The East:
Jennie (Daftly Smitten) had an odd week due to all of the snow but still managed both Bittman’s polenta pancakes with local strawberry syrup (yum!) and Potatoes Anna. The potatoes also included apples, onions, mushrooms and a bit of cream. Hopefully life is returning to normal now.
It might look monochrome, but it was a lovely tapestry of flavors and textures. Annika (Northeast Kingdom Locavores) made Mexican-ish chicken thighs with fried potatoes and baked sqaush. This sounds interesting and easy!
Also cooking in the snow, Stacey (Fessenden Farmstead) made German apple pancakes with pork sausage for breakfast. The apples were from last fall and the sausage was from a heritage hog.
The last of the sweet potatoes became dinner at Sophie’s house (Late Bloomer’s Farm). They found themselves baked with cranberries and on the plate with pan-seared pork chops with peach salsa and oven-baked potato chips.
Jeanell (My Local Food Obsession) rejoins us with kimchi sirloin steak which turned out better than last week’s effort. It was tender, juicy and flavorful. Welcome back!
Marveling at how far we’ve come, Peg (Palmyra Sliver) made potato leek frittata for Valentine’s Day. Dinner was supposed to be broiled salmon, but her dedication tot he challenge caused her to switch up dinner plans. Maybe not that romantic, but hey it sounds good!
Margo (Thrift at Home) has joined the pasta making ranks with her first try – color me impressed! The whole wheat pasta was swerved with pureed squash soup and a salad of lettuce, watercress and turnips. Way to go Margo!
It might look like baby poop, but Amber’s (Unstuffed) pumpkin, carrot and pea soup tasted divine. I had the same problem with the shelling peas last year – this year we’ll be more dedicated to picking on time!
Amy (What Did She Do Today?) made butter using local cream and a gorgeous butter mold (now I want one!). After she was done, she made a savory custard for dinner using her own eggs and basil as well as bok choy, goat sausage, dried tomatoes and cheese. Yum.
The Midwest:
She might be cooking for one, but Norah (Aagard Farm) used last week to stock the pantry with excellent local ingredients. She found honey, flax bread, goat milk, whole wheat flour, Cavena Nuda, hemp milk, and more. Norah? You can come stock my pantry any time – great finds!
Esp (Big Adventures with Little Buddies) might be scraping the end of her stores, but the ham and potato soup she put together sounds pretty dang good to me!
A nice day in the greenhouse mean that El (Fast Grow the Weeds) and the girl could harvest a gigantic carrot destined for Valentine’s carrot cake. Dinner preparations coincided with blueberry waffles and dinner included salad with buttermilk dressing, braised loin of pork, oven braised leeks and radicchio in cream, sourdough whole wheat bread and the aforementioned carrot cake. Wow.
Anne (Green Leanings) might not be a strict vegetarian any more, but her chili recipe still is. With beans, onions, green pepper, carrots, stewed tomatoes and raw milk cheddar it sounds like a version that even die-hard carnivores could love.
With 4 people going 3 directions, Wendy (Midwest Green) still managed a local meal of homemade whole wheat bread, homemade butter and salad. It might not have been elaborate, but it sounds delicious!
My parents have been traveling the West doing some downhill skiing, but even so managed a lot of local food. While in Winter park they had dinner at the Cast Iron Skillet and then snuck in a meal at home of roast chicken, potatoes and carrots with ice cream and strawberries for dessert before hitting the road for Big Sky. I swear we didn’t coordinate menus this week. 
Her first meal fell victim to burned boiled potatoes (I’ve done that with artichokes) and so Angela (Notes from a Country Girl) felt she needed to try again. The second round featured homegrown rooster roasted with onions, celeriac and garlic with butternut squash, corn on the cob, salad and biscuits. Sounds like a good use of a rooster to me!
The South:
Searching for a local option that everyone in the family would eat, Lynn (The Mommy Porch) settled on a great meal of pan-fried trout, black-eyed peas, roasted honey sweet potatoes and corn bread muffins. Luckily, the first CSA delivery comes next week!
Her Valentine’s dinner plans may have been thwarted by the weather, but Jennelle (Delicious Potager) still made a delicious dinner of Sierra Nevada Porter and winter squash carbonara. Maybe not the meal she’d planned, but still delicious.
Kristina (Tennessee Locavore) might be under the weather, but the quick dinner they made of ground elk, frozen zucchini and onion. Her description of the elk as “a cow that scowled a lot, combed it’s hair back in a pompadour and often cut out early from Calf 101″ cracked me up.
Since she’s her munchin’s “much good valentine”, Monika (Windy City Vegan) decided to break out the doughnut recipe she’s been hiding from us. Her baked apple cider doughnuts look good enough to make a doughnut hater like me want one! Yum!
The West:
After a late night with friends, Kristen (Arugulove) made a hearty breakfast of ricotta and leek frittata. A bit of Fatted Calf sausage (so jealous) and orange on the side made this a breakfast to cure whatever ails you on a Sunday morning.
Anita and Cameron (Married …with Dinner) stayed in for Valentine’s day (it seems most of us did) but made a dinner worthy of most fine steak houses. A grilled ribeye, baked potato with all the fixings, creamed spinach, blue cheese salad and a bottle of special occasion wine made the evening a special one for them. I don’t even like creamed spinach, but I want me some of that version.
Taking inspiration from a fellow Dark Dayer, Kathleen (Our Life in the Country) made sweet and sour cabbage with a gorgeous green head, local bacon and leeks. With the cabbage were brined and bar-b-qued pork chops. I’d take those leftovers!
*****
Possibly Related posts (newest to oldest):
I think maybe you missed a couple of us mid-westerners this week?
No biggie, maybe you can add them next week, but here’s mine just in case…
http://putyourshovel.blogspot.com/2010/02/dd-week-13.html
Hey Sara – you’re right! So sorry I missed you. I’ll get you added in tonight when I get home from work.
no worries! thanks
And me in the East:
http://localkitchen.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/dark-days-thick-cut-pork-chops-with-roasted-vegetables/
I’m trying not to take it personally. (sniff)
Laura,
Have been reading your site for some time now but did not get into the Dark Days Challenge, I also live in Arlington and would very much like to meet and talk w you sometime about the local that you have been finding
and a way to convince my hubby to get chicks we have 5 acres and wb planting a big garden. If you could send me your email address maybe we could talk more
Charlene, I sent you an email.
Thank You, Keep up the Good work