most of the produce you buy at a national grocery chain has traveled an average of 1,500 miles to those shelves. Processing, packaging and shipping food 1,500 miles or more means continuous and severe con­sump­tion of fossil fuels and energy. These food miles directly contribute to carbon dioxide emissions and global warming, among other eco-hazards, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The environment isn’t the only one suffering from this excessive food mileage — so is the local economy. “The reality is that only about 18 cents of every dollar comes back to the grower,” said Jody Hardin, a fifth-generation farmer, co-founder of Arkansasfood.net (a website devoted to local food and farming) and executive director of Certified Arkansas Farmers’ Market. “Buying from local farmers’ markets allows us to keep about 90 cents.”

Sustainability and economics are just two of the reasons Executive Chef Lee Richardson of Little Rock’s Capital Hotel serves Arkansas-grown food from nearby farms. He says that local provisions have more flavor and sustenance as well.

“Corporations are working hard to make farming more efficient, but we are losing nutrients and taste as they add chemicals,” he said. “It’s called ‘The Natural State’ for a reason. We’ve got so much goodness growing right in our backyard.”

We asked four Arkansas chefs who serve seasonal recipes using Arkansas-grown ingredients in their restaurants each day to craft do-it-yourself recipes following their same seasonal and sustainable standard. Go ahead, try them at home!

Spring: Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls
By Chef Kathy Webb,
Lilly’s Dim Sum, Then Some, Little Rock

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 cucumbers, julienned
Fresh basil
Fresh cilantro
1 small red onion, julienned
1-2 cups shredded carrots
1-2 cups cooked rice stick noodles
1 package rice wrappers or tapioca wrappers
Romaine lettuce leaves, trimmed and stemmed

Substitutions/additions:
Fresh spinach, cooked
Red cabbage

Directions: Cut all ingredients in advance. Soak one wrapper in lukewarm tap water for about one minute or until pliable. Lay wrapper on counter. Put piece of romaine lettuce on top of wrapper, in center. Place one piece of each ingredient, plus a sprig of basil and cilantro, in lettuce. Roll lettuce like a cigar. Then roll rice wrapper around the lettuce. Let dry before eating.

Summer: Heirloom Tomato Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
By Chef Capi Peck,
Trio’s Restaurant, Little Rock

Dressing ingredients:
2 cups mayonnaise
4 anchovy fillets, minced  
2 green onions, chopped
¼ cup parsley, chopped
¼ cup chives, chopped
1 teaspoon of garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons of tarragon vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad ingredients:
1 cup each yellow and black cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Vidalia onions cut into wedges
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
9 cups of your favorite mix of lettuces (arugula, romaine, spinach, watercress, red leaf)
Locally grown heirloom tomatoes, 2-3 slices per person

Directions: For the dressing, place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender. Pulse until smooth, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. For the salad, place the lettuce mix in a large bowl and dress lightly with the dressing. Plate the mixed greens onto a large platter or on individual salad plates, then arrange the heirloom tomatoes around the lettuce. Top with the cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, Vidalia onions and avocado slices before drizzling the tomatoes and avocado with additional Green Goddess.

Fall: Butternut Squash Turnover with Balsamic Reduction
By Chefs Jeremy Gawthrop and Clayton Suttle,
The Greenhouse Grille, Fayetteville

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash
¼ cup mascarpone cheese
Salt and pepper
½ cup balsamic vinegar
4 puff pastry squares
½ pound mixed organic greens

Directions: Slice squash in half, scoop seeds out. Roast butternut squash at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until soft. Peel skin off and blend the squash meat with mascarpone cheese and salt and pepper until smooth. Spread the filling between puff pastry squares, fold into a triangle and bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown.

For the topping: Reduce balsamic vinegar slowly over low heat, whisking often until it reaches a syrup-like consistency. Drizzle and serve over turnover with mixed greens.

Winter: Pickled Dilly Beans & Dilly Bean Butter
By Chef Lee Richardson,
The Capital Hotel, Little Rock

Pickled Dilly Beans Ingredients:
2 pounds string beans, cleaned and blanched
1 quart cold water
1 teaspoon celery seed
¾ cup kosher salt
¼ cup dill seed
2 bunches of fresh dill
2 quarts white distilled vinegar
3/8 cup sugar
8 cloves of garlic
½ cup mustard seed
1 tablespoon pickling spice
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Dilly Bean Butter ingredients:
¼-cup dilly bean liquid
3 tablespoons sugar
10 dilly beans cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 stick of butter

Directions: Heat all of the Dilly Beans ingredients in a saucepan until the salt is dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Place the blanched beans in a clean plastic or glass container and pour the liquid and seasonings over the beans to cover and weigh them down by placing something on top of them to keep them submerged. Allow the beans to sit one week. Always use a utensil or gloved hand to fish them out to avoid contaminating the pickle juice.

For the butter: In a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer the dilly liquid with the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, slowly whisk in the butter a tablespoon at a time. Next, stir in the chopped dilly beans and adjust the seasoning to taste. Serves 6-8 as an accompanying sauce.

Super Sustainable Markets:
Where to buy locally grown foods

CENTRAL
• Argenta Farmers Market (Main Street, downtown North Little Rock)
• Conway County Farmers Market (Old Train Station, Morrilton)
• River Market Farmers Market (downtown Little Rock, River Market District)
• Searcy Farmers Market (Spring Park, Searcy)

SOUTHWEST
• Columbia County Homegrown Market Association (Stadium and Vine streets, Magnolia)
• Gateway Farmers Market (Jefferson & East Ninth streets, Texarkana)
• Historic Downtown Hot Springs Farmers Market (Transportation Plaza, Hot Springs)
• Hot Springs County Farmers Market (1415 Smith St., Malvern)
• Ouachita County Farmers Market (Camden)

SOUTHEAST
• Arkansas County Farmers Market (1009 Liberty Drive, Dewitt)
• Ashley County Farmers Market (Arkansas State Highway 82, Crossett)
• Mels Farmers Market (West end of Main Street, Lake Village)
• Pine Bluff Farmers Market (315 Walnut St., Pine Bluff)

NORTHWEST
• Bella Vista Farmers Market (1451 Bella Vista Way, Bella Vista)
• Bentonville Farmers Market (downtown square, Bentonville)
• Clarksville Farmers Market (Main Street, Clarksville)
• Eureka Springs Farmers Market (23 Linwood Ave., Eureka Springs)
• Fayetteville Farmers Market (4703 N. Crossover Road, Fayetteville)
• Fort Smith Farmers Market (2nd Street & Garrison Avenue parking lot, Fort Smith)
• Rogers Farmers Market (downtown Frisco Park, Rogers)

NORTHEAST
• Cross County Farmers Market (Falls Boulevard & Union Avenue, Wynne)
• Hoxie Farmers Market (Arkansas State Highway 63, Hoxie)
• Jonesboro Farmers Market (3423 E. Highland Drive, Jonesboro)
• Mountain Home Farmers Market (Hickory Park, Mountain Home)
• Paragould Farmers Market (100 Fourth Ave., Paragould)