Fresh food in the dead of winter

I cannot believe how cold this winter has been,so how was I able to get my hands on fresh local produce in this weather? The Rhode Island Winters farmers market. This market is held in Pawtucket in an old factory.There were about 30 vendors. Bakers with outstanding breads and pastries. There were indian samosas,Jamaican meat pies,pizza and gourmet sandwiches.Grass fed beef, pork and pastured chicken,oysters,clams,apples,lettuce,micro greens,pea shoots,
beets,carrots,Narragansett creamery cheese.Also local made soda with cane sugar, yacht club was the brand and the also had a juice using purple corn high in antioxidants and very tasty. Also Rhode Island grown cornmeal,this is great since local grains are hard to come buy.Information on composting and other gardening classes. We arrived before they opened,(11-2 on Saturdays) We were able to check out the merchandise before the crowds came.It was very busy showing how local healthy food is becoming important to many. This market was about an hour away so I wouldn't go every week but a few times in the winter will be great. I am sure I missed some vendors but it was definitely worth the trip.For more information here is the link http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farmersmarkets_details.php?market=29

a cold snowy day

What would be better on a snowy Sunday than homemade soup. I used homemade beef broth, shell beans I froze this summer,tomato's I canned,summer squash I canned,onion and garlic,carrots and celery. Also added some egg noodles and a Parmesan cheese rind from the refrigerator. This soup was warm and comforting, I usually don't make vegetable soup I thought it was a good way to use veggies I canned this summer.It was so good and will become a regular recipe in my kitchen.I also made cornbread with corn from the local mill in Plymouth. Since I did not have to leave the house today, I spent the day cooking and working on craft projects.

Local beef and squash

I had wanted to try this meal for a while. This week being so cold seemed like the right time.http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nuevo-chipotle-beef-in-butternut-squash-boats-nuevo-latino-beef-dishes-recipe/index.html this was the winning entry on the food network for a beef cook off. The beef is slow cooked in a flavorful sauce with tomato,vinegar,chipolte,cumin then served over 1 quarter of a roasted butternut squash then topped with tomato and avacado. I thought it had over cooked in the crockpot but it was great and would make again. The beef was local, and the squash and the tomato was a (backyard beauty ) from Maine. This was a very healthy dish and did not feel like healthy food.

Its the New year

We are aiming for a healthy new year here, I have only missed one day of walking since Christmas. Also trying healthier menus, lots of salad and soup. Today we had Ellie kriegers grilled thai beef salad from her book the food you crave, It is a really satisfying salad. I also made homemade clam chowder yesterday. It was from clams Joe dug this summer. This year instead of freezing them raw whole I ground them up and froze them in there juice and also used clam broth I froze from the Qhahogs i cooked for stuffed quahogs. The clams ground up were great no big chewy pieces all small and tender and it tasted very fresh. The potatoes were also local.