Spring Farmers Market Begins
Our spring farmers market opened yesterday, and I am so excited to begin planning weekly meals around local foods. You are probably wondering how much local eating one could manage in April in the Midwest. Well, my friends, you easily could have found enough local food at this first market to keep you well nourished for the next week: eggs, cheese, chicken, beef, hydroponic lettuce, mushrooms, noodles, asparagus, granola, breads and desserts. And I'm sure I am forgetting a number of other offerings.
I myself purchased a soy candle, hydroponic lettuce, baby portobella mushrooms, vanilla almond granola, free-range eggs, hormone-free ground beef, and asparagus. Obviously, I will need to round out my menu considerably this week with some store-bought stuff, but I am going to try to build my meals around local foods more and more in the coming weeks. I will try to document my experiences here regularly in case you, too, are interested in ditching processed, prepackaged, nutrient-deficient "foods" and join the local foods movement.
So, for starters, I plan to make a nice salad to take to work for lunch tomorrow. I'll top that lettuce with slices of the portobella mushrooms, add a few sprouts, some pine nuts, and a bit of onion and maybe some shredded parmesan cheese. I plan to roast the asparagus later this afternoon, and if there is any left, I'll take some of that for lunch as well. I have been on a boiled egg kick over the last couple of weeks, so I will probably boil a couple of the free-range eggs and throw one in my lunch bag as well.
As for the granola, I love to eat it for breakfast mixed with several generous tablespoons of plain yogurt, ground flaxseed, dried cranberries, and honey. All that fiber...so good for you.
I'm not exactly sure what I'll do with the ground beef...perhaps I will make a meatloaf or tacos later this week.
Right now, I must get some fresh bread started in the bread machine.
I would love to hear about your own local foods experiences, so feel free to post.
I myself purchased a soy candle, hydroponic lettuce, baby portobella mushrooms, vanilla almond granola, free-range eggs, hormone-free ground beef, and asparagus. Obviously, I will need to round out my menu considerably this week with some store-bought stuff, but I am going to try to build my meals around local foods more and more in the coming weeks. I will try to document my experiences here regularly in case you, too, are interested in ditching processed, prepackaged, nutrient-deficient "foods" and join the local foods movement.
So, for starters, I plan to make a nice salad to take to work for lunch tomorrow. I'll top that lettuce with slices of the portobella mushrooms, add a few sprouts, some pine nuts, and a bit of onion and maybe some shredded parmesan cheese. I plan to roast the asparagus later this afternoon, and if there is any left, I'll take some of that for lunch as well. I have been on a boiled egg kick over the last couple of weeks, so I will probably boil a couple of the free-range eggs and throw one in my lunch bag as well.
As for the granola, I love to eat it for breakfast mixed with several generous tablespoons of plain yogurt, ground flaxseed, dried cranberries, and honey. All that fiber...so good for you.
I'm not exactly sure what I'll do with the ground beef...perhaps I will make a meatloaf or tacos later this week.
Right now, I must get some fresh bread started in the bread machine.
I would love to hear about your own local foods experiences, so feel free to post.
Roasted Asparagus (Topped w/ Parmesan Cheese)
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