I am so behind!!!

I can't believe it's December already! I didn't get a chance to blog about my first Thanksgiving ever at my house. Every year I have begged my mom to let me host the holiday, but every year the family had other plans. This year, however, my mom was outnumbered.
Although our holiday meal was not entirely local, a great bit of it came from nearby farms. We had a yummy Mashed Potato and Root Veggie Puree which featured local turnips and potatoes. We also had sweet potatoe puree made with local sweet potatoes and our turkey was from within 200 miles of home. Lastly, the pumpkin pie was made with pumpkins from one of my co-workers gardens!
All in all, it was very successful and delicious, if I do say so myself.
But that's enough talk about Thanksgiving...sorry I am so behind. Let's talk about this week's answer to the Dark Days Challenge.
This week we made two meals which featured local ingrediants; zucchini quiche and pork ribs with greens. My boyfriend made the zucchini quiche last night and it featured zucchini grown in our garden and frozen many months ago, eggs from the local egg ranch, milk from Strauss Creamery (not local but not far either), and parmesan cheese (definately not local). It was to die for! I have written about my quiche recipe before, but David's version was much better than me...must have been the cheesy top crust!
Tonight, David and I collaberated on ribs and greens. He made his own rub, consisting of cumin, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and something else he would not divulge. He then rubbed it onto Sonoma Co. Ribs and seared them in a pan of local garlic and Napa Co Olive Oil. He then broiled them to finish them off. Yumm! I wilted down some mustard greens, kale, and swiss chard from our CSA box along with some local garlic and homemade chicken stock. We had some toasted wheat bread (from Safeway's bakery....I know, shame on me) on the side. The ingrediants aren't local, but at least it's baked nearby.

Dark Days Challenge 08/09

I was really excited to join the Dark Days Challenge with (not so) Urban Hennery (http://urbanhennery.com/2008/10/14/dark-days-challenge-0809/) and couldn't wait to get started on my first local meal of the challenge.
Unfortunately, I was out of town the last couple of weeks and my honey forgot to pick up our CSA Veggie box. I do have some things canned from summer, but short of creating a meal out of syrupy nectarines and strawberry jam, it's slim pickins in the pantry.
As a result, I had to make due with some late season cherry tomatoes and basil from a pot on my deck....yes I am still getting tomatos and basil. What can I say? It's California.
I ended up cooking up some whole wheat pasta (not local), added my own tomatoes (homegrown), basil (homegrown), olive oil (Napa Co.- 40 miles), and garlic (local- 2 miles). It was tolerable considering the circumstances, but I am stlightly disapointed in my first attempt.
We shall have to see what tomorrow's veggie box holds in store for us......stay tuned.

My Sometimes "Go-To" Dinner

To say I only have one "Go-To" dinner would be like saying I only have one pair of shoes in the closet.....a blatant fabrication.
But there is one dinner I probably make more often than any other because the ingredients are often already in my poorly stocked fridge.
Quiche always sounded kinda fancy to me and wasn't something I ever ordered when dining out. One day I ran across a whole-wheat/spelt frozen pie crust at Whole Foods and decided to give it a try.
I came across a recipe on RECIPEZARR.COM which sounded simple and promising. Here's the link to their version http://www.recipezaar.com/1809
Emeril has a non-vegetarian version that is very good as well.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/quiche-lorraine-recipe2/index.html


***Image courtesy of Food Network- FoodTV.Com

My version is a little bit different, but is pretty darn tasty if I do say so myself. Serve it with a green salad on the side for a well-balanced meal.

Veggie Quiche w/Spelt crust

1 small zucchini, grated, salted, and blotted with a paper towel (removes moisture)
1 carrot, grated
1/2 white onion, chopped (leaks would be good too)
1/4 cup non-fat milk (we love strauss milk)
1 cup cheese (we love Jarlsberg, white cheddar, and Gouda)
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tbls whole wheat flour
1 tbls olive oil
1 Frozen, Whole Wheat/Spelt Pie Crust

Saute the onion w/ olive oil for a few minutes until transparent.
Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and add onions.
Poor into frozen pie shell. Bake 45 minutes-1 hour in 350 degree oven.
Let stand 5 minutes.
Serve with a side salad. Feel free to mix up the veggies, your imagination is your limit.

Beets, Beets, Beautiful Beets

Beets are an interesting veggie. As a child I always thought they tasted kinda like dirt.
My mother, however, has always had a love affair with them. She was forever taking them off of my hands by snatching them off of my plate. She also likes figs, which taste like dirt to me too. Perhaps a better term is "earthy" in flavor.
As I grew older, I would occasionally pick one thinly sliced pickled beet from the salad bar and smother it in ranch dressing. This was the only way I could stomach them.
Back in August, I discovered a fresh bunch of beets in my CSA box and was at a loss for what I would do with them. I did a little research on the internet and found a recipe on Epicurious which looked promising. It only took one taste of a freshly roasted beet to realize I had been missing out all those years I was eating the pickled ones from the can.
Roasted beet salads have become a regular on our menu and I look forward to finding beets in our weekly CSA box.
Recently, I decided to try growing beets in our little veggie garden....I'll keep you posted on their progress.
Not only are beets delicious, but they offer excellent nutritional benefits. According to Organicfacts.com, beets are rich in Potassium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus and Copper. They are also relatively low in calories and are considered a natural cleanser for the body.
If you haven't tried fresh beets, please take a stab at the recipe below.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/BEET-SALAD-238644

***Image borrowed from Epicurious.Com

Here is my own take on a roasted beet salad:

4 beets**, tops removed and scrubbed
3 tbls olive oil
3 tbls balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup walnuts
1 bunch arugula (or other baby greens)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle 1 tbls of olive oil over the beets and individually wrap each one in tin foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until tender.
Toast walnuts for 3-4 minutes over medium heat in a frying pan. Be careful not to burn or walnuts will be bitter.
Remove beets from oven after 1 hour. Unwrap tin foil (be careful it's hot). Gently rub beets with a damp paper towel to remove beet skins and discard skins.
Toss toasted walnuts and remaining ingredients together in bowl.
Slice beets into bitesize slices. Add beets to bowl with other ingredients.
Serve warm over arugula.

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side dish
***Red beets are sweeter and work best for this recipe. Gold beets can be used, but they have a more savory flavor. Mix it up for a gorgeous presentation. Please choose local, organic beets.