Tapping at home!
Last year around this time, I did a post about how pothole season means maple syrup season around these parts. You can check that out if you’d like more information about the nuts-and-bolts of maple sugaring (in NH, sugar is a verb!).
Meanwhile, though, if you live in or around NH, I’d encourage you to check out your local sugar house this weekend during NH’s Maple Producer open houses.
Mmmmmmm…
Posted in Around the Lakes Region, Food Adventures, For Fun, Local Food, eat local, maple sugar, seasonal eating | 1 Comment »
I’m not sure what’s going on this winter with the old blog here. I have limited motivation for posting, but we really are eating very well from our freezer and pantry. It’s this time of year that I really feel good about all that work I did over the summer and fall to can and freeze. Even though it’s March and lots of people are talking about Spring, we’re still months away from fresh, locally grown foods.
Lest you think we’ve been slacking, here are a few meals we’ve enjoyed, mostly from local ingredients.
I’ve discovered Vermont Smoke and Cure Pepperoni. What better to do than try it on a pizza?
I prefer a crust that’s crispier more than deep-dish, but this was yummy, nevertheless.
Local: pepperoni, frozen tomato sauce, Cabot cheese. Not-so-local: crust ingredients, mushrooms.
Then, there was this little beauty:
A sirloin from Rock Farm, cooked rare and served with super-tender parsleyed potatoes I picked up at the Seacoast Eat Local farmer’s market on Saturday.
The meat looks super-rare in the photo. It wasn’t quite as bloody as it looks! Along with this meal we enjoyed a salad with FRESH GREENS! from the farmer’s market. Heaven.
Local: sirloin, potatoes, Cabot butter, greens. Not-so-local: parsley, cucumber, carrot, salt and pepper.
The FRESH GREENS! have shown up in meals all week.
Tonight, it was alongside some mini-frittatas.
Quite yummy!
Local: eggs, milk, FRESH GREENS!, bread. Not-so-local: salami, parmesean, cucumbers, carrots, cranberries, S&P.
The farmer’s market was great. In addition to the FRESH GREENS! I scored some chorizo and a ten pound bag of fresh Atlantic shrimpies, now stashed in the freezer. I’m wondering if most people cook these and then pop the heads and shells off, or peeel ‘em before cooking? Ali? What’s your advice?
Finally, we’ve been eating home-made desserts, too. I made a batch of vanilla ice cream that we ate with this heavenly thing, and now we’re enjoying it with apple/peach crisp made from fruit I froze this summer.
All’s well!
Posted in Cooking, Dark Days Eat Local Challenge, Local Food, eat local, seasonal eating | 10 Comments »
While I endeavored to find lots of local spring foods in Southern California, I didn’t get to a farmer’s market at all. I did check out a few great Latin supermarkets and stocked up on cool spice blends. And, we passed by this sign
and stopped for some fresh berries grown just feet from the stand. They were mahvelous!
Our travels took us to Palm Springs, past the giant windfarm on I-10.
We drove northwest to Joshua Tree National Park.
The weather was fabulous, not too hot, and a little bit breezy.
One day we drove to the coast and hung out in Carlsbad.
These folks were having a fabulous time.
We also ignored the State Department’s warning about Americans traveling to Mexcio, and spent a day in Tijuana.
We enjoyed some of the local cuisine.
Having lived in southern Arizona for several years, we’re familiar with border towns and the haggling and shopping. I have to say, due partly, I’m sure to the California economy, and largely due to the warning, the place was dead. I really felt for the vendors who had only about fifteen Americans to choose from that day. Tijuana, contrary to popular opinion and my expectations, was quite clean, pleasant and friendly.
I hope they can survive the current climate.
We’re back to the snow and ice, hoping that March turns quickly into a lamb.
Posted in Travel | 1 Comment »
Returning from the warm, sunny West Coast to another 8 inch snowstorm was not pleasant.
Having a snow day to simmer ham and beans on the stove, was quite pleasant! Although, I do realize that some of you are now able to get things like strawberries and asparagus and green stuff, oh my!
Although pleasant to eat, this is not a very photogenic meal!
Warm and yummy on a snowy day.
Posted in Cooking, Dark Days Eat Local Challenge, Local Food, eat local, seasonal eating | 5 Comments »
This week’s meal was an easy one, and a great example of freezer shopping.
I walked down cellar Sunday morning and took these pork chops out of our freezer – shopping done!
We grilled the boneless chops (we grill year round, snow be damned) and roasted some red potatoes from Maine. I could have easily added some green beans or squash from the freezer, too, but we had a little bit of salad left from the week before (not local).
Note: I’m in Inland Southern California this week, so I will try to post a local meal we eat there for next week. I’ve been disappointed by my ability to find local foods in that area of the state, but I’ll do my best to get to a market!
Posted in Cooking, Dark Days Eat Local Challenge, eat local | 3 Comments »
Our dinner for this week is a hybrid of local, frozen food and some pantry staples: tortilla soup.
First, the local stuff: chicken, chicken stock, frozen summer corn, onions, Vermont cheese
From the pantry: one can of black beans, tortilla chips, and this soup mix (that’s right, I said soup mix):
I LOVE this soup mix. It has all-natural ingredients:
There’s no salt added. The stuff tastes good. It’s super easy to make. I add my own stock, meat and some vegetables…yum!!!
Also, I had some help while cooking.
Posted in Cooking, Dark Days Eat Local Challenge, Dogs, Local Food, Pantry Raid | 2 Comments »
I’ve got the cold that’s been swirling around school (just in time for the weekend!). But, at least I’ve got some yummy food, since this is definitely the “stuff it” kind of cold (vs. the “starve it”).
Lemony Maine shrimp with freezer green beans and brown rice.
Surprise! No beef in this week’s meal. AND, it didn’t take four hours to prepare!
I roasted the green beans with a little olive oil and S&P. Meanwhile, I sauteed a clove of garlic in a little butter and some lemon olive oil carried from CA. Then I added the sweet little shrimpies and cooked them just until they were hot through.
The shrimp and pan juices were great on the brown rice!
And now, back to bed with another shot of Nyquil.
Posted in Cooking, Dark Days Eat Local Challenge, Local Food, eat local, seasonal eating | 4 Comments »
My egg store. Sandwich, NH.
Fresh eggs. Self-serve (write your name in the log and deposit cash in the box).
Make your own change.
Open 24-hours.
Posted in Around the Lakes Region, Food Adventures, For Fun, Local Food, New Hampshire, eat local | 4 Comments »
I just haven’t put anything up here. I missed this week’s Dark Days update, but I already have stuff in the works for the next couple of weeks.
Meanwhile, here’s how we’ve been spending our weekends. Conditions have been fabulous for snowshoeing this year, and it wears the little bugger out!
Off Sandwich Notch Road, Beede Falls/Cow Cave parking lot. Sandwich, NH
One of the aforementioned Cow Caves.
Wait for me!
Posted in Around the Lakes Region, Dogs, New Hampshire | 3 Comments »
In the interest of fairness, I feel compelled to link here to Marion Nestle’s reaction to the recent news of mercury in high-fructose corn syrup
Posted in Food Politics, Thoughts | 5 Comments »
