Thursday, May 21, 2009

Market to Table - May 21, 2009

With an abundance of red potatoes from the market this week, our meals were definitely following a general theme: 'tater goodness! There were boiled potatoes, steamed potatoes, baked potatoes, and... We'll let's get right to it.

Potato Stir Fry - As usual, just start yanking goodies from the fridge. In this case, it was mushrooms, red potatoes, carrots, arugula, dill, yellow squash, onions, and a few teaspoons of cooked wheat berries (all local so far); and a few teaspoons of black beans (not local). I sauteed all the veggies in olive oil (also from the farmers' market), then added the wheat berries and beans in the last moments to heat through. As much stir fry as I eat, you'd think I'd eventually get tired of it, but when the ingredients change from day to day, it's hard to get bored. And it's wonderful colorful! Other stir fries this week included kale, lambs-quarter, basil, and chard - all from my backyard garden. Mmmm!

Scrambled Eggs and Smashed Potatoes - Thankfully, Dave is a potato lover too and enjoys those "Smashed Potatoes" I've been making lately. I have to admit, they are amazing and addictive (and super easy to make)! Along side a couple scrambled eggs, Dave enjoyed several meals of breakfast-for-dinner this week. And, of course, it was completely local! Sneaky as I am, I also added steamed green beans (from our back yard) to a few of his meals this week as well. I'll make a veggie-lover out of him yet!

Nirvana on a Plate (ok, it's just fruit, but it was awesome) - It's not completely local, but most of it is. That's local blackberries to the right. On the left (check this out): I took two dried dates, sliced them in half and removed the seed from each, then stuffed each with a few flakes of coconut and a couple pecans. The stuffed dates are so chewy and sweet they're like candy (with absolutely no sugar added). Of course, the pecans are local, but the dates and coconut aren't. You just can't beat this combination though. It was inspired by a friend at the farmers' market who is a raw foodie. She's also inspired me to make my own raw trail mixes. This week's mix was texas pecans, dried cranberries (bought at the farmers' market), and some of those coconut flakes. Mmm, mmmm! Snacking never tastes so good!

There's more potatoes to be enjoyed so stayed tuned for local goodies next week. I haven't made potato soup in awhile, and there's always Crunchy Chicken's "snappy salted potatoes"...

Find your local farmers' market, join a CSA, or grow your own - once you discover the wonderful world of local food, eating well takes on a whole new meaning. Happy (and mindful) eating!

10 comments:

ttammylynn said...

Yeah, but tell me bout the peaches...lol. My sis is at the Med, they did a procedure to "open her cervix" and as of 5 am she is on pitocin to get labor going. When the doctor arrives, anytime now, they will likely break her water to ensure delivery today because it puts her on a time limit, she must have the baby by so and so time or they take him by c-section. Anyhow, it is about having a healthy baby so, no one is judging her for being able to have a vaginal birth...or not.

Sam said...

I love the Nirvana on a plate.

I joined a new CSA yesterday, so my food will be growing 16 miles away from me. They deliver which is a huge relief for me.

J said...

I love the idea of your stuffed date. That sounds really good! It IS Nirvana on a Plate.

And your stir-fries, I don't think I could ever get sick of them, they are always different and they always look so simple and tasty, oh my goodness!

hmd said...

Tammy - news of the peaches are coming soon :) Glad to hear your sister is ok. I'll be thinking of you...

Beany - Yeah for the CSA! That's really exciting. Especially the part about delivery!

Jennifer - the dates stuffed with pecans are my personal favorite right now. I swear it tastes like candy but better because I can't handle super sweet things. Mmm. Mmm!

Unknown said...

Hi Heather,
fun food blogger, that´s you.
keep going!
Michael

hmd said...

Thanks Michael. What can I say, I Looooooove food!

ttammylynn said...

How are those peaches? Lol.The kids are trying to get me to make peach cobbler. The rolls you gave me were sooo good. The only regret I have is that I didn't hide them from the kids. Chris and I ate two rolls apiece and went to the hospital(his were toasted with butter and your peach jam). By the time we came home, there were only two rolls left. Thanks for some awesome rolls that quite honestly fed my household last night. I haven't been home much and Chris has taken up several domestic duties because I haven't even cared about food while my sis has been in the hospital(hard to explain) but now the baby is born, so I am hoping that life becomes more normal from here. I am going to try to make it to Market today.
Oh and Kings has blueberries now, it may be time for a roadtrip.

hmd said...

Tammy - the peaches are INCREDIBLE! Glad you ate some of those rolls before you left for the hospital. At least you got to taste them :) And remember, there are plenty more where those came from!

Angela said...

Oh, those blackberrie and the date concoction (Nirvana on a plate- very creative) look SO good!

I joined a CSA this week and it delivers! It is so much fun to try all the new, delicious, and healthy vegetables.

hmd said...

Angela - You're CSA sounds great! I've always been a little envious of all those places that actually deliver. VERY cool!

"Nirvana on a Plate" is as easy is dessert gets. Give it a try. I swear it's just like candy. Mmmm!