Egg white omelet made with local eggs and stuffed with goat cheese, and Great Harvest bread smothered in Martha Stamps' blackberry preserves. With a side of Bongo Java joe.
Happy Saturday, all!
UPDATE: I don't recommend egg whites and goat cheese. I used it because I had it but I don't like it. I'm gonna eat it because I don't want to waste it, but I'm not really going to enjoy it. Breakfast fail.
Today, I had two different people ask me how the Eat Local Challenge was going. With one person, we discussed how the eating local movement has people reverting to the 1920s, pre-superstore, pre-mass production. We discussed the practicalities of the project and the role of big business in providing Americans what they need. With the second, I discussed how the Challenge has made me reevaluate what I value and what I think my individual role in my local economy should be.
Both conversations have really made me think, though I don't think I have reached a conclusion yet. There's still almost a week left in this month. Still time for me to decide how I really feel about all the effort that goes into eating locally. Until then, I do still have to eat.
I have noticed with this challenge that I have not been to the grocery store in weeks. Ok, I've picked up a few things here and there from Whole Foods, but I have not bought staples. I can't even tell you the last time I bought a carton of milk. So, my local dinners have been interesting combinations, that's for sure.
Tonight's was no exception. I had lots of pasta leftover from earlier this week and veggies that were about to reach their prime in the crisper. So I threw together whatever I had, including what I thought was leftover pulled pork from the freezer. Turns out it was a chicken breast, which actually turned out to be better than the pulled pork would've been.
In a pan on the stove, I threw in squash (the variety that's half squash/half zucchini with a clever name that I can't remember...), purple onion, tomato, yellow corn, and the chicken. I used little seasoning, mostly because I couldn't figure out what to use. I cooked it all in olive oil, sprinkled in some garlic powder and thyme, then added a dash of soy sauce to the chicken. All the natural flavors shown through and it was pretty delicious! I'm actually kind of proud of myself. Easy, healthy, and local (mostly, except for the chicken). I'll have to remember this recipe for the future. Glad I have leftovers for tomorrow!
Today is Wednesday, which means yesterday was Tuesday, which means I stocked up on fresh veggies from the 12th South Farmers Market. I made connections with a few of the vendors, including The Goat Cheese Man and Foxy Baking Co., who groaned in disappointment at herself for not having any zucchini bread to offer me. (On my first trip to the market, during Week 1 of the challenge, I bought a mini loaf of her fresh-baked zucchini bread. As a lover of all things “autumn spicey” or pumpkin-flavored, which this loaf hinted at, I couldn’t wait for my next trip to the market to get another. I even posted about it on her Facebook page. Then I got sick and had to miss a market day, so by the time I approached the Foxy tent yesterday, I was ready.
Then she groaned. Then she told me zucchini is almost out of season. Then I got sad. Then I realized, why stop with zucchini bread? So I bought an adorable 5” bacon-and-onion quiche. I figured the portion would be just right for my breakfast for the next day or so. Delicious! Enough to be filling but light enough not to weigh me down so early in the morning.
Tonight, I had a meeting at Panera, which I do not count as “local” so I drank some coffee and anxiously awaited coming home to my produce.
I had bought a 2 (or was it 4?) oz. serving of fettuccine noodles from Alfresco Pasta, freshly-made, flash-frozen, whole-wheat pasta. Only $2 for 1 serving, which made 2 portions for me. The frozen noodles did cook quickly (only 3-4 minutes) but were too long; I like to break my noodles up to take smaller bites.
I cooked the noodles and added yellow squash, eggplant, bell pepper and purple onion and topped it off with goat cheese feta, all from the market. I think my meal would’ve been better with fresh garlic but I used what I had. I also think it needed a fresh caprese salad to finish it off, but overall, not a bad dinner (and leftover lunch the next day!).
Fettuccine with local veggies and feta, with a glass of Malbec.
I liked the noodles because they really did taste fresh and “wheaty” without the stiff almost corrugated feeling of most dried whole wheat pasta. $2 for 2 servings isn’t bad, but the same price gets you a lot more dried noodles...an eat local conundrum.
Why haven’t I been going to the market all summer? This could’ve been great! Well, now I know, and now I can start to build relationships and can continue to take advantage of this until winter, when I’ll go back to eating leftover Thanksgiving casseroles my grandma sends home with me. Maybe I’ll look into a winter CSA, but I bet it’s chock full of cabbage which i can’t stand. :p
I haven't been doing a very good job of eating local lately. Actually, I haven't done a very good job of eating at all lately. I have been sick, which makes it hard to want to eat, much less want to think about what to eat that sources locally. But, since most of what is in my pantry and fridge is left over from last week's market runs, I'd say I did OK. Now I'm just worried that the things I haven't used up yet will go unused and will then be wasted. Ah, I guess there is no perfect answer...
Last week, I mentioned being frustrated by this whole experiment. A member of the Eat Local Challenge Facebook group (that creator Mary established as a virtual support group) reminded me that I need not try to change the world in a day. It's OK to step back and take it little by little. A lifestyle change does not happen overnight, and so I need to be at peace with myself if I mess up. I just need to pick up and try again tomorrow.
She said it best, "Do what you're capable of without losing the passion that motivated you in the first place." And already I feel better.
Now, if only I can apply that train of thought to other aspects of my life...
This is going to be a candid post: It is not even the end of the first week yet, and I am already encountering a problem. I am already tired of eating squash, cucumbers, and goat cheese. Maybe it's my own fault for not buying more things at once, but I'm trying to only buy as needed. So, that leaves me with limited options. And now it's lunchtime and I'm hungry, and I don't know what to eat. I am frustrated. And kinda cranky.
One of my favorite things to eat in the summer time is cucumber sandwiches, you know the ones descended from English tea time? Thinly sliced cucumbers stuck between 2 pieces of wheat bread with cream cheese?
Today I made my Eat Local Challenge version: yesterday's ballerina cucumbers with Cherry Berry Chevre on sliced baguettes from Provence.
Pretty good and refreshing and, consequently, inexpensive. The whole baguette was $1.99, the cucumber was $.33, and the goat cheese was the most expensive at $6/tub. Although because I also bought a tub of feta, I saved $2.
So far I'm less than impressed with what I threw together for supper, but I am using up my fresh, local ingredients so I am at least proud of myself for that.
Stay tuned for more menus!
Yesterday, I visited the 12th South Farmers Market. This evening it was the Local Summer Night Fair at Whole Foods in Green Hills. Thanks to my friend Christian for shopping with me and encouraging me to make it out to Whole Foods tonight! I stocked up on tomatoes, yellow squash, and goat cheese at the 12th South market. Tonight I came home with fresh basil (a gift from one of the vendors), blackberries that I've already eaten almost all of, ballerina cucumbers, peaches 'n' cream corn, and a fresh hot pepper. On first glance, none of it goes together. And other than using the corn and pepper to make some salsa, I have no plans for the rest of it.
I had planned to come home and roast the squash, tomatoes, and some red potatoes I bought inside Whole Foods. But, by the time I got home, it was late, I was really hot, and I was too hungry to wait for veggies to be roasted. So I heated up a leftover burger, topped it with some sliced cheddar, and whipped up my own Greek salad with the tomato, cuke, basil, and goat milk feta.
Homemade Greek salad with only local ingredients
When I visited Greece about five summers ago, Greek salads like this were our comfort foods in a strange, hot land. Tonight's was no different. I am now full, refreshed, and proudly supporting my local farmers. Day 3 of the Eat Local Challenge goes down as a success!
Last week, I accepted the Eat Local Challenge, created by Nashville farmers marketer, Mary. In this challenge, Mary encouraged participants to "eat locally" during the month of August, meaning buying food that is sourced from only as far away as 150 miles. Her goal is to support the local economy and engage the community in local farmers markets, while examining our dependence on oil for transporting food.
Mary has started a support group of sorts on Facebook and has asked participants to document their struggles, discoveries, recipes, etc. And so, I will be documenting mine here, where I am already writing about eating.
Today at lunch, I posted this on Twitter: To begin my version of the#eatlocalchallengeI am eating things in my fridge that are gonna go bad.
So that is what I did, because I figure it is just as wasteful to throw things away as it is to truck them in from across the country. Tomorrow, I plan to hit up the 12 South Farmers Market for a few more items to mix in with the rest of my leftovers, and Wednesday I want to go to the Local Summer Night Fair at Whole Foods to stock up on more local goodies.
Hopefully, by the end of the week I'll be well on my way to discovering what the "Eat Local Challenge" is really all about!
A fellow Nashville-area food-blog writer & Twitterer has thrown down the proverbial gauntlet when she challenged her community (both on-land and online) to dedicate themselves to eating local during the entire month of August. Why? Well, to support our local economy and reduce our dependence on oil, of course!
Mary's dare, appropriately dubbed the Eat Local Challenge, encourages participants to devote one month to eating only food that originated within 150 miles of their location.
Her rules are simple: shop at farmers' markets, fruit stands, or the local section of your grocery store, striving to only buy 10% of your groceries from the actual grocery store. She adds that this 10% should be organic when possible and something not available at farmers' markets, like sugar. And, if you can't cook at home, eat at a locally-owned restaurant serving locally-grown food.
This challenge intrigues me. As you know, this blog has opened my eyes to all the locally-owned restaurant options in town, and I'm drawn to those that choose to serve Middle Tennessee food. I also enjoy farmers' markets and love that several are popping up all over town. (12th South, 100 Oaks, Woodbine, and Vanderbilt are just a few in my vicinity.) Mary also encourages those accepting her challenge to document the process, the obstacles, the struggles, and the rewards. I already document when I eat at locally-owned restaurants, so I've got that part down.
So here it is: I'm thinking of accepting this challenge. As I type, my mind has already started thinking of places to go for some basics like bread and coffee. But then I start to question. What would I eat for breakfast? Locally grown eggs? Toast? What about the peanut butter and Nutella currently occupying the shelves in my pantry? Where would I get milk?
I also wonder if I would have time for this, as I feel like it would take extra effort to plan my shopping trips. But the benefit could be huge! I would supporting small business owners, reducing my carbon footprint (unless I have to drive further to markets, in which case I could see it being counter-productive).
Also, what would the cost of this undertaking be? In theory, I think it would save me money, as fruits and veggies that don't have to be shipped from California or Florida are naturally going to be less expensive. But would I have to pay more for hand-made pasta at Lazzaroli's or the cow I'm going to have to milk?
Now I want to know: what do you think? Would you support me if I embarked on this adventure? Would you join me and accept the Eat Local Challenge for yourself?
Those who follow my eating adventures know I usually limit this blog to the art of dining well in Nashville. However, I the restaurant my brother chose to celebrate his graduation from college was so adjective-evoking I couldn’t bear not to write about it.
Nestled in a strip of renovated old buildings on Tuscaloosa’s Greensboro Ave. near the Black Warrior River, across from the old-fashioned theater, hungry visitors will find Epiphany Fine Dining. This historic building once housed shoe and department stores, and the history is written on the walls of exposed brick, century-old hardwood floors, and vaulted archways. One step through the door and I felt the heat and the heartbeat of Tuscaloosa melt away and the cool, refreshing experience greet me at the door.
The restaurant has adopted a “farm-to-table” philosophy, using fresh local ingredients whenever possible. Additionally, each entrée is made-to-order in a skillet over the long, exposed stove. This results in a meal much more delicious than anticipated.
I was torn on what to order (shocking, I know!) so I asked for a recommendation from the knowledgeable waiter. Not wanting to not take his advice, I ordered the scallops, which he hailed as the best item on the menu. When my plate arrived, I was met with 3 plump, juicy scallops resting on a platter full of the sweetest, freshest corn I have likely ever tasted. As Grandma kept saying, “It’s like they picked it this morning and cut it straight off the cob.”
Complementing the succulent yellow and white corn was a mango salsa. Normally I am not a fan of mangos, but the sweet burst of flavor juxtaposed well with the sharpness of the corn and the spice of the peppercorns on the scallops. Unfortunately, about 3 bites in, I remembered why it is that I never order scallops. The flavor was good, but I just can’t handle that consistency.
My dad ordered a cheeseburger that was anything but traditional. Served on an onion roll, topped with Tennessee’s Benton’s Bacon, accompanied by warm red potato salad, he said it was one of the best he’d ever had. Mom ordered the veggie plate that featured fresh succotash, fried okra that was cut length-wise and flash fried, and the potato salad. She said the meal was perfect for the hot day.
To everyone’s shock, my brother ordered rabbit. He claimed it was good, but that’s about all he would proffer. I was intrigued by the coffee aioli the menu listed as a component of the dish but not intrigued enough to order wild game.
Though none of us ordered dessert, the list was full of dishes crafted with seasonal berries. The table next to us all ordered berry parfaits that looked beautiful and delicious, and each was served with French pressed coffee (my new favorite method, thanks to my coffee crash course in Seattle).
The restaurant’s website touts their dining experience will provide guests with “a moment of clarity” and, for the most part, I had that at Epiphany. In some aspects, though, I feel they were trying just a little too hard. Duck fat chips? Coffee aioli? Wagyu beef? It bordered on pretentious. (Although, I believe there is a fine line between artful and pretentious.)
All in all, Epiphany Fine Dining was a fine way to celebrate one of life’s milestones. Although, next time I’m dining in Tuscaloosa, I’ll likely be next door at Mugshots, where the burgers are much less expensive and the beer doesn’t come to your table in crystal.
The End Notes:
·Should you ever find yourself celebrating a fancy occasion in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, by all means try Epiphany Fine Dining. Beware though: they only accept reservations for lunch and the dinner entrees start at $17.
·Should you ever find yourself celebrating any other occasion in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, by all means try somewhere else. (I have several recommendations; just ask!)
·Should you be an aspiring restaurateur in the Nashville area, by all means follow the format of Epiphany. I’d be an enthusiastic customer!
