Aaah, home cooking. I missed you so... Though I’ll admit, this week we’ve done you wrong somewhat. We’ve had so much going on in the way of work that backed up while I was gone, that our meals have been less than stunning. But they were still our meals, and for that they were good.
Recap.
Nine weeks ago we made some rules for Urban Hennery’s Dark Days Eat Local challenge. Essentially they are: Eat 90% Local, 50-100% from the garden, 7 days a week. (Exceptions are coffee and wheat products.) For one of those meals we have to eat 90% from our garden (no exceptions). We gave ourselves some leeway for the holidays, but hoped we would still be able to eat locally.
Notes.
As I mentioned last week, while I was in Seattle eating cafeteria food and in Eastern Washington eating hotel/convention food, I had a tough time eating locally-sourced food. Whenever I could, I ate seasonally and I ate what I thought might be growing locally (though of course you never know where that broccoli came from and when). Hopefully I’ll be forgiven for the greater good of that trip. Boy I sure longed for straight-up, whole grain, non-processed, fully flavored food!!
Sampling.
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MONDAY
Pictured: First night back home, we had a quick and easy dinner. Our harvest was our first head of Broccoli di Chicco and a Yellowstone, a Belgian white, and three purple dragon carrots. Our dinner was raw veggies (aka crudites), garage-ripened Early Girl tomatoes, local mozzarella, and local bread topped with non-local olive oil.
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TUESDAY
Pictured: Pizza! Homemade crust, sauce made with garage-ripened tomatoes from the garden and local garlic, and local mozzarella.
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WEDNESDAY
Pictured: A tradition in my family is cold pizza for breakfast. Don’t worry, I had my breakfast in courses: first the pizza, then the local yoghurt (with ground cherries from the garden) and organic, fair trade, shade grown, locally roasted coffee.
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THURSDAY
Pictured: Our harvest was five Early Girl, one San Marzano, and six cherry tomatoes, three little green peppers that survived the frosts (!), three scallions, five yellowstone carrots and one tiny Danvers carrot. Our dinner was local eggs scrambled with local cheese and the tomatoes, green peppers, and scallions. With a side of carrots and local wine. Oh, and homemade bread for the first time in two weeks - isn’t it pretty?!
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FRIDAY
Pictured: Our harvest was eight Green Zebra and two San Marzano tomatoes that survived the frosts, one English Breakfast radish, a head of Brocolli di Chicco, a Danvers carrot (I think), yellowstone carrot, and two purple dragon carrots. Our dinner was raw vegetables (so amazingly tasty!), with local wine and grilled cheese sandwiches made with homemade bread and local cheese.
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SATURDAY
Pictured: Breakfast. Peach jam given to us in a gift exchange at a holiday party. Homemade bread, local yoghurt with sliced ground cherries, and organic fair trade shade grown locally roasted espresso.
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SUNDAY
Pictured: Breakfast. Local oatmeal, homemade bread with local butter and jam made by a friend. And - er - non-local paper.
