Dark Days Challenge Recap, Week 4
Dec 14th, 2008 by Amy
A very exciting living local week indeed. We received our second order from Eugene Local Foods, went to a holiday party at a restaurant that features many local ingredients, made a yummy crab dip for our annual cookie decorating party, and I attended a class by the Master Food Preservers. What a week!
Sunday, December 7
Sweet & Spicy Beef Noodle, adapted from Ming Tsai in Blue Ginger
This is another go to recipe for us. We probably make it mostly in the cooler months.
Ingredients include:
Ground beef (local - Deck Family Farm)
Garlic, red onion, cabbage, daikon radish, carrot (local - CSA)
Fresh egg noodles (local - Pasta Plus)
Thai chiles, ginger, fermented black beans, hoisin sauce, rice wine (not local - mostly from California)
Monday, December 8
Roasted beet salad, adapted from Epicurious
A great, local weekday meal. I had a meeting to attend, so put the beets in oven before I left. Matt made the dressing, washed the greens and sliced the beets. When I got home, dinner was ready. Get the recipe in my post.
Ingredients include:
Beets, greens, shallots (local - CSA)
Almonds (not local, but we picked them up at a farmer’s market on a trip to CA and brought them home with us. We have also substituted hazelnuts or walnuts, which are more readily available in the Willamette Valley)
Feta cheese (local - Alsea Acres)
Olive oil, vinegar, salt, sugar, lemon (not local - mostly California)
Tuesday, December 9
Paprika roasted chicken thighs
Kale/chard gratin, adapted from Deborah Madison in Local Flavors
Kohlrabi turnip ragout, adapted from Deborah Madison in Local Flavors
Another easy weekday meal (notice the theme here). I didn’t love the kohlrabi braise, mostly because the kohlrabi I used were a little on the large side (and hence a bit woody).
Ingredients include:
Chicken (regional - Draper Valley Farms)
Kale, chard, onion, parsley, kohlrabi, turnips (local - CSA)
Garlic, onion (local - Eugene Local Foods)
Peas (local - frozen this summer, grown on Johnson Farms in Coburg, OR)
Thyme (local - from our herb garden)
Breadcrumbs (local - made from our leftover bread stuffing from Bread Stop)
Butter (local - Noris Dairy)
Feta cheese (local - Alsea Acres)
Milk (regional - Organic Valley)
Flour (from Wheat Montana - picked up on our driving trip to North Dakota)
Olive oil (not local - California)
Creme Fraiche (not local - Bellewether Farms in Petaluma, CA)
Thursday, December 11
Holiday party at Adam’s Place
Adam’s is an upscale restaurant featuring local ingredients. We had a very delicious, mostly local holiday party. Click here to read my restaurant review.
Saturday, December 13
Amy’s crab dip
Oh yum. And there’s a little left over for baked eggs this afternoon. Click here for the recipe.
Crab meat (local - caught on the Oregon coast and bought at Newman’s)
Dried cranberries (local - but can’t remember what it said on the bin at the store)
Green onion (not local - Earthbound Organic from California)
Cream cheese (local - Springfield Creamery)
Mayo, coconut milk, curry powder, melba rounds (not local)
