Elspeth Hay

An avid locavore, Elspeth lives in Wellfleet and writes a blog about food. Elspeth is constantly exploring the Cape, Islands, and South Coast and all our farmer's markets to find out what's good, what's growing and what to do with it. Her Local Food Report airs Thursdays at 8:30 on Morning Edition and 5:45pm on All Things Considered, as well as Saturday mornings at 9:30.

Tomato Named for Paul Robeson is Both Beautiful and Sweet

By Elspeth Hay • Aug 11, 2016

Paul Robeson was a legendary African American singer, actor, linguist, civil rights activist, and athlete. The tomato named in his honor is just as accomplished. Named number one for taste in the Carmel, California Tomato Fest, the Paul Robeson tomato is said to have a perfect balance of acid and sweet. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay learns about the heirloom variety from Wellfleet gardener Tracy Plaut.

Here's a link to ideas for what to do with homegrown tomatoes.

All About Beets

By Elspeth Hay • Jul 28, 2016

Beets are just coming into season. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with Abby Miner and Caleb Lemieux of Crooked Farm in Orleans about beet varieties, beet recipes, and a little known fact about beet seeds.

You can find a recipe for a beet pizza sauce, or as we're calling it "beet-za" sauce, on Elspeth's blog about food, Diary of a Locavore.

This LFR is a rebroadcast. It aired originally August 1, 2013.

The Zucchini Bread Recipe You Need

By Elspeth Hay • Jul 21, 2016

My mother is a profound believer in the power of zucchini. A zucchini patch, she says, is a meal. It can feed a family for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner on the grill. You name the zucchini recipe, she's made it. She has four recipes for zucchini bread alone.

Huckleberries Growing Across the Cape Are Tasty and Often Overlooked

By Elspeth Hay • Jul 7, 2016

You’ve probably heard of a huckleberry. But have you ever eaten one? The small, black relatives of the blueberry grow all over the Cape and Islands, and Neil Gadway has been picking them his whole life.

Jamaican Stew Uses the Trimmings from Local Bluefish

By Elspeth Hay • Jun 16, 2016

When it comes to fish, most New Englanders keep the fillets and toss the rest. But that's not the case in every culture. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth Hay talks with a Jamaican cook in Wellfleet about a traditional stew made with local bluefish heads.

Growing Chili Peppers for Chili Powder

By Elspeth Hay • Jun 2, 2016

Two years ago, Brewster farmer Ron Backer learned about a specialty chili powder called Piment d'Espelette. He decided to grow the peppers and make the spice himself. This week on The Local Food Report, Backer takes Elspeth Hay through the process of making this French spice from pepper to powder.