The cost of everything is going up, up and further up. I don't know if we can blame it all on the cost of energy, but I'm sure that's at least part of the issue. That's why a lot of people are trying to buy locally grown food, which means anything grown within 100 miles of home. Not only does it help to support local farmers and ranchers, but it also reduces our need for long-haul transportation fuel.

It's pretty impossible to buy entirely from local people. Pineapples and blueberries, for example, aren't grown nearby. But it doesn't take much effort to visit a farmers market and get most of your produce from them, along with breads, cheeses, flowers, fish, sausage, olive oils and much more.

There's a farmers market somewhere in the county nearly every day of the week, including the Wednesday market in downtown Santa Cruz and the Saturday market at the Cabrillo College parking garage.

Once you've made your purchase, you'll want to keep it fresh for as long as possible. It makes no sense to spend good money on something that will spoil or dry out before you can eat it. The current issue of Cook's Illustrated has several pointers for preserving freshness.

• To make fresh herbs last longer, trim about a half-inch of the stem and put them in a glass of water, like you would fresh-cut flowers. Put a plastic bag over it and place in the refrigerator. Change the water every 2-3 days.

• Do the same with asparagus, but use a larger jar. This method can freshen limp celery and broccoli, too.

• Corn on the cob is best eaten as soon as possible. Otherwise the sugars turn to starch. But if you have to wait, don't remove the husk. Place the ears in a wet paper bag and then in a plastic bag and refrigerate. Never refrigerate corn without wrapping it, don't let it sit on the counter, and don't remove the husk until you're ready to cook.

• Wash and trim lettuce, then roll up the leaves in paper towels. Place in a plastic bag and refrigerate. It will keep about a week. When I buy the spring mix in a plastic box, I line the bottom with paper towels to absorb extra moisture,

• Berries spoil quickly. So soak them for a few minutes in a bowl with 3 cups of water and 1 cup of vinegar. Then drain and rinse in a colander under the faucet. Line the salad spinner with paper towels, and spin the berries dry. Then store in a paper towel-lined container. The vinegar wash helps kill bacteria and mold spores that rot the berries.

Sharpen up

Do you have the sharpest knife in the drawer? You should. Sharp knives move easily through your cutting tasks, and they're less likely to cause injury because they don't slip. But often, those sharpening tools you use at home aren't all that effective. I can never get the angle right, and some of those sharpening stones don't do the trick.

But you can get the job done professionally every second and third Saturday at the Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo College. Terry Beech of Sharp-Quick www.sharpquick.com will be there to sharpen knives and gardening tools. He also repairs knives.

Singles meal

When Robin Berweger cooks for one, she likes Trader Joe's frozen stuffed salmon fillet with shrimp, cucumbers and dill. "With the high price of salmon, $3.19 was a deal. It's a perfect single serving size that can be microwaved. Pair it with their wild and basmati rice pilaf, plus some vegetables, and you have a wonderful dinner."

Florence Orenstein and June Smith like to cook in quantity and share with family or friends. They get meals in exchange, so it keeps the boredom under control.

Best lamb chops

I drive by that little restaurant on the Summit twice a day, but I've never stopped in. Brenda Chargin says I should. "I had dinner at the Deer Creek Bar & Grill up on the Summit," she wrote. "There is a sign outside that says it has the best lamb, and it truly is! The dinner was $24 including a salad and two vegetables. Everything was done perfectly. I sat at a table with a nice view of the San Lorenzo Valley. I felt both fortunate and little sad that I was the only person in the restaurant. The person who served me said that the high gas prices are affecting the flow of people who usually come in."

She hopes we might support the nice people who own the restaurant.