We must getting deep into the winter because ingredients like squash, collards, sweet potatoes and home canned tomatoes are showing up more often than eggplant, basil and lettuce. There are some creative uses in this week’s recap and I can’t wait to give a few of them a try.
I feel so bad as I never did set themes for the challenge. So here we go, a challenge for January and it’s this:
Choose a winter food, any of them, that you’ve never tried or never cooked/liked and find a recipe that gets you excited about it. Then make said recipe and let us know if it changes your mind. I’m going to pick collards as I’ve cooked had them and only eaten them down South – I’ve even been guilty of feeding them to the hens in the past just because I couldn’t be bothered.
*****
The East:
Nicole’s week included lots and lots of leftovers, including lamb pot pie, made from last week’s meals. With all those ready to go meals, she almost didn’t have to cook but still found time to make a sweet potato duck egg frittata with sausage, spinach and cranberries. Mmmm, that sounds like an excellent way to use sweet potatoes.
Mia rejoins us this week with two totally local dinners and a semi local breakfast. First up was turkey burgers with sweet potatoes and kale. Next, breaded pork cutlets, braised red cabbage and boiled potatoes. Breakfast was biscuits with homemade apple jelly. Mmmm, way to jump back in Mia!
Homemade fettuccine with dried lentils, carrot, celeriac, garlic and shaved sheep cheese made for a local dinner at Sophie’s house. I’m impressed at all the homemade pasta making that goes on in this challenge!
New Year’s dinner was in the spotlight at Mangochild’s house. Collards with onion, dense cornbread and black eyed peas – Southern cooking at it’s best. Check out the size of that collard leaf!
They might be on the road, but the Purloined Letter and family still managed a local meal of roasted oysters. They were gathered and prepared in coastal South Carolina.
The pickings are getting slim over at Jenn’s house. But she still had a bit of pasta dough in the fridge and a butternut squash in need of use plus some local maple syrup. What’s a girl to do but make butternut squash ravioli? Sounds good to me.
There was a party at Kim’s house, Italian night! Homemade spaghetti with summer tomato sauce and tomatoes plus meatballs. The other bits might not have been as local as she wished, but they were homemade and everyone had fun!
Local food for new friends was the highlight at Zoa’s house. Pasta with home canned tomato sauce and local sausage. Plus a dessert of butternut squash pie shared with new friends. Sounds like a Dark Days meal to me…
*****
The West:
The garden is still providing at Robin’s house, or was until last week. The last of the garden went into a dinner of hamburgers, beets from the garden, the last of the purple carrots (my favorites) and a pumpkin pie.
Einat jumps back in with a breakfast of leftover ham, eggs with pesto jack cheese and bread with jam. After that was dinner of leftover pasta supplemented with homemade tomato sausage sauce. Not bad for someone that had a C-section less than a month ago!
Home alone for a bit, Maya made a meal of a sauteed leek and chevre omelet. An omelet flipping accident prevented photos, but apparently the flavor was unaffected 
Eating local in London might not have been the easy feat they expected, but once they got some basic geography down Anita and Cameron still did well. Prize finds included pork pies, ciders, ales, eggs, chicken and more at various markets and shops throughout the city. If you’re interested in the complete list and details, hit the post for everything you need to know.
Joan borrowed ideas from fellow bloggers and locavore writers for her meals this week. They included a pizza with homegrown toppings, cranberry upside down cake (courtesy of Mixed Greens) and Late Bloomer’s breakfast casserole. Imitation is the best form of flattery in my book!
Looking for an easy meal that would make leftovers, Amy made a big pot of Bolognese sauce with home canned tomatoes and local ground beef. Check her post for the recipe – I may give it a try next week!
*****
The South:
Rose rejoins us with meals including a turkey Christmas dinner, garlic mashed potatoes and home canned cranberry sauce. The best dish of the meal though was a butternut squash soup made with her last squash. Christmas day breakfast included pumpkin pancakes (yum), thick sliced bacon and fried eggs.
Butternut squash ravioli made another appearance at Laurel’s house. After four hours in the kitchen trying to craft, beat and will it into existence, they enjoyed their wonderful tasting if industrial strength masterpieces. All of my respect for fighting that battle with only a rolling pin!
In a quest to start depleting her stores and reserves, Jenn is cooking meals using the ingredients on hand with minimal supplement. Up last week was a dinner of kidney bean, sweet potato and millet stew. Her cabinets must be better stocked than mine is all I can say – or at least more exotic in nature!
*****
The Midwest:
Experiencing technical difficulties with her new camera, Anne instead featured a meal of curried candied squash, aged sauteed spinach with garlic and a shelling bean ragout, Provençal-style. Mmmm, it all sounds good. Check her post for the bean recipe.
Putting her Christmas beans to work, Karen made a dinner of Tuscan style baked beans with Rosemary and Garlic, slow roasted beets and pumpkin cornmeal bread. Local strawberries and cookies finished it all off. Don’t you just love the heirloom beans Karen?
*****
Canada:
Late Bloomer had a blur of a week, with a few frustrations along the way. First the bread didn’t rise and then she missed a couple of key ingredients for the polenta she made. But on a positive note the chicken turned out great, as did the roasted beets and carrots. I’m so glad I’m not the only one whose bread didn’t rise properly this week – maybe it’s something in the air?
*****
Possibly Related posts (newest to oldest):
I didn’t start reading your blog until after you had started the dark days eating. But, if I could, I’d like to contribute what I’m making for dinner tonight. I live in northern California so have an advantage; things are still growing here.
Tonight I’m making a crock pot soup; all the ingredients are local. Butternut squash, leeks, carrots, Tokyo turnips, sweet potatoes, homemade chicken stock and the last of our ten-pound
pasture-raised chicken.
Great roundup, and that challenge will be good for me – I tend to get in food ruts with my favs very easily. Here’s a reason to break out