Eat Local Challenge: Week 4
Rain, rain, go away…
Even with all of the gray days, it’s easy to get excited about the local food scene as more and more vegetables are showing up in our CSA boxes and at the markets.
What did you do with your local food for the Eat Local Challenge this week? Leave a reply and let us know!
HOT ITEMS OF THE WEEK:
- asparagus (Sadly, I think the end is near for this star veggie. However, we are on the cusp of maximum bounty for so many other items!)
- strawberries
- greens (I think they’re looking especially beautiful this year. The silver lining to those dark clouds perhaps?)
ON THE MENU:
Day 1
Grilled cheese on the grill with side of asparagus:
- loaf of ciabatta bread (Gemelli’s)
- olive oil
- mozzarella and muenster cheeses (Meyer Dairy)
- one tomato
- handful of chopped basil
Start grill and set burners on low. Slice ciabatta bread in half (like you’re making a sandwich). Brush inside with olive oil and place on grill face down until crisp. Add cheese to both sides of the sandwich and place tomatoes in the middle. Put the sandwich together and brush the outside with olive oil. Close the grill lid and let it grill for about 5 minutes on each side. Check to make sure cheese is warm and melted, open the sandwich and throw on the basil and let warm on the grill a few more minutes.
While the sandwich is cooking, grill asparagus with a little olive oil and kosher salt along side.
Day 2
Meatloaf, smashed potatoes & snap peas and garlic scapes
- Best Meatloaf recipe from momswhothink.com (Katie substituted scallions for onions and also added garlic scapes and basil to the meatloaf mix)
- Smashed potatoes:
- red potatoes from CSA box (Village Acres)
- butter
- sour cream
- kosher salt
- fresh ground pepper
Boil red potatoes for about 15 to 20 minutes on medium-high heat. Drain them and smashed with a large fork. Add about 1/2 cup of sour cream and two tablespoons of butter. Continue smashing to desired consistency. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper to taste.
- Sauteed snap peas and garlic scapes:
- snap peas from CSA box (Village Acres)
- garlic scapes from CSA box
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- kosher salt
Saute cleaned snap peas and chopped garlic scapes in 1 tbsp olive oil for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste snap peas to check if they’re done to your liking, we like ours still crunchy. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
Day 3
Gluten free pasta with local asparagus and Three Belle garlic goat cheese.
- Asparagus was sauteed with Tait Farm garlic scape pesto.
- Served with Tait greens and local strawberries.
Day 4
I have been making these potatoes for years (based loosely on one of my favorite menu items from Adam’s Mountain Cafe in Manitou Springs, CO). I forgot about them until the recipe for Pizza Potatoes showed up in my Google Reader from Whole Foods last week. How excited I was to make these with my very last jar of roasted vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers frozen from last year’s CSA bounty) and new vegetables from this year!
Day 5
Straw and Hay Fettuccine Tangle from Super Natural Cooking
Talk about kid friendly! What could be cooler than “gross green pasta?” Blend local spinach and asparagus and other goodies in a food processor, serve over fresh pasta, and there you go! I served this with Tait Farm hummus wrapped in the most beautiful red leafed lettuce I have ever seen (purchased at the Tait Farm stand at Friday’s market in State College).
Day 6
Grilled steak and sides
- Grilled Delmonico steaks from Blue Rooster Farms
- Sides steamed in parchment paper: add couscous, sugar snap peas, radishes and onions (farmers market) to parchment paper, add a pat of butter and a tablespoon of water. Roll the parchment paper and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes in 400 degree oven.
Day 7
Black bean tacos with swiss chard and spices
- Prepared my swiss chard (and beet greens) from Village Acres my usual way. Mixed it with organic black beans and cumin, paprika, and salt.
- Filled organic hard taco shells with the green/bean mixture and sliced avocado, brown rice, salad greens, local herb/garlic cheese and salsa. My little man requested a third helping and to pack this for lunch at school the next day. I declare this meal a winner!
This entry was posted on Monday, June 22nd, 2009 at 12:33 pm and is filed under Eat Local Challenge, Farm, Food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
