I continue to be impressed by everyone that’s still cooking along - go all of you! Did we miss anyone in the round up this week? Please drop me a note if we did.
Is there anyone reading along that would like to join in for the last 4 weeks? If so, leave a note in comments and we will get you added on the next round up.
It was a busy week around here, but getting back to the market has made coming up with dinner so much easier. I’m not sure what it is about having even minimal fresh ingredients on hand, but it certainly makes me feel like spring might be on the way!
Thanks again to Holly for help recapping!
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The Midwest
Battling surgery induced nerve pain, Anne created a colorful and mostly local meal last week. Her stew featured grass-fed beef from a local farm, purple potatoes, a carrot and onions. She served the stew with braised, curly kale and roasted cherry tomatoes with herbs de Provence. Trés chic!
It’s a good thing we didn’t tackle the recap until Tuesday night, or Karen’s Dark Days meal would have been missed - and boy does it look tasty! This week she pulled some homegrown ratatouille out of the freezer and added local Gouda, eggs from their backyard chickens and secret spices to create a crust-free quiche. The meal was complemented with a mix of green and yellow beans and home baked bread. For dessert Karen topped it all off with and applesauce streusel loaf featuring pecans picked up on a trip through Missouri last fall.
*****
The South
As a pepper collector, Laurel found herself with more red peppers in her cupboards and kitchens than seemed practical. What else to do but make enchilada sauce? Not only does she now have a stellar recipe, she’s got tips for making the enchiladas to go with. Mmmm, wish peppers were more available up here! As an extra bonus this week, Laurel also interviewed our very own Mangochild - check it out to learn more about who she is and what makes her tick.
*****
The East
Thanks to mangochild, I’m now attuned to the coming of Spring (in blatant disregard for our unexpected snow here in Seattle) as she noted we are now more than halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. In celebration of this, a lovely spiced milk pudding, roasted onions and carrots, and honey-ginger bread graced the table. Definitely check out her blog for the recipe!
This was the week of soups for Nicole, as she highlighted three from the past two weeks. First up, this gorgeously simple Kuri squash, mustard greens, and pasta soup topped with bacon and cheese. Next up, there was a sausage, kale, and bean soup which used up the last of her Akahana Mame beans from last year’s garden. Lastly, she followed a foodie nyc recipe for Maple Curry Carrot Soup. Hopefully her husband didn’t think any of these offerings were too “interesting.”
Sophie excelled this week, presenting two completely local meals; I’m jealous of her local butter and flour availability!! Making due with only having a sweet, white wine in the house, her roasted chicken, baked potato, and sauteed kale with garlic still sounds quite appetizing. A second local meal last week was inspired by the Farm to Philly blog: veal cutlets with squash au gratin. Yum.
In between doses of Nyquil, Kim brought a little diversity to the winter dinner table with some New England shrimp! Served over brown rice, the sauteed garlic and lemon olive oil shrimp were paired with home grown, roasted green beans. Get some rest, girl.
As a thank gift for her husband, who has been helping out a lot during her recovery, Pam made a tart rhubarb cobbler that reminded her of spring. What’s next? Seed ordering, of course, which is one step closer to getting her toes in the warm soil!
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The West
Finally finding a potential end to her search for a 100% whole wheat pizza dough recipe, Maya made that delicious looking pie. She topped her crust with mozzarella, blue cheese, minced garlic, fennel seasoned ground beef and baby spinach. Mmmm, I might have to give that recipe a try!
Getting a bit more sleep these days, Einat had a local Cabernet with her dinner for the first time in a while. With it were lamb steaks, fingerling potatoes and salad greens with homemade honey dijon dressing. Mmmm.
While Joan might think turning the odds and ends of her freezer into a mostly local chili in unimaginative, I disagree. I think any time you take simple ingredients and make them into something that sounds that delicious you’re way ahead of most people. How’d the paella turn out?
Anita’s still not spilling the beans on the now famous pig roast, but she is sharing the leftovers with us. That, my friends, is a cubano made with leftover pork, ham, cheese, pickles and mustard. I love the fact that she even remembers to tell us that we can use leftover chicken if we don’t happen to have the remains of a 70 lb pig in our freezer 
Yum.
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The paella was really good. It made a huge amount - filled two 9×13 pans.