Guilt? Heck no!

Has anyone out there been experiencing a little non-locavorism guilt? Have your schedule and lack of planning lead you to closet candybar eating?? Well, heck, that's life right?!?! Remember that the point of this challenge is to make us aware of what we eat, how it got to our table (or closet), and how that affects the world around us. So go ahead and eat that candybar in the open my friend! But--take a second to find out where that baby came from, and think about a local alternative for your next food emergency! Happy (guilt-free) eating :)

Mmmmm.....that quiche looks delicious! I have to say, when I first signed up for this I thought it would be alot easier than it actually is turning out to be. It's really made me look at everything that we eat, including the ingredients that go into all of our meals. The flour I used to bake my bread wasn't locally produced, although it was locally purchased. The same is true for olive oil, salt, pepper, etc. We've had quite a bumper crop this year in the garden so I have lots of fresh and frozen produce. I know I can get locally grown meat from Rob's (thanks for the tip Heidi!) and other local grocers. I know I won't be able to give up coffee. And I've already gotten a little bit off track by going out for fish on Friday! I guess I'm going to have to settle for being a partial Locavore.

what's for dinner at dr. j's house?!?

a delicious local meal!

photo of Dr. J's quiche, taken with a handy-dandy webcam

Great minds, apparently, think alike! Before I even read the blog today, I was preparing to make a Quiche. I was feeling like a poseur because so far my protein sources have *not* been local. I set forth to make the quiche to top all quiches. 

First, I made a pastry crust. I followed Martha Stewart's recipe for classic Pate Brisee, which is a standard butter crust with no sugar (I halved the recipe, though you could make the whole recipe and freeze half of the crust). I placed the pastry in the fridge to cool, and then stuck a few cloves of garlic in the oven to roast. I also diced up half of a red onion and caramelized it on the stove top with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. 

After the crust had chilled sufficiently--at least an hour--I rolled it out. Next, I draped it into a pie plate or a tart pan (like I did). I froze the crust--cool pastry equals best results. 

While the crust was cooling, I washed and wilted large handfuls of spinach; chopped roasted peppers; thinly sliced yellow and red tomatoes; grated some wisconsin parm; and chiffonaded some basil. 

I combined 2 large eggs with 1 egg white (left over from making creme brulee earlier in the day), about 1/4 cup skim milk, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

I pre-baked the crust at 450 degrees for 10 minutes until just slightly brown. I removed the crust from oven and reduced the oven temp to 375 degrees. Then, I set out assembling the quiche. I spread the roasted garlic on the bottom of the crust, followed by the drained spinach, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. I carefully poured in the egg mixture and sprinkled the cheese on top. The tart baked until the eggs set and the cheese was golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Right before I removed the tart, I sprinkled the basil around the top. 

I allowed the tart to rest for at least 5 minutes before I sliced it into wedges. 

I also ate roasted yukon gold potatoes and roasted broccoli. 

All veggies, dairy, and herbs were locally sourced. The only ingredients not local: flour, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Not bad for a hungry vegetarian locavore. 

Chips and coffee ... I'm very sad!!!

My gosh, it's amazing how much I take for granted! Had a hankering for something salty last evening and ... Started to think... Chips... DARN! Out of area. I must say, I have been drinking coffee, it's partially a contribution to my family, friends, and peers at school ... I'd be a coffee creep (withdrawal) if I did not have my cup of Joe in the morning. I did however cut back and have limited myself. Baby steps! I'm getting potatoes this Friday and making my own frys, all else is going good although bad habits are hard to kick ... Thinking Quiche would be a great dinner thing as it's cheese and green stuff, local eggs are easy to come by and it's yummy!

Good luck everyone,
Heidi

The Challenge Has Begun...

Hey all you locavores--how're you doing? I pretty much blew my first meal--but I did much better after that! :) So far I've eaten honey-oat toast (local) with peanut butter (not local) & coffee (not at all local!), a BLT with the same oat bread, tomatoes from my garden, and bacon from Cudahy WI. Supper consisted of amish noodles (local) with butter (local), leeks, tomatoes, sage (all from my garden), salt and pepper. Very yummy, but I'm thinking that I'm going to be tomatoed out by next week!

Tomorrow I'm hoping to make it to the Farmer's Market before my son's football game starts---I NEED JAM!!! Maybe I'll see you there :)

I have added everyone who signed up for the challenge to the list of people who can post to this blog--SO BLOG AWAY!! Tell us how you're doing, share recipes, post articles, and most importantly--share your thoughts!

Good luck with the rest of the challenge.

~Cheryl Nessman

Locavore Challenge to begin September 24th!

The Locavore Challenge begins this Wednesday, September 24 and lasts until Wednesday October 8!

We're having a few fun events:

Kick-Off snack, recipe swap, and conversation: Wednesday, September 24, at 5:30 in the Commons.

Local Lunches at the Blue Devil Grill, to include grilled cheese sandwiches and brats: Wednesday October 1 and Wednesday, October 8 at the Blue Devil Grill.

Potluck Celebration, bring your favorite local food dish to pass, your own plate and silverware (to be green), and your recipe. The event will include special surprises, local vendors, and a recipe contest with super green prizes that will be posted on the Blue Devils Go Green Blog beforehand! Wednesday, October 8, 6:30 in the Commons.