Eat Local Challenge

Day 32

2010-07-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 32: Toast & Raspberries

Lunch Day 32: Caesar steak salad in a pita, green & royal purple beans, carrots & raspberries

Dinner Day 32: Pastrami sandwich on homemade rye with cheese & onions, green beans, cucumbers & raspberries

I made a loaf of rye bread just so I could make pastrami on rye for dinner (I am not even sure that I like pastrami). Elliot and I went to Hilltop Harvest tonight. We bought three pints of pre picked raspberries. I would have loved to picked them myself but wasn’t sure how Elliot would do in the field & eventually opted for the easier option of pre picked. They did inform me that the raspberries were just about done. However, they will have pick your own raspberries again in the fall (mid August through mid September) check out their FaceBook page for details.

It turns out that I do in fact like pastrami (I found this at Moonstone Farm). I fried up some onions in a little butter and spicy mustard (weird, I know but Emeril Lagasse’s recipe said to do it this way), once things were good and brown I added the pastrami until it was warm. Then I piled all that on a piece of still warm from the oven rye bread topped that with Bongards’ pepperjack cheese and another slice of rye, grilled that until toasted. Can you say man sandwich? I am sure that Andy will be sad that he wasn’t home to enjoy this dinner! I really wasn’t too sure about the sandwich until after my first bite- YUM! This is a sandwich that will make again and again, maybe a little sauerkraut next time?

Today is the last official day of the Eat Local Challenge & I have mixed feelings about it… Kind of relieved that my meals will no longer be broadcast out to cyber space, and maybe I can stop baking so much bread & rolls. But, at the same time I am sad that the pressure is off the actually cook and healthy meal for myself and family, it was the extra push that I needed to get it done each night. We do still plan to visit markets, road side stands, farms and the like maybe with a little less intensity. We will still be eating local- why wouldn’t we, the gardens in Minnesota are just getting going; we are looking forward to tomatoes & peppers in the next few weeks & squash in the fall. I have some plans to do a bit of freezing and possibly some pickle making. At the same time, I also am looking forward to walking into my local grocery store and purchasing a loaf of bread for the pure sake of convenience. It was fun getting to know where our food is grown, the people who care for it and make it happen. It was also nice to get out on the road, off the beaten path and see parts of the area that I've never seen before. This project also was a gigantic lesion in home economics, cooking and baking 101 for me, thank goodness for my two bosses and their willingness to share their culinary wisdom with me! What’s on the menu for this week? A zucchini lasagna, making another batch of yogurt, zucchini muffins, a basketball size kohlrabi, and a stop or two at an area market. Hope to see you there!

Day 31

2010-07-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 31: Whole wheat toast with SunButter & red raspberries from Karen’s Holmgrown of Winthrop

I received my first ever Dew Drop Gardens CSA delivery this morning! I even got some tips from Erin Grams on how to freeze broccoli. My box included garlic, chives, parsley, rhubarb, broccoli green beans & cucumbers

Lunch Day 31: Toasted cheese pita pocket, leftover zucchini boat, green beans & snap peas

Dinner Day 31: Left over steak, sautéed veggies (garlic, onion, carrots, zucchini, peas & beet greens), raspberries & PastureLand aged cheddar cheese

Today was the first day of the Olivia Farmers’ Market; at their new location in the Alco parking lot. There were four venders there with tons of great looking produce including basketball sized kohlrabi called Grand Duke, baked goods, canned items and handmade things like mittens, purses, hot pot holders & dish scrubbers. A huge thanks to Senator Kubly & County Administrator Sara Folsted for showing their support at the Olivia Farmers’ Market!

As the month long Eat Local Challenge is winding down everyone keeps asking me what’s next. And I really don’t have a concrete answer. I am sure that a combination of habits will blend together. I will still make an occasional loaf of bread, have dinner at a restaurant & order a pizza while still shopping at the area Farmers’ Markets. You know its summer in Minnesota, why wouldn't you want to eat local? The markets are full of great things. Go out there and see for yourself! To find a Farmers’ Market or local producer near you check out these links.

http://www3.mda.state.mn.us/mngrown/?gclid=CNnB1tfp96ICFR5V5wodbTcOjw

http://www.localdirt.com/

http://www.prideoftheprairie.org/

Day 30

2010-07-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 30: I had an early meeting this morning and totally forgot to eat breakfast… I did however do a little pre baking early this morning. I have dough rising at home for what I hope turns out to be whole wheat pita bread and hamburgers buns (not to be confused with the hockey pucks I made earlier in the challenge).

Lunch Day 30: Taco pitas stuffed with spicy ground beef, lettuce and cheese, corn on the cob, snap peas & raspberries

Did I mention that the pitas were homemade with local ingredients? Have you ever had a pita that is still warm from the oven? Wow, it will change your view on pitas forever; really there is no going back!

Dinner Day 30: Philly sandwich (on a fresh homemade bun), snap peas, carrots, green beans & leftover potato wedges

After dinner tonight I visited the Mages Gardens II, I couldn’t believe how much everything had grown in less than a month! I helped to pick some green beans as they were prepping for two markets tomorrow (The Becker Market in Willmar & the Olivia Farmers’ Market). I also got a little canning lesson form Nancy Mages. I am still not ready to do any canning myself but I am picking up tips from all these great canners I have been meeting at the markets and farms I’ve been visiting. I also spoke with Erin Grams of Dew Drop Gardens & I am so excited, I am going to get my first CSA delivery tomorrow morning!

Day 29

2010-07-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 29: Yogurt and toast

Lunch Day 29: Chicken Caesar salad, beats & snap peas

Snack: Beef jerky from Moonstone & cheese (PastureLand & Sunny Road Morning Star Farm of Cokato, MN)

We made it to the Fairfax Farmers’ Market tonight. Wow, that is a great market! We found zucchini, carrots, onions, peas, sweet corn, raspberries, broccoli, & peanut butter cookies. Tonight I am going to attempt to make pita bread; I have found yet another online recipe. I also am planning to make or start a batch of Rye bread to go along with the Pastrami that I picked up while on my visit to Moonstone.

Dinner Day 29: Zucchini boats stuffed with onions, turnips, carrots, chicken, and pepper jack cheese, sweet corn, royal purple beans & fresh bread (I’m talking still warm from the oven!)

Zucchini boats is a concept that I’d never heard of until I had a chat with the Lundstrum’s of Bird Island (check out their wonderful produce at the Olivia Markets on Thursdays) They told me to cut them length wise, fill them with anything that sounds good top with some cheese and bake until bubbly (350 degrees for about 20 minutes). Tonight’s dinner was by far one of my favorite meals during this challenge. I will make zucchini boats again. Tonight as dinner was cooking we were putting away our great finds from the Fairfax market and sampling everything along the way. Do you have any idea how cool it is too see a kid (almost 3) eat raw peas faster than you can shuck them and raspberries by the handful? I’d most definitely say that this challenge has gotten my family to enjoy eating our vegetable more! I’d always liked most vegetables but now I crave them! Could it be that when there are so fresh they taste that much better?

Day 28

2010-07-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 28: Toast with strawberry jam from Birch Coulee Creak Farm & yogurt

Lunch Day 28: Left over calzone, green beans & beats

Dinner Day 28: Steak, potato wedges, salad & green beans- Eating local is such tough work...

Tonight I was both mom & dad at home. I fired up that grill, prepped my steaks and potato wedges like I knew what I was doing. I even cleaned the garage as the coals were getting ready. After a perfectly timed dinner, (I love that when it happens, you know all the things are done at the same time & the family is at the table & ready!) Elliot and I took the 4-wheeler out to run the dog some. As we were cleaning up from dinner talking about the 4-wheeler Elliot declares "I'll drive, you just ride- ok mom". So scary! Even after all our running around I still managed to find a little time to research some recipes online for later in the week. Today I felt like I had a handle on this Eat Local Challenge or perhaps just a burst of energy.

Day 27

2010-07-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

Brunch Day 27: Pancakes & sausage

Dinner Day 27: Chicken calzones, salad, & snap peas

Elliot & I were able to go and check out Moonstone Farm with my friend Ann and her boys Hokon & Espen. I have been wanting to visit this farm for a very long time. What a beautiful farm! There is a store where you can purchase delicious local item such as Moonstone meats, Sheppard Way cheeses, wild rice, cook books, art and much more, a pottery studio, a lush green arch of hops, a vineyard, a quite & secluded sandy, a large & beautiful garden, pasture land, alfalfa & grass fields and they boys favorite part of the whole day…tractors! Audrey, Richard and their two interns were very welcoming and what a treat to visit, shop & swim at Moonstone.

Another first for the Eat Local Challenge, calzones! I had no idea what I was doing and of course didn’t followed a recipe other than the beer (Premium) pizza dough recipe. After letting it rise I rolled it out, adding my toppings and covered it another layer of dough, pinched the edges together, brushed with olive oil and baked at 400 for about 25 minutes. Elliot ate every bit on his plate including the make shift marinara I threw together from frozen tomatoes as we watch the Little Mermaid (for the first time). Elliot’s calzone was just chicken & cheese and I added pepper and basil to mine. Next time I will try to roll the dough a little thinner
other than that it was a pretty good and easy dinner.

Day 26

2010-07-10T19:37:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 26: Scrambled Eggs & toast

We had a busy morning, despite the rain we made it to the Redwood Farmers’ Market. We found a ton of great stuff including: turnips, zucchini (Elliot thought they were big pickles!), snap peas, Yukon Gold potatoes & popcorn. After that we headed back to Olivia were 17 dozen ears of corn were waiting for us at the Schmoll’s Sweet corn stand. We were the delivery crew for my nephew Tom’s graduation party. My family has become corn snobs and prefers to eat corn on the cob from none other than Renville County! I was happy to oblige & more happy that I didn’t have to pick the corn.

Lunch Day 26: SunButter & jelly sandwich & yogurt

Dinner Day 26: Grad party food- um yeah that wasn’t so local. However, the corn was very local and so good!

Day 25

2010-07-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 25: Granola, yogurt & strawberries (my new obsession!)

Lunch day 25: Leftover cabbage rolls & green beans (raw & crunchy!)

Dinner Day 25: Green beans, snap peas, raw milk havarti cheese & leftover chicken (yet another dinner in the car but this time we were on the way to the beach!)

Today was to hot for cooking and to hot for shopping so; we headed to the beach. How sad is it that it was my first time there all summer! Today was a pretty typical day, so not a lot of excitement to report. Tomorrow we are planning to check out a farmers’ market in the area, on Sunday we are visiting a farm & a berry picking trip is in the near future for us! No kidding, my son Elliot who is just about three told me the other day out of the clear blue that he wanted to go blueberry picking… Elliot in a berry patch kind of makes me nervous. Anyone know a great berry farm in the area that you suggest we go and check out?

Day 24

2010-07-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 24: Yogurt, granola & raspberries

Lunch Day 24: My husband made lunch today! Egg sandwiches & green beans

Dinner Day 24: Pizza, salad & green beans

Busted! Yup, I did the worst thing imaginable. Really, I am embarrassed to even say it… After a long lazy day at home not feeling well and trying my best to help get my husband packed for Annual Training with the MN National Guard, we ordered a pizza. I know, I know I am so ashamed! We did add a fresh salad from Chick-N-Coupe Ranch and green beans from my boss Linda.
I am sorry.
How about I add an extra day to the challenge?

Day 23

2010-07-07T22:13:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 23: Yogurt, strawberries & granola- can you say yum?

Lunch Day 23: Local cheeses, green beans, snap peas, strawberry muffin & kohlrabi

Dinner Day 23: Cabbage rolls, toast & raspberries -6 thumbs up for cabbage rolls at the Lang house!

At work this morning my boss Chris brought me a head of cabbage, some beautiful royal purple beans and some raspberries. Thank you Chris & Steve! (Their farm is the Birch Coulee Creak Farm). Other than coleslaw, I wasn’t too sure what to do with cabbage. Cabbage roll came to mind after remembering that I had some ground beef in the freezer. I ended up modifying an Emeril Lagasse recipe based on what I had in the frige… http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/cabbage-rolls-recipe/index.html I used crumbled bacon rather than ground pork, frozen tomatoes rather than canned and so on. The rice was bust barley was another option and a possible choice to find local. However, I didn’t think that far ahead. Chock the cabbage rolls up to another first time meal. They turned out pretty well and even Elliot ate it!

Day 22

2010-07-06T07:32:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 22: Two strawberry muffins! You will love them as much as I do after you make a batch.... follow the bread recipe from the MN Grown website. (For muffins fill a dozen muffins cups and bake for about 25 minutes).

Lunch Day 22: BBQ chicken sandwich, with lettuce & cheese on homemade wheat bread (I might be addicted to these sandwiches!) green beans, snap peas & dessert!

Yup, Berny Schmoll made a strawberry raspberry pie that was so delicious (and pretty looking)! That is one pie that I might need to get the recipe for. I am sorry I should have had my camera with me after all, it was a lunch birthday party. It did seem a little weird to show up at a lunch get together with my lunch in hand but it all tasted so good that I didn’t really mind, plus the pie made up for it.

Dinner Day 22: Pastures-A-Plenty cheddar brats, grilled green beans, salad, cucumbers & corn

My boss Linda brought us a big Ziploc full of green beans today! Thank you Linda! While at lunch, we learned about a new way to cook green beans from Mike Jenson. Mix olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste marinade the green beans in the mix for a few minutes, then grill until they have the grill marks on them. I was nervous that I’d have more beans down in the coals of the grill so I opted for a makeshift tin foil pan which did the trick- I don’t think we lost a single green bean to the coals. This might be our new favorite was to eat cooked green beans! Thanks Mike!

Day 21

2010-07-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 21: Strawberry muffins

Lunch Day 21: Left over chicken made into a yummy BBQ chicken sandwich with lettuce and cheese on homemade wheat bread

Dinner Day 21: Tacos- ok, so the tortillas were not local but everything else was including the newest addition to the taco diced cucumbers!

Andy’s cousin Gregg and his wife Cathy invited us over for dinner- it was a nice treat to not have to make dinner especially after a long hot weekend of landscaping and fighting off the ruthless Minnesota mosquitoes!

Day 20

2010-07-04T07:05:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 20: Best breakfast sandwich ever! Bacon, eggs, cheese & basil on a toasted Bubliki

Lunch Day 20: We skipped lunch on account of a big breakfast and the heat…

Dinner Day 20: Grilled chicken, bread, kohlrabi, beets & bread

Andy marinated the chicken for a few hours then we grilled it in a cast iron pot on the grill grate. The marinade always seems to burn and the skin gets blacked but the chicken is perfect on the inside.

Day 19

2010-07-03T06:41:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 19: Toast from homemade whole wheat bread with assorted local jams

Lunch Day 19: BBQ spare ribs, Potatoes & onions, fresh green beans & snap peas &
bread

This was the very first time I have ever made ribs- I thought it would be a nice surprise for my husband over the weekend while we were home working on a big landscaping project. I asked around and looked on the internet about how to cook ribs. After some research, I boiled them in seasoned water for about an hour, seasoned them, baked at 350 for 25 minutes, slathered them in a chipotle BBQ sauce and cooked another 5-10 minutes. It was a lot easier then I was expecting and a lot better tasting. It was a darn good lunch! We had friends over for lunch before heading out to play some golf. Nate & Beth couldn’t believe that all this food was local and the majority of it was purchased at the Farmers’ Market.

Dinner Day 19: Popcorn –It is too hot to cook!

Day 18

2010-07-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 18: Toasted Bubliki sandwich with an egg and cheese

Lunch Day 18: Green beans, snap peas, raw milk havarti, strawberries, raspberries & whole wheat toast- Yummy lunch, only thing missing was the wine!

While I was home at lunch I attempted to make my Grandma’s recipe for flat bread which I have never made before and of course I had to switch it up. I was thinking that I could roll the dough out thicker, flavor it up a bit and somehow I’d have a Wheat Thin type of cracker- um, not so much. They are eatable however you might lose a tooth in the process. My dog was happy to get the treat…

Dinner Day 18: SunButter and blackberry rhubarb jam sandwich on homemade wheat bread, yogurt & strawberries (on the run once again!)

Day 17

2010-07-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 17: Yogurt with strawberries

Just ate the last of my spicy pumpkin seeds... note to self need to save and toast a ton of seeds this fall!

Lunch Day 17: Grilled pepper jack cheese sandwich, corn, kohlrabi and salad

Dinner Day 17: Grazing of all my great finds at the Becker Market in Willmar which included Biscotti, jalapeño cheddar bread, snap peas, green beans, cheese & kohlrabi

So, I finally made it to the Becker Market in Willmar today. Oh my goodness, what a great market! There were flowers, chocolates, baked goods, canned items, homemade soaps, beautiful produce, cheese, frozen chickens, jewelry, henna tattoos, a t-shirt stand, a café area and lots of free samples! This is the long list of items I came home with red potatoes, 2 varieties of kohlrabi, onions, bubliki (a Russian bagel), biscotti, 2 huge frozen chickens, snap peas, green beans, raw milk havarti, smoked gouda, granola, tarragon vinegar & beets. Who needs a grocery store when there is a market like this around? The interaction between producer and consumer is really great as well. After purchasing two chickens from the Risa family out of Montevideo, they shared with me a couple of ways they cook their chickens. I also made a trip to the Farmers Co-Op Cenex in Sacred Heart to pick up some more meat from Pastures-A-Plenty, I was able to pick up the last package of spare ribs & I am pretty excited about that! I spent a total of $69.00 at the Market and another $45.00 at Cenex for a grand total of $125.00 throughout the week. However, there is well over a week’s worth of wonderful fresh local food at my house.

Is there is anyone out there?
Do you know of a great producer that I should get in contact with?

Day 16

2010-06-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 16: 2 Strawberry muffins

Lunch Day 16: Left over cheese pizza, fresh peas & yogurt with frozen strawberries

Dinner Day 16: Cheese burger, salad, tomatoes, broccoli & beets

My sister Kimmy brought us some wonderful hydroponic tomatoes from Eden Valley- They were so good! Now I am getting excited for tomatoes from the Farmers’ Markets although it will be a few weeks yet.

Tonight was kid central at my house with 3 extra ones running around. I still managed to finish updating the blog, I am sorry that I fell behind over the weekend. I will admit that not having internet access was a nice break. I also got two loaves of bread ready for the oven in the morning and have a batch of my grandma’s flat bread recipe chilling in the fridge.

Day 15

2010-06-29T07:44:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 15: Strawberries, contraband banana & granola bar (Sorry!)

Lunch Day 15: Pastures –A- Plenty cheddar brat, yogurt with strawberries, and fresh peas

Dinner Day 15: Cheese pizza (Dry Weather Creak flour, pizza sauce from Mages Gardens II & Bongards’ cheese) & salad (Louise Anderson & Chick-N-Coupe Ranch).

I made strawberry muffins with my niece Ella. She was nice enough to chop and freeze the last of my huge flat of berries! Now, it is time to go pick more strawberries and also get some raspberries! I also made my second batch of yogurt, I left it on the warming pad longer than the first batch… it might be too tart. I will know more tomorrow evening-

My boss Linda gave me a small block of Organic Raw Sharp White Cheddar Cheese from Organic Valley. This is some really really great cheese! I’d recommend it to anyone who likes a sharp cheddar cheese.

Day 14

2010-06-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 14: SunButter sandwich on homemade wheat bread with raspberries jam from Birch Coulee Creak Farm

Lunch Day 14: French toast stuffed with apples and strawberry yogurt

Dinner Day 14: Egg sandwich (Dry Weather Creek Farms, Birch Coulee Farm, Bongards’ Cheese), strawberries (Hilltop Harvest) and a salad (Chick-N-Coupe Ranch)
Dinner on the run eaten in the car!

We are still recovering from a busy weekend camping & Mondays are softball night so, I really didn’t do much in the way of cooking, baking or planning for the week.

Day 13

2010-06-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 13: Contraband blueberry muffins (I am sorry, my dad makes these awesome blueberry muffins that are super good and healthy- juice and yogurt in the batter rather than oil. So, I couldn’t resist!

Lunch Day 13: Pastures-A- Plenty brats, strawberries and Andy created a sandwich with left over roast beef, bacon and cheese that was local and wonderful- it needed some peppers and onions and it would have been perfect!My sister and brother in law found this amazing spicy mustard at the Bloomington Farmers' Market-made in Mankato, MN & so great on everything- an item to buy in bulk! Also, the kids had honey sticks also from the Bloomington Farmers' Market.

Dinner Day 13: BBQ Chicken pizza & salad- I had leftovers that needed to be used so pizza worked… The crust was ok, I think I need to roll it thinner and possibly watch the temp of my water when I am using yeast… All in all it was my first attempt at pizza crust and BBQ chicken pizza and it was more than eatable.

Day 12

2010-06-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 12: -

Brunch Day 12: Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, strawberries & toast

Lunch Day 12: The kids had pizza pockets that were 80% local, the bread came from the store...

Dinner Day 12: Grilled chicken, strawberries salad & garlic bread

Sorry, I had to cheat and eat a S ‘more. I was so excited and then so let down, it really didn’t taste as wonderful as I’d remembered or imagined… Maybe all this good tasting fresh food is getting the best of me!

Day 11

2010-06-25T16:36:00.001-07:00

Breakfast Day 11: Strawberry bread- I wasn’t very hungry, sorry
Lunch Day 11: Strawberry salad, yogurt & strawberry rhubarb muffin (I may have fallen into a rut!)

I am happy to report that I found the bread hooks for my mixer!
The best part is that I had them all along and they appeared when I needed them!

Dinner Day 11: Roast beef sandwich on homemade wheat bread with Bongards’ cheddar cheese, strawberries & a salad.

In an attempt to be prepared fro the weekend and a long car ride, I made a roast in a crock pot while I was at work. I did not follow a recipe or really know what I was doing. However, when I open the door into my house after work Friday afternoon the house smelled wonderful! The roast didn’t look that great but it was great on sandwiches.

I will do my best to eat as local as possible while camping. However, I am going to have to eat a Smore- Come on I AM CAMPING!

Day 10

2010-06-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 10: Strawberry rhubarb muffin & yogurt

Lunch Day 10: BBQ chicken sandwich with cheeses on a homemade wheat roll, pickles and more strawberry salad- I love that stuff, so good & so easy!

Dinner Day 10: SunButter and Strawberry Jam (Birch Coulee Creak Farm) sandwich on homemade bread (Dry Weather Creak), pickles, strawberries (Hilltop Harvest) and sugar snap peas (Becker Market in Willmar).

I admit it, we had dinner in the car tonight. We were on the run and in a hurry to get to Willmar to meet up with some friends. We quickly checked out the Becker Market, as the vendors were just about to close down for the night. There were a number of vendors and a ton of people. It is Willmar Fest this week so the weekly Market was part of Thursday’s Willmar Fest events along with the Kiddie parade and a block party. I need to get up and check out the Becker Market on a day when it is less crowded. Amy & Lieann proudly sharing their Market finds including Sugar Snap Peas, Wild Rice Bread & a MN Grown button!

Day 9

2010-06-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 9: Strawberry Bread & Yogurt, so good!

Lunch Day 9: BBQ chicken sandwich & strawberry salad

Dinner Day 9: Fish sandwich (lake in Northern MN), peas (from my boss Linda), strawberries (Hilltop Harvest), Bun (Dry Weather Creak Flour).

Elliot and I made it out to the Hector Farmers’ Market this evening. We picked up some spinach, beets & Sherry Kenney of Chick-N-Coupe Ranch was nice enough to sell us some strawberry popcorn from last year (its kernels are red but it pops up white).

We also made a batch of strawberry rhubarb muffins from the Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook. They look and smell delicious!

Day 8

2010-06-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 8: Yogurt & strawberry bread, even Elliot gave this breakfast his attention!

Wheat Bread Recipe
Ready in: > 2 hrs
recipe difficulty 3/5 Difficulty: 3 (1=easiest :: hardest=5)

Serves/Makes: 1 loaf

Ingredients:
1 package yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
3 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm
2 tablespoons oil
2 eggs

Directions:

Sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Let stand 8 to 10 minutes. Then stir to dissolve. Steel Knife: Place 3 cups of flour, salt and honey in processor bowl. Process 5 or 6 seconds. Add dissolved yeast through fee tube while machine is running. Process about 10 seconds. Combine milk, oil and eggs in a measuring cup. Add through feed tube while machine is running. Batter will be very sticky. Dump in the reserved 1/4 cup flour as machine begins to slow down. Process until well mixed, about 30 seconds. Batter will not form a ball on the blades. Empty onto a well-floured board or counter. Flour surface of dough to make it manageable for kneading. Knead about 2 minutes, adding flour as necessary to prevent dough from sticking. Place in a greased bowl and turn dough over so that all surfaces are greased. Cover and let rise until double in bulk. Punch down. Roll dough on a lightly floured board into a 9x12 inch rectangle. Roll up, jelly-roll style, from the shorter side. Seal ends by pressing down the ban. Cover and let rise until double. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool.

This recipe from CDKitchen for 100% Whole Wheat Bread serves/makes 1 loaf
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recipetemplate.php?scale=1+loaf&mid=1619

Dinner Day 8: Juicy Lucy burgers (cheese filled)Pastures A Plenty Beef, homemade buns Dry Weather Creak Flour), salad (Chick-N-Coupe Ranch & Louise Schwiess Anderson), broccoli (Either Chick-N-Coupe Ranch or LaVonne Lothert), radishes (LaVonne Lothert) & strawberries (Hilltop Harvest).

I attempted to make hamburger buns, although they look like hockey pucks they tasted pretty good & they did the job. My only complaint is that they got to be kind of thick! I found a great looking strawberry rhubarb muffin recipe in The Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook my boss, Chris loaned to me. I am looking forward to making them tomorrow.

Day 7

2010-06-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 7: SunButter sandwich on homemade wheat bread, yogurt & strawberries.

Lunch Day 7: Walleye (leftover from last night) sandwich on wheat with cheddar cheese & lettuce, broccoli, beats & radishes and a pies of rhubarb pie!

Dinner Day 7: Leftovers! Chicken, peas, cheesy polenta & squash soup.

I made Strawberry Bread with some of the beautiful berries picked at Hilltop Harvest near Redwood Falls. Yum Yum Yum, I will make many more loves of this bread in the near future. The recipe came from the MN Grown Pick of the Month website & available at the end of this blog.

I saved some energy and kind of took the night off in anticipation of preparing throughout the rest of the week for a weekend camping trip which always requires extra work and even more so with eating local. I will need to make breads and snacks to bring along… Any great snack ideas out there that can be made with seasonal produce and travel well?

Strawberry Bread

Ingredients:

· 1/2 cup unsalted butter
· 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
· 3 large eggs
· 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
· 2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
· 1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
· 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the oven rack in the middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 inch). Set aside.

Place the walnuts (or pecans) on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes or until brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool completely before chopping coarsely. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until softened (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three additions) and sour cream (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries and walnuts.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake about one hour, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. This bread can be frozen.

Recipe Courtesy of joyofbaking.com

Day 6

2010-06-20T20:59:00.001-07:00

I am determined to find berries today!

A loaf of bread in the oven at 10:30 am is a lovely way to start the day! Please note that my bread looks better than the one from the other day… I am learning!

Breakfast Day 6: -

Brunch Day 6: Pastures A Plenty bacon, eggs from Birch Coulee Creek Farm, bread made with wheat flour from Dry Weather Creak and honey from Kruse in Milan topped with jam from Birch Coulee Creek Farm.

Lunch Day 6: -

Hurray for Hilltop Harvest of Redwood Falls! So many beautiful and tasty strawberries, friendly staff, other nice folks out picking with their families- a great way to spend an hour or two on a beautiful afternoon! This was the first time I’d ever gone berry picking- and it was a fun time. Three-year-old Hokon even had a great time. I picked a flat full of strawberries in about 45 minutes and it was well worth my time. I quote ”These are awesome tasting strawberries!” and Andy would not say that about fruit unless he really meant it.

Dinner Day 6: Fresh Walleye that Andy caught on Big Sand Lake near Park Rapids, (not super local but from the great State of Minnesota). We also had leftover cheesy polenta, salad, left over chicken, strawberries, radishes, kohlrabi and beets. Our neighbor Hilly joined us for dinner along with my friend Ann and her two boys, Hokon & Espen. We all enjoyed dinner so much that none of us including the three little guys saved room for the humble rhubarb pie I made last night.

Such a great dinner and it all came together really easy (no joke)! During the 20 to 30 minutes that it took to get dinner on the table Ann & I were chatting. We came to the conclusions that eating local is not difficult, planning a head is key along with making the most of your leftovers, having a willingness to try new things is also very helpful as well as keeping it simple. At each meal now rather than asking my self or family “what do you want for dinner?” I know ask “what do we have for dinner”.

Day 5

2010-06-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

Eating local for 1 month, here is to a great day 5 of the challenge! Brouwer Berries in Raymond, MN here we come! Thank you MN Grown directory for helping me find a listing for strawberries in the area.

Breakfast Day 5: 2 delicious farm fresh eggs from Chick-No Coupe Ranch and breakfast sausage from Pastures A Plenty.

Note to self, call before you drive to a farm to pick anything- I guess they were closed- Oops! I was disappointed to not pick up strawberries as I had big plans for them. I stopped by the County Stop Produce Stand in Willmar and asked some questions. I was presently surprised to find out that a small farmer grows each the beautiful products that are available at the Country Stop. However, The current produce comes from Wisconsin & on account of being held accountable by this blog I chose to walk away. It was so difficult to walk away from all those luscious berries. I hope to find some MN berries in the area in the next few days.

Lunch Day 5: After having a later breakfast and wanting a break from cooking It was a grazing kind of lunch throughout the afternoon. It included a scrumptious artisan bread that a friend’s mom had made this morning- Thank you Nancy, now you will have to teach me your bread making ways! Strawberries, pepper jack cheese, beats & radishes were also part of the spread.

Dinner Day 5: Savory polenta & sautéed spinach- It tastes much better than it sounds!

The yogurt turned out pretty well. I added vanilla, local honey and strawberry jam to the batch before serving. The yogurt did get the approval from two little guys (Elliot and his friend Hokon) who even slurped up every drop spilled on the table!

After washing about four full large ziploc bags of lettuce, a ton of radishes, making dinner, washing and chopping rhubarb l I was exhausted. However, I still needed to do something with the rhubarb & we were out of bread. Thanks to the Internet, I found a simple rhubarb pie and crust recipe that I made and also made another loaf of bread ready for the oven tomorrow morning.

Going to bed happy, tired and full!

Day 4

2010-06-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Day 4: Corn grits cereal from Dry Weather Creak with butter and honey & fresh strawberries on the side.

Lunch Day 4: Yummy chicken Caesar salad with a slice of with wheat bread.

Tonight was one of those nights when the last thing I wanted to do was cook dinner. If it weren't for this challenge, I would have put a pizza in the oven & called it a day.

Dinner Day4: Hot chicken bacon sandwich with fresh cilantro & lettuce, peas and squash soup.

We visited the Mages Gardens II this evening. This is a three-generation operation run by Bruce and Nancy Mages along with their daughter Amanda Mages-Zupke and her three young children. They have about five different gardens that they expand, rotate and add to each year. These folk are serous vegetable growers. They have easily have 100 tomato plants with 8 or 9 different varieties. Their gardens are full of beats, peas, garlic, bell, and hot peppers, squash, gourds, pumpkins, watermelons, rhubarb, a variety of beans, potatoes, sweet corn and more.

They sent us home with some garlic scapes, radishes, rhubarb and a variety of their delicious canned items including pizza sauce, pickles, blackberry rhubarb jam, hot pickled veggies, hot raspberry rhubarb jam and a favorite of mine sweet hot peppers.

Tonight I tried my hand at making yogurt. Yes, you read that right I said yogurt. I’d been interested in trying to make yogurt for a while and this project gave me the perfect opportunity. It is a process and it is not finished yet. I am at the point where I wait patiently for seven hours followed by a good eight hours of chilling in the refrigerator.

Day 3

2010-06-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

I was in the kitchen at 6:30 am punching, kneading, rolling and rising dough for the second time. The waiting and hard work paid off. Although it was far from the best tasting or looking loaf of bread I’ve seen I can say it was made from local products and in my kitchen.

Breakfast Day 3: 2 fresh warm pieces of wheat bread with raspberry jam, 3 slices of local bacon and a glass of ice cold milk.

I have a loaf of French bread in my freezer and I am telling you it is the best crusty on the outside soft on the inside perfect kind of bread and it is made right here in Minnesota. I thought it was a long shot that they’d use “local” flour & look at this e-mail I just received from the New French Bakery in Minneapolis.
Hi Susie,
Thank you for the email. It’s great to hear you are trying to eat as local as possible. The flour we use in our breads and rolls comes from Minnesota. Hope this helps.
Sincerely,
JUDY
Sales Support

NEW FRENCH BAKERY
828 Kasota Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
newfrenchbakery.com

Attempting to make my first whole chicken at some point today night…

Lunch Day 3: Grilled cheese sandwich on the wheat bread I made this morning, spinach salad, fresh broccoli & radishes.

We also managed to get a whole chicken in the oven while home for lunch. Thank you Andy! Good thing he was home to help because I needed it!

Dinner Day 3: Delicious baked chicken, last year’s frozen peas, fresh broccoli, radishes & wheat bread.

The chicken turned out pretty good. I am thankful that Andy was home at noon & nice enough help me get it ready for the oven. It was pretty basic, olive oil, salt, pepper, minced garlic and Andy put it over a beer can before baking it.

After dinner Elliot and I were invited to Blair and Louise Anderson’s farm near Fairfax. Louise, a Renville County Master Gardner gave us a tour of her gardens. Wow, they are beautiful! There is a flower and herb garden, a memory flower garden and a vegetable garden. Louise sent us home with a variety of lettuces & herbs, beats, kohlrabi and a beautiful flower arrangement.

Day 2

2010-06-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

Breakfast 2 delicious farm fresh scrambled eggs with chives and parsley- I know I ate that yesterday, what can I say I love eggs and they are so quick and easy in the morning! Tomorrow I will eat something different in the morning, I promise! I’d like to find some bacon…

Snack: Toasted Spicy Pumpkin Seeds. They are from out jack lanterns we made last year after purchasing them at the Olivia Farmers’ Market. I am not sure why we still have them because they are darn good!

I hit the mother lode today: Farmers Co-Op Cenex in Sacred Heart has local meat from Pastures A Plenty and a big selection because it was just stocked, the clerk mentioned bacon!

I just picked up local bacon, breakfast links, a variety of brats, and ground beef! So exciting, thank you Pastures A Plenty and Sacred Heart Farmers’ Co-Op Cenex!

Lunch: Cheddar brat from Pastures A Plenty, frozen Peas from last year & some Bongards cheese.

I made it out to the Hector Farmer's Market where I Picked up Spinach, Bib Lettuce, Romaine, Rhubarb and Radishes from LaVonn Lothert and Sherry Kenney's gardens. There also was a jewelry vendor there. I didn't catch her name but did have the chance to notice that here stuff was amazing! If you like mixed metal funky jewelry I think you need to make it to Hector next Wednesday between 3 and 6 pm (she told me that she'd be there).

Dinner: Broccoli Rabe, Bok Choy, Asparagus, Kohlrabi, Onions and Garlic Scapes sauté, Valley Made Polish Sausage & Strawberries made by my wonderful friend Ann! So Yummy! Thank you Ann!

We also visited Bergen’s Prairie Market in Milan, MN where I picked up some great basics including a ton of different flours and corn meals from Dry Weather Creak (unbleached wheat, Rye, Graham, Corn Meal, Corn Grits) a few different types of meats, and local honey.

I also have attempted to make a loaf of bread, we will see if and how it turns out tomorrow.

Day 1

2010-06-15T23:10:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: 2 farm fresh scrambled eggs with parsley & chives from my little herb garden. I know a non exciting yet tasty start to the local challenge and my day, things will get more exciting!

Lunch: A mixed lettuce salad and squash soup. A huge thank you to my boss Chris for giving me the soup, Yum!

Dinner: Medallian beef burgers with cheese (Bongards) wrapped in lettuce with Fresh broccoli & cauliflower and last year’s sweet corn.

My family also had the opportunity to go and visit the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) that we joined, DEW Drop Gardens, in rural Hector, MN. It was cool to see a plot of land that had tiny seedlings starting to appear and think that in just a few weeks this garden will be capable to feeding 16-20 families!

Introduction

2010-06-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

Allow me to introduce you to my family. There are three of us, my husband Andy, our son Elliot who is almost 3 and me. Over the next month we are going to try to eat as local as possible. We are going to do our best to discover what is available right here where we live, work and play. I want to be able and find the person who grew or raised the food we are eating. As a result of this project, I hope to help create a “road map” of local items and the places you can find them as well as ideas of how to serve it.

I am looking for input, ideas, suggestion, recipes, people to contact and so on regarding this local food journey. So, please share your wisdom with me and the others who may be reading this blog, we’d like to hear from you!

The Eat Local Challenge

2010-06-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

The Eat Local Challenge

Renville County HRA/EDA staff, Susie Lang and her family are taking on a month long eat local challenge June 15th through July 15th. The Lang family will shop and eat as locally as possible from local farms, roadside stands, farmers’ markets and other sources of locally grown food for four full weeks. Lang also plans to test out some online sources and directories including localdirt.com and MN Grown to help access local producers.

Lang and her family have been challenged by the Renville County Ag & Renewable Energy Committee of the HRA/EDA to eat as locally as possible for the month. According to Heather Hilleren, CEO of Local dirt.com, the local food movement is one of the fastest growing sectors in the food industry. Renville County is a dynamic agricultural community; there are hundreds of farmers and gardeners within miles of where we all work and live. However, much of what we purchase at local stores is food that has not been grown anywhere near the rich black soil of Renville County. “I want to get in touch with my food and know where it was grown and who cared for it,” says Lang. Lang plans to document the journey on Twitter and Facebook as well as the HRA/EDA web site at www.renville.com. “I want to show local consumers that eating local is a doable thing that is also accessible and affordable.”

The Renville County Housing and Economic Development Authority (HRA/EDA) works to keep the county strong by fostering business growth and development, promoting tourism and recreation, and providing housing opportunities for county residents. The HRA/EDA office supports and coordinates the Renville County Ag & Renewable Energy Committee (Ag/R.E.) which is committed to expanding & enhancing the agricultural and renewable energy possibilities in Renville County.

The HRA/EDA has been supporting the expansion and success of agricultural business, the area Farmers’ Markets and local business in Renville County since the department was formed in 2000. This past fall marked a new campaign that supports shopping at local businesses known as the 4-$40 Plan. The month long Eat Local Challenge is bringing all those areas together and expanding on the foundation the HRA/EDA that has been built over the past ten years.

If you’d like more information about the Eat Local Challenge please contact Susie
at 320-523-3837 or by e-mail at susie@mail.renville.com To follow the eat local challenge on twitter visit RenCoHRAEDA and or on Facebook at Renville County HRA/EDA.