One Local Summer week 3 2009

This is weeks local meal: Meatloaf the perfect comfort meal with a salad and asparagus and cranberry sauce. All salad ingredients from our yard.Asparagus Halifax 10 miles, cranberry sauce with cranberries from next door neighbor.The meatloaf was made with local grass fed beef from Dufort farm in Rehoboth about 30 miles,homemade ketchup,local eggs, Oats grown in Maine,green pepper from last year and garlic bought local last fall.Salad dressing was local wine vinegar, olive oil and fresh herbs from my garden.Ingredients used not local:Olive Oil, salt,pepper, and sugar.

a local meal in the winter

Last night we had a couple also interested in eating local over for dinner. We had a beef brisket from Simmons farm in RI. We had mashed potato,maple glazed carrots homemade bread,salad(spinach,micro greens,sprouts,radish,tomato,cucumber) apple crisp with homemade ice cream. Everything was local to New England except for cucumber,condiments and flour. We had great conversations on many food related items, and I think we all learned a few things we had not heard of before. We have been out of the habit of having company over for dinner but will be trying to do more of it in the future.

eat local challenge day 22 (the King and I)

Well today I slipped and had lunch somewhere not in any way considered local. It was raining,I skipped breakfast it was 1 pm and I needed food fast. Not that I am sure it was actually food. I wont tell you where the title tells it all. So i tried to redeem my self at dinner. Homemade whole wheat pasta with sauce. The pasta made from ww flour bought in Maine on vacation along with salt & water. The sauce was made with tomato's from the back yard local onion and garlic and basil from the yard and two tablespoons of heavy cream. I was really surprised by how good the pasta was I really thought it would be terrible. I always buy ww pasta and I like it but I didn't think it work with homemade. A pleasant surprise.

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 9 eat local challenge

Skipped breakfast today. Lunch was pizza on ciabatta bread from the freezer with tomato's basil and cheese, all local . Dinner steamers dug by Joe with butter we didn't bother with sides. We bought chocolate rolls (So Good) from Jenny's bread at the Plymouth farmers market. The market is on the water and it was a beautiful day.Also bought corn,kale and potato's.

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.

day 7 eating local

Yesterday I made enough of everything that we had the same meals today, Sure makes things easy. I have a great stockpile of local food,but I am used to cooking what I am in the mood for or what I have energy to cook. This really takes a lot of planning and you may have a craving but have no substitute to fill it. I will have to get some cider, I forgot about juice for breakfast, I don't know of any local citrus orchards!We usually get a crate of cranberries from our neighbor then I will be able to make cranberry juice. I have been trying to use honey and maple syrup for almost anything I would normally use sugar for, except coffee, it has to be sugar. I canned some spiced apples the other day from apples given to me they came out pretty good, an interesting side dish.I will do a list later of all my canning I did this summer.