The Midwest:
Kids! are the center of the action at El’s (Fast Grow the Weeds) house. Well, that and a cabbage dinner featuring bubble and squeak, round steak, pumpkin bread and a bitter greenhouse salad with foraged walnuts. She’s wondering if the end of the Dark Days Challenge on March 31 will really be the end of the dark days of winter. I’m not sure, but I do know that it’s after the spring equinox, so they must end around there somewhere!
Last week was roast chicken at Wendy’s house (Midwest Green) and so this week is chicken soup. Also into the pot went potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic. On the side were pan-fried potato sticks and a green salad. Yum, I love fried potatoes.
My mom (Nordic Walking Queen) planned ahead and browned some ground beef to use later. Gettig home from a late night walk, she combined it with a tortilla, cheese, sour cream, my aunt Betsy’s salsa and lettuce to make a taco. Wow – I was just telling Mike the other night about the tacos my mom made when I was a kid – this is the new local version!
In the midst of a busy week, Angela (Notes from a Country Girl…) still found time to pick up the fixings for buffalo burgers with homemade pickle chips, lettuce and homemade fries. Looks good to me!
Sara (Put Your Shovel…) might feel like she’s slacking, but I think that every local meal counts. Her simple lunch of homemade focaccia with local potatoes and homegrown sage and sundried tomates with Gouda enjoyed with a backyard hard-boiled egg and homegrown canned pears sounds delicious to me!
The West:
Kristen (Arugulove) cooked another piece of meat from her CSA, a boneless leg of pork. After marinating it with spices and fresh herbs, she roasted it in the oven with cute little potatoes tossed in more herbs and olive oil. A salad of radicchio, walnuts and blood orange infused olive oil rounded out the plate. A California Zinfindel was the perfect glass to go with it.
Anita (Married …with Dinner) doesn’t usually find herself making and eating the same thing over and over, but last week she got stuck on warm escarole salad. You can make much of it ahead of time and it can make a meal by itself or happily share a plate with roast chicken. On the list for us.
She did a lot of cooking, but nothing seemed photo worthy until Kathleen (Our Life in the Country) got to the red cabbage (my favorite). Meals last week included flank steak, beef short ribs smothered in BBQ sauce, butternut squash soup and pork roast in white wine. Wow.
Sara (Prepping 4 28) made a meatless chili with wheat berries and black beans. She combined them with tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, onion, bell peppers, avocado and cilantro to make a delicious, if HOT, meal.
The farmers market in SF is spectacular right now, and Jen (Eat Local Challenge) is showing off with meals including avocados, asparagus, greens, radishes, green garlic and spinach. I’m trying not to hate her. Her featured meal was Sunday breakfast of roasted potatoes and asparagus, poached eggs and ham slices. Oh yum.
*****
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Can I just say, I feel like such a slacker. I have not posted a dark days meal in forever and miss it. I hope to get my act together this week, though.
I think the dark days of winter will be hanging around a little longer here in Ohio. I should be planting peas next week, but there’s still at least a foot of snow on the ground. At least I have sugaring to keep me busy and to keep my mind off all the seeds I should be sowing.
Love reading everyones dark days meals, simplicity is a beautiful thing when I comes to local meals!
For anyone interested we’re kicking off the Real Food Challenge over at Not Dabbling in Normal for the month of March. Should be fun.
http://notdabblinginnormal.wordpress.com
oh my … this seriously LOOKS good!
i love the thrown together suppers a great deal … and luckily so does my family …
a fave for us are mashed taties, steamed broccoli, onion, garlic, browned ground beef and cheddar cheese all ‘smashed’ together in a pot …
off to look at more of your delicious blog …
thanks to norah at ‘the vine’ who introduced me to you!
happy eating,
prairiegirl
ps. here’s norah’s link … http://aagaardfarms.blogspot.com/2010/02/ten-thing-that-make-me-happy.html