light summer meal

I really did not feel like dinner tonight with the heat.I made a fritatta so if it wasnt eaten we could have it for breakfast.I used a zucchini that was given to us some fresh spring onions from the Plymouth farmers market some fresh oregano and basil from the garden, fresh eggs from the market some hard cheese from naragansett creamery(Atwells Gold) I use this cheese like parmesean and some leftover rice.The perfect light summer meal.Trying to use zucchini more than just in bread. I did see a zucchini marmalade recipe that peaked my interest today so you may see that here soon.

getting back in to the swing of things

I am trying to get back to showing our local eating on a more regualr basis.Tonights is not totally local but it is close.We had meatloaf that i used all local ingredients except a yellow pepper,our salad was one we had years ago at Alforno in Rhode Island.Shavings of raw summer squash with raw corn, shavings of parmesean ( I used Naragansett creamery's Atwells gold) with lemon and olive oil. and rice that of course was not local.Try making the salad it is really great, fresh and crunchy.

9/21/2009 a few local treats

This week I made a gingered squash soup with anadama bread from jenny's bread at the farmers market.We also had steamers dug by Joe.The funny looking vegetable is Brazilian eggplant.The skin was tough and the eggplant was on the bitter side.Looked better than it tasted.Finally a good batch of mozzarella and I smoked it after it dried on the counter for a while. I found these great smoke cones at Aubochon hardware that you can cold smoke with.I haven't tasted it yet but it smelled good. I made 4 pints of kosher dills from the garden and froze some tomatoes that i blanched peeled and seeded. I also made some new pickles.The ones like you get with deli sandwiches that are still white inside, my favorite.

preserving 2009/ dilly beans

Today I canned 5 pints of Dilly beans with my own homegrown green beans. The only other thing I have preserved this year so far are strawberries about 6 quarts and some rhubarb. I went down to the cellar to see what is left from previous years. There are lots of pickles,beets,mustard pickles and corn relish. I will need to make bread and butter pickles and more ketchup and relish. I also will need to can more salsa, it seems a lot of things I can take me about 2 years to finish. I guess from now on I should take count of what is left before I plant so I do not plant more than I need. I also need to get better about using what I have canned.We made a lot of vegetable soup this winter with the veggies I canned and It was delicious.Our nephew gave us two huge chickens he raised this year can't wait to try one.

Eat local challenge day 29

Were in the homestretch and I think I did better than I thought i would. I was talking to a friend today while I was making bread. She said If she had homemade bread she would eat it till it was all gone. Normally I would say the same except during the challenge I cannot go out and buy a loaf that is as local as mine since I was able to buy whole wheat flour in Maine. So I am more prudent with it knowing I have to make the next loaf. Breakfast was my homemade granola with all local ingredients,Oats from Maine,dried cranberries from Plymouth and honey from our yard. Lunchwas ww bread with a tomato from our garden, they are ripening on the windowsill, Bacon from dinner the other night and local cheddar cheese,(smiths). Dinner was mashed potatoes and green beans from Frietas farm Middleboro, my own cranberry sauce made with berries from our neighbor and Meatloaf, beef from Codman farm In Lincoln, Oats from Maine, tomato sauce from out tomatoes, local onions,green pepper,garlic and egg.

eat local challenge day 26

Cant believe it is day 26 of the 2008 eat local challenge.Today's lunch was roasted veggie sandwiches with homemade coleslaw. All local ingredients except oil & mayo. Most of the veg tables were from Freitas farm in Middleboro, bought at the farmers market. the cheeses on the sandwiches were smoked gouda from Smith farm Massachusetts and mozzarella from maplebrook farm, Bennington Vt. Dinner was Italian sausages with onions &peppers, coleslaw and corn on the cob. Veggies from Freitas farm and sausages from Blood Farm in Groton Ma. Oil and mayo non local ingredients. I also made more whole wheat bread today with whole wheat flour bought in Maine on vacation.

eat local challenge day 21

Day 21, wow I am tired this eat local challenge involves so much planning.Breakfast was goodies at rug hooking. Lunch Joe had the leftover pot roast and I had local made hummus on whole wheat bread with homemade pickles. Dinner was buffalo chicken sausages (Alfresco foods) made in Massachusetts , although I have no idea where there ingredients come from. I know lazy cop out. We also had local potatoes roasted in olive oil and smoked sea salt from Maine. It is like having bbq. The Indian pudding finally finished cooking, I didn't think it would ever be done. Well time to start planning Wednesdays meals.

eat local challenge day 20

Today was simple skipped breakfast, lunch was chili from the next door neighbor, I consider that local!, and homemade bread all local ingriedients. Dinner was the leftovers from last nights pot roast and we will be having that again tomorrow. I did add homemade with local veggie coleslaw and homemade cranberry sauce. The cranberries come from the bog next door. I also made indian pudding, local cornmeal, milk, eggs and molasses bought on vacation in Virginia.So not local items today would be mayonaise, spices,sugar.

eat local challenge day 18

Lunch /breakfast fried eggs and homemade bread, with local made strawberry rhubarb jam. The bread used ww flour from Maine with cornmeal from the Plymouth gristmill. Dinner was pot roast with potato's and parsnips and carrots. All local. I had a lot of winter squash to put away for winter and I was told to wash it with a mild solution of water& bleach(1tsp per gallon) this kills any bacteria so your squash will last longer. They say a dry 50 degree spot is perfect so I will store them in the cellar. Last year I had one squash we had in June and was still perfect.

Eat local challenge day 18

Today I made Homemade granola oats from Maine, our honey and dried cranberries from a farm less then 20 miles away. I also made homemade bread, I used ww flour we bought in Maine that was grown there on vacation, cornmeal from Jenny's Gristmill in Plymouth and our honey. Lunch was leftover roasted veggie sandwiches from yesterday and leftover vegetable soup. Dinner was Local Italian sausage( blood farm Groton) with peppers and onions over baked potato. all the veggies local. Also a salad of tomato's and lettuce and basil from the back yard with homemade dressing, used red wine vinegar from a friend that he made with his own homemade wine. They forcasted frost last night so I am covering the tomato's with sheets at night so they will continue to ripen on the vine, it took all summer and they are finally ripening. We also had local cocktails, Hurricane rum from Nantucket with local warmed apple cider. The amount of planning trying to do all local is very time consuming but a great challenge for using what you have. Soup is a good item because you can make a lot of soups with the local food available to us.

eat local challenge day 17

Breakfast was a roll from jennys bread bought at Thursdays Plymouth farmers market. Lunch homeade vegtable soup with extra garlic and hot pepper, all veggies local only items not local was olive oil and spices. Joe has a cold so I made extra spicy to help clear his sinus congestion. Dinner was homemade cauliflower soup ( In my head it sounded good, not so much) but Joe liked it and with it we had roasted eggplant,roasted red pepper on bread from the farmers market with mozzerella and broiled. Very good, the mozzella from maplebrook farms Bennington Vt. all veggies from the farmers market.

eat local challenge day 16

I do not remember what breakfast was but lunch was a greek salad with all ingriedients local except oil. The feta cheese is from naragansett creamery in Rhode Island,cows milk feta in a sea salt brine. We had this with homeade ww bread. Dinner was A mini clambake, steamers dug by Joe with potatoes corn and chorico all local.

eat local challenge day 15

Today Breakfast was homemade whole wheat toast(wheat grown in Maine) with homemade beach plum jelly. Lunch we had soup left over from previous meals this week. Dinner was a turkey pot pie form Bongi's turkey farm, I would guess that only the turkey was local. We had local brussell sprouts with dried cranberries (from Plymouth), homemade cranberry jell (cranberries from the bog next door, and mashed potatoes also local, Freitas farm Middleboro. The perfect comfort meal.

eat local challenge day 13

Skipped breakfast again, bad habit. for lunch we had leftover kale soup. I did some unplanned fall cleaning today, you know how you clean one thing and then the next thing you know your tearing a whole room apart. So dinner was burgers at charlie horse. Probably not a local ingredients, but they do have solar power, compostable takeout containers.

Day 11 eat local challenge

Today I pulled up the bean plants but I still have tomato's coming although I don't think many will ripen, except the cherry tomato's. Two plant's and they just keep on coming. I like to roast them. I toss them with olive oil, garlic and herbs and roast tham at 400 for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally, then I freeze them in two cup portions for pasta or pizza topping. You can also use the immersion blender if you think the tomato skins are to tough. I made a green tomato pie for dessert I will tell you later how it came out. Breakfast was oatmeal with Grandy oats grown in Maine, bought on vacation with apples from friends and our honey. Lunch was a truly lazy local meal, corn on the cob. Dinner was Fried Clams dug by Joe. The cornmeal was from the gristmill in Plymouth I believe the grains were from New york, homemade coleslaw with local cabbage and onions and carrots mayo not local,and homemade tarter sauce . I guess I need to add mayo as an exception. I know I could make it but the oil would not be local so why bother.Joe went to a friends today and they sent home a bag of what I think is Australian spinach. We had bought spinach at the farmers market this summer and when I got it home it was thick leaves with a slight fuzz so I was not sure if it was really spinach but it was good. So I investigated online today and came to the conclusion that it is Australian spinach. I love free food!!

eat local challenge day 10

We still had many clams left from Joe's trip clamming on Wednesday so steamers for dinner again tonight. Lunch was pizza on cibatta bread same as yesterday. I went to the grocery store for a few things,coffee filters,sponges,crackers I came home with just what was on my list(this is unheard of) only eating locally this month leaves very little that can be bought at the store. I will miss the farmers markets once the end of the month comes.The farmers market I go to every week is in Plymouth mass, it will end the last Thursday of October they also have one on Saturday mornings. I assume all other local markets will stop about the same time. I have quite a great stash of local food in the freezer and canned but I will miss the market. Last year they had a Winter farmers market in Providence, Hopefully this will happen again and will have more vendors.

day 8 eat local challenge.

breakfast oats from Maine with apples and maple syrup all local. Lunch was out at a small locally owned cafe with my mom, great pumpkin soup. This was after pedicures and a little shopping. Dinner was homemade meatballs with gravy, brussell sprouts and roasted potato's everything grown local.Joe went clamming today so guess what's on tomorrows menu.