Market to Table - October 9, 2008

As I write this, there is a still the faint aroma of homemade soup in the air. For the last few weeks, the veggies from the farmers market (mostly potatoes, onions, spinach, and zucchini) have made some gorgeous stir-fries and I've loved every bite, but it was time for something new. Staring at the veggies in the refrigerator at lunch yesterday (including one last carrot and a few stalks of celery from the grocery), homemade veggie soup was calling to me. It's been a couple months since my last batch and it was time for another. 

I chopped the celery, carrots and sauteed them in my soup pot with some green onion I picked off my back porch. As the veggies began to soften, I added some chopped zucchini and spinach from the farmers market, as well as some parsley and basil also from the back porch. Having routinely saved the stock from steaming green beans for the last few weeks, I had a quart of tasty broth to add. Another quart of water, some salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of local rice finished the job. As the soup simmered, the house was filled with the most beautiful smells. Without tasting, I knew it was perfect (of course, that doesn't mean I didn't have a nibble - ok I had 3 nibbles). A little soup, some of those steamed green beans, and just enough potatoes and onions left for a nice potato salad, and I'll be eating well for the next few days. Mmmm.

Of course, I also had my new favorite this week - homemade canned stewed tomatoes and rice. I'm limiting myself to once a week for this goody since I didn't can nearly enough tomatoes this year, my first year of canning (a mistake I won't be making in year 2 for sure). When we canned them, the tomatoes had cooked with some onion, green pepper, and garlic which makes it hard to not eat them right out of the jar. But mixed with some local rice this meal is on the top of my culinary wish list these days. Magnifico! 

I was pretty bummed that some of the fruits I pulled from the freezer have that "off" taste. I tried to make a compote to see if they were salvageable, but alas, no rescue was in store. Perhaps I'll do more canning next year instead of freezing, or maybe instead I'll just plan on enjoying as much of the fruit as I can while it's in season (and making plenty of jam with the extras) and allow the seasons to tend to my hunger for fruit as I do for the most part with veggies - tomatoes of course, being the exception. Anyone want to start placing bets on how many jars I can next year?

Most of the fruits I'm eating these days didn't come from this area, but I've refused to buy anything that isn't from the US. Of course, you never know. Maybe those Australian organic apples have less of an impact on the earth than the ones from right here in the US, but how do we know? Tempering my not-so-local fruits at breakfast, I've been enjoying local almonds - one of my favorite nuts (that's excluding the ones in my family).

We're finishing the last of my 100% whole wheat bread and rolls (non-local but made from scratch) as sandwiches featuring a few local goodies like spinach and onion. I haven't baked bread in weeks and am looking forward to the next batch. That new garden isn't the only thing therapeutic here at the SGF house. There's just something about the feel of bread dough, its miraculous rise, and the way the house smells as it bakes to perfection. Hmmm. A little bread with some of that soup might be nice. 

So that's a little of what's been on the table this week. As fall progresses, and the temperatures continue to drop little by little, I look forward to all the wonderful meals that eating locally will inspire. As always...

Happy (and mindful) eating!