My Eating Locally Project 2015: February
Well, life kinda got in the way this month with illness and travel playing rather large parts. So, my shopping month was a bit more truncated than I would’ve liked. But, one must roll with the (figurative) punches.
I really stayed with three places in February: Springdale Farm, Boggy Creek Farm, and SFC Downtown Farmers Market.
There wasn’t a whole lot new this month. The winter produce is still coming in: root vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, dark greens, lettuces, and citrus. I’m certainly not complaining; I love my winter produce. But, I will say, I am looking forward to what the spring will be bringing.
I did expand a bit beyond just produce and bought some amazing meats and eggs. The meats were definitely splurge items. But, given the flavor and quality, the occasional outlay is worth it.
Wed., Feb 4.
For my first forays into the new month, I decided on two old familiars, Boggy Creek and Springdale Farms. I not only love both these places for the obvious reasons – fresh organic produce, fresh eggs & dairy, locally made products, homemade treats – but also for the quiet they offer in a city growing way too fast.
My first stop was Boggy Creek Farm. Along with the produce, I stretched myself this time and splurged on some excellent lamb chops and eggs.
My next destination was Springdale Farm. I didn’t buy quite as much there. They did have garlic chives again, though. Yea!
Even if I don’t buy much, I love to simply go to the farm and look around. It’s a great place to simply look at the farm, the chickens, and the yard art and meditate a little.
One of the other delights at Springdale is Eden East Restaurant. It’s a reservation-only, weekend-only restaurant. They use only locally sourced ingredients in their dishes. As a result, no menu is the same week-to-week.
Admittedly, I haven’t eaten there yet. I’ve promised myself that I’ll make reservations for Husband & me soon. I know people who have eaten there and they all say the same thing – it’s an incredible experience.
By the way, it’s BYOB.
Sat., Feb. 14
In anticipation of Husband Steve coming home from a business trip, I headed out to the Downtown Farmers Market to stock up on a few groceries for the weekend.
It was still chilly, but certainly warmer than my last visit in January. At least none of the vendors looked like they were going to freeze.
And, dinner that night…
Wed., Feb, 25
For my final shopping trip, I went back to the old reliables, Boggy Creek and Springdale. A lovely day, weather-wise, it was not. Every time I stepped out of the car it seemed to be colder.
My first stop this time was Springdale. They were bringing everything back into the farm stand from under a tent in the yard. I guess they just finished a cooking demo or a photo shoot.
As Paula and I were talking about the chickens, I told her that I could watch them for hours. She replied, “We have them for three reasons: eggs, fertilizer, and as the entertainment committee.”
Excellent.
After Springdale, I headed the roughly half mile over the Boggy Creek. While I didn’t take any photos in the farm stand that day, I did do some wandering around the grounds and took some there.
And, so… On to March.
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As promised in January, here are two recipes using ingredients that I bought at the markets and stands this month.
Shrimp, cauliflower, ginger, garlic, and lime all have a natural flavor affinity with each other. So, I came up with this dish. If you don’t have garlic chives, just substitute 2 – 3 cloves of minced garlic and add it to the skillet when you saute the ginger and shallot.
Apologies for the lack of pictures with this recipe. The taking of photos was pretty much an afterthought that night. Not sure why.
Shrimp & Romanesco
4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 head Romanesco, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 c. water or broth
1 tbsp. ginger, minced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 lb. large shrimp, peeled & deveined
2 tbsp. garlic chives
Lime juice to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste
1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, saute the Romanesco for 5 minutes. Add the water or broth, cover the skillet, lower the heat to medium, and steam the Romanesco until it is slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. Take the cover off the skillet and continue cooking until the Romanesco has started to brown in spots. Take it out of the skillet and set aside.
3. Turn the heat back up to medium-high, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil to the skillet and heat. Saute the ginger and shallot until the shallot is soft, 2 – 3 minutes.
4. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are opaque and pink, about 7 – 10 minutes.
Add back in the Romanesco, chives, lime juice, and salt & pepper. Cook another 2 – 3 minutes. taste for seasoning.
Serve with white or brown rice.
This is a recipe that is a nod to my German half.
Again, looking at flavor affinities, apples, carrots, and cabbage all work well together. The anise of the caraway and tang of the vinegar are what gives this dish its German pedigree.
Plus, this slaw is great with pork. Very German.
Warm Cabbage & Apple Slaw
4 tbsp. butter or grapeseed oil
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
1 small Savoy cabbage, about 1 lb., shredded (in this example, I have 2 heads. They were very small and added up to 1 lb. together)
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/4’s, and sliced into 1/4″ thick slices
1 lg. carrot, grated
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, or to taste
salt & pepper to taste
1. In a large skillet, either melt the butter or heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the caraway seeds and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
2. Add the cabbage, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook until the cabbage is slightly wilted, about 7 – 10 minutes.
3. Add the apples, carrot, apple cider vinegar, and a good pinch of pepper. Cook until the cabbage and apples are soft but still has some bite. Taste for seasoning.