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A new book chronicles a Vancouver couple’s adventurous year eating only local food.

Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon, former associate editor and occasional contributor, respectively, to this magazine, began thinking about ways to “live lightly” long before we all caught on to the inconvenient truth about our SUV diets (namely, how far our food travels, and how many emissions are spewed, before it arrives on our plate). The long-term partners undertook a lofty experiment—consuming only locally grown food products for one year—the results of which are chronicled with wit and élan in The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating (Random House Canada, 2007). Put aside that tropical fruit and fleur de sel: here, MacKinnon and Smith offer five favourite “100-Mile”-worthy products from local producers.

White Grace cheese from Salt Spring Island’s Moonstruck organic cheesemaker. At Les Amis du Fromage, 1752 W. Second Ave., 604-732-4218.

Organic winter greens from Friesen Farm in Aldergrove. Year-round greens from Anne and Albert Friesen’s farm are available at Capers, various locations.

Spot prawns direct from the fisherman’s wharf on Granville Island. B.C. spot prawns are one of the most sustainably harvested species in the world. Spot prawn season starts in May; info at Chefstablesociety.ca.

Agassiz hazelnuts from Poplar Grove Arbour. Hazelnuts are the only nut crop produced commercially in B.C., and are pressed in oil and “nut butter.” Available at the farm gate; visit Circlefarmtour.com for details.

Bacchus white wine from Langley’s Domaine de Chaberton. This varietal grape (cross of riesling-silvaner and müller-thurgau) yields rich aromas of peach and light muscat. Available at Taylorwood Wines, 1185 Mainland St., Yaletown, 604-408-9463.

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