Beginning with the Spring 2011 issue we are making an even stronger commitment to fresh local food in the pages of Zone 4. In No. 9 we feature Sola Cafe, owned and managed by Tiffany Lach, and chef Megan Reed, pictured here cradling some early-season Swiss chard. For the photo shoot she made Spring Vegetable Risotto with Fennel and Spinach, and a Spinach Pesto. Not shown is a delicious Italian Sausage, Cannellini Bean, and Swiss Chard Soup. Check 'em out on pages 60-61 of the current issue!

One thing we realized was that a good photograph is important if you're trying to persuade readers to actually go out and buy the ingredients to a recipe, and make it. Lighting is critical. Experience helps. And, well, there's a knack to it. A friend told us about local chef Maggie Garver who also loves to photograph food. We checked out her website www.bentforkphotography.com and were impressed. So we signed her up to shoot Megan and her dishes. You'll see more of Maggie's work in future issues.

And if you have a favorite recipe using fresh local ingredients, please send to me at dan@zone4magazine.com. You don't have to be a professional by any means. We'll consider all submissions for publication in Zone 4.