Saturday, June 27, 2009

June 27th Farmers Market Bounty !

Took my standard Saturday morning bike ride down to the Farmer's Market in Deering Oakes then around the peninsula for a quick morning workout !

Heres what it looked like...

the loaded down Ras Commuter
Here's what was inside...
Strawberries (Merriweather Farm)
Goat Milk & Goat Mozzarella (Tourmaline Farm)
Broccoli (Fishbowl Farm)
Gold Beets & Kholrabi (Freedom Farm)
RubyKraut (Thirty Acre Farm)

the Rooftop Garden

Updated pics of the rooftop container garden....
these tomatoes are raging... German Red Strawberry on the left
and Tigerella on the right...already starting to fruit !
Lots and lots of heirloom tomatoes....a overview...kale, collards, peppers, peas, beans, herbs and more....The begining of our Cascadian Hops plant...can you say 100%
locally grown & brewed beer !the Worm Composting Bin... they are hard at work !A rooftop overview....
A plate full of the Maine Coast...

Line Caught Haddock
(purchased from Free Range Fish & Lobster)
Asparagus roasted w/ butter & sea salt
(Moarr Farm, Smiling Hill Farm, Maine Sea Salt Company)
Roasted Shallots & Bok Choy
(Rippling Waters Farm)
Mashed Great White Heirloom Taters w/ Goat Cheese
(Crown of Maine, Sunset Acres)

This is one of our favorite meals...it can be thrown together in less than a half hour and has been known to fill us to our gills !




Wednesday, June 24, 2009

the Gardens

A glimpse of the new community garden plot I've started growing at...

Here is what it looked like after weeding out some straggler strawberry plants and some slug ridden eggplants...

and then I got busy tilling the soil, rowing it up into hillz and valleys...
So far Ive planted sugarbaby watermelons, acorn squash, marketmore cukes,
red, gold and green peppers, 6 kinds of tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, yellow & green zucchini,
genovese basil and I replanted some cayenne peppers that had been scattered about the plot.

I have also posted some pics previously of my rooftop garden... its a straight up container garden going on the second year I will post some new pics with its progress soon come !

Here Comes Sunshine > Let It Grow !

Strawberries...


Getting the Most Out of Your Strawberries
...

So strawberry season is here and Cassi and I have been enjoying the sweet treats quite alot. So much that I couldn't bring myself to taking all those bits of fruit attached to the leaf tops and just drop them into my compost pile...hmmmm
Here is what i do with all those leftover tops.....
Strawberry Juice
Thats right...collect all those tops you cut off through the week and once they amount to a few cups worth...add them into a pot of boiling water....boil for 20 minutes and then let sit for a couple hours...strain into a picture and presto...Strawberry Juice. If its not quite sweet enough, as is, you can add some honey during the boiling process !


Late June Recipes... Beet N' Green Soup


Being in the midst of a long long stretch of rainy weather has made soup a warm comforting meal. I prepared this soup above on June 23

Beet N' Green Soup
Yellow Eye Beans
Soldier Beans
Kelp Noodles
Barley
Split Peas
Red Beets
Kale & Chard Trimmings
Sweet Peas
Rutabaga
Sea Salt
Shaker Seasoning Mix

Basically if anyone has never made soup, its very very easy. The hardest part is judging proportions for your taste...how much kale vs how much roots vegetables ? How much salt vs seasonings... these are all up to the cook. Im not gonna sit here and tell you to use 3 large beets and four tablespoons of sea salt. My typical soup starts with a pot full of beans and grains...fill with water...a pinch of salt...leave for work...come home 8 hours later and strain... add fresh water and bring to boil...add everything else ! Simmer....


Project Local Rootz !

Ok ok... so I've been thinking that posting exactly what I eat day after day seemed like a great idea when the project started... at first it was going to be a 30 day project and now it has turned into day to day life. I can't really ever see myself not eating local, so, I have decided that instead of my daily post, laying out all my consumption day in and day out... I will concentrate more on "special" meals that shine from our weekly eating habits...as well as to give more recipes and information on what is in season, what are good alternatives, as well as where to find more information that can help us all "Eat Local".

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Project Local Rootz (Day Fifty One)

Day Fifty One's Consumption

June 20, 2009.

Breakfast
Rough Cut Oats
& Cornmeal Porridge
w/strawberries & blueberries

Lunch
Spelt Crackers &
Bean Dip
Tomato Basil Spelt Pizza
w/ goat mozzarella
Glass of Honeymaker Mead Dry

Dinner
Steamed Lobster
Kraut Salad
Glass of Rough Cut Cider

Today was the first test of eating locally away from home. It started at home in Portland with the usual breakfast and trip down to the farmers market. My grabs for this week were; goat milk, goat mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, sugar snap peas, lacinato kale, red russian kale. From there it was onto the bike and off to the fishing wharf to pick up a handful of lobsters to bring home to Massachusetts for a fathers day cookout at my parents. The day went off without a hitch and my stepfather and grandfather were very gracious for there lobster dinner... the only hard part was turning down numerous offers of beer and desserts. I held in to any cravings by drinking my rough cut cider and mead.

Transportation today included 12 miles of grocery getting.

Project Local Rootz (Day Fifty)

Day Fifty's Consumption

June 19, 2009.

Breakfast
Rough Cut Oats
& Cornmeal Porridge
w/strawberries & blueberries

Dinner
(Cheat Day One)
Passage to India
Aurora Provisions
Downeast Beverage

Today was the final day of a the work week and a night that both Cassi and I had off. After much deliberation we decided we should use our one "cheat meal" a month. In a prior post I had explained that we would take one meal a month off from the 100% Maine diet and tonight was the first. It started with a typical maine breakfast and my hunger built throughout the workday... we were all sold out of Maine yogurt so I had no substance to keep me going through the day...as I returned from work Cassi was ready for a night on the town. We decided on Indian food and our favorite Indian establishment is Passage to India on Wharf st. There we walked excited but still a bit hesitant...its funny how weird it felt to go back to old eating habits after just 50 days... Seated at the restaurant we chose our meal very carefully...
We ordered...
Bottle of Chenin Blanc from India
Mama's Plate Appetizer
(a sampler plate of appetizers that included samosas and pakora)
Garlic Onion Kulcha
(a standard Indian bread to accompany the entree)
Mango Chutney
(a side sauce made with pureed mango)
Fish Tandoori
(an entree of sizzling salmon w/ onions & peppers & spices)

After dinner we opted on picking up dessert at our old standby
Aurora Provisions

1 Fudge Brownie
1 Coconut brownie
1 Pint Maples Caramel Ice Cream
Downeast Beverage
1 Meantime Porter
1 Monk's Sour

After purchasing some goodies from Aurora's and Downeast we proceeded home to enjoy our cheats for one night... we felt a bit guilty but reasoned it out... 365 days a year and 11 of them would include one dinner not grow from Maine foods...
The saga continues....

Transportation for today included 30 miles of bicycle commuting.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Project Local Rootz (Day Forty Nine)

Day Forty Nine's Consumption
June 18, 2009.

Breakfast
Rough Cut Oats
w/ blueberry butter, cranberries & honey

Lunch
Plain Sheep's Milk Yogurt
w/ honey

Dinner
Baked Bay Scallops
Mashed Great White Heirloom Taters
w/ Sea Salt, Rosemary & Goat Cheese
Asparagus
Sweetgrass Cranberry Apple Wine

Dessert
Strawberry Ice Cream

Today was a blazing day on the bicycle... tearing up hills and flashing through the city like your breath on a cool autumn morning. We ate very well starting the morning with breakfast together and meeting back at home with my workday complete and Cassi's half over we sat for a scrumptious dinner fresh from the Atlantic. As Cassi left for her second shift... I organized some music onto my ipod and slashed through the peninsula once again...returning home as darkness engulfed the peninsula in a foggy mist... at home I concocted a new ice cream flavor...

Strawberry Ice Cream
3 cups Goat Milk
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
3/4 cup Pureed Fresh Strawberries

Add milk and maple syrup to ice cream maker...let churn for 15 or so minutes. Put small bowl of fresh strawberries through the food processor till soupy...chunky but soupy...add the strawberries 5 or so minutes before ice cream is done churning. Enjoy !

Project Local Rootz (Day Fourty Eight)

Day Forty Eight's Consumption

June 17, 2009.

Breakfast
Spring Omelet
w/ Baby Spinach & Cheddar
side of rubykraut

Lunch
Plain Smiling Hill Farm Yogurt
w/ honey
Lots of Strawberries
Kraut salad
w/ New Leaf Farm Mesculin
Olivia's Cherrry Tomatoes
Easter Egg Radish
Monterey Jack Cheese
Rubykraut


Dinner
Fish Fry
w/ Collards, Shallots and leftover Haddock

Dessert
Maple Goat Milk Ice Cream
w/ fresh strawberries on top

Today was a beautiful day with temperatures reaching the high 70's... it started as a typical work day with a nice little 2 egg omelet to get things started. I ended up finishing with work a bit early so I decided today would be a perfect day to bolt over to the Monument Square farmers market to pick up some seedlings for our newly acquired community garden plot on Valley St. Its a long story as to how I was blessed with the space but short story is Im being the caretaker of it till the owner moves back to Portland. As I rolled into the market with trailer in tow...I observed the typical bubbling of musicians and shoppers... the market consisted of lots of greens; from kale to collards to lettuces of many varieties...and then out of the corner of my eye i spotted them "STRAWBERRIES !" I was instantly attracted to the plump juicy sugar cubes of summer otherwise known as the strawberry... it was then that I started to draw back and ask myself, hmmmm I wonder how many quarts Cassi had already brought home this morning...and then I decided she probably went overboard and I better hold off... back to the task at hand, seedlings !
I wandered over to see Richard at the Rippling Waters stand and proceded to gather all those things I wished I could grow o my roof but couldnt due to growing habits and container restrictions... I got a whole heap of seedlings; sugar baby watermelons, acorn squash, zebra zucchini, marketmore cukes, and a couple of varieties of kale. From there it was off to the plot. I spent a few hours organizing some sporadic seedlings the previous caretaker had dropped in...mostly cayenne peppers and a couple of eggplants... unfortunately all the moist weather had the slugs feasting on most of the eggplants so they were not very salvageable. I decided to pull up the peppers and hand till the 12" x 8" plot... I raked out some remaining rocks and pulled up the creeping strawberry plants that were popping up here and there from a previous owners plot. I rowed up the remaining soil and proceeded to layout what I hope is the start of a productive plot. Tired and dirty from working hard in the miday sun, I pedaled over to see Cassi and tell her the progress I had made...as well as picking up the 4qts of plump strawberries she had purchased earlier as well as a handful of other goods. From there it was back to the rooftop garden to water and trim...whipped up a couple salads and some fish fry with leftovers. We finished off the long productive day with a bowl of Maple Ice Cream covered in fresh sliced strawberries and episode of the Daily Show on Hulu. Perfect ending !

Transportation today included 22 miles of commuting to work... followed by 10 miles of towing things back and fourth from market to community plot.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Project Local Rootz (Day Forty Seven)

Day Forty Seven's Consumption

June 16, 2009.

Breakfast
Spring Omelet
w/ Baby Spinach & Cheddar
side of rubykraut

Lunch
Plain Smiling Hill Farm Yogurt
w/ honey

Dinner
Baked Haddock
w/ Roasted Asparagus
Side of Mashed Great White Heirloom Taters
w/ goat cheese & rosemary
glass of Sweetgrass Apple Wine
& Sweetgrass Blueberry Beaujolais

Dessert
Baked Cortland Apples
w/ oats and honey
Topped w/
Blueberry Butter & Maple Ice Cream
glass of Blueberry Smash

Today was another early dinner with Cassi pulling another double... Lois my boss and owner of Lois' Natural took a road trip up to Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery in Unity this past weekend and brought back many things I had request... these things were the highlight of the day ! I had no choice but to make a rather elegant dinner to accompany the vast assortment of wines. The apple wine was crisp and clean but definitely a wine rather than a cider which was a positive for me... the Blueberry Beaujolais was very interesting and didn't quite open up the full flavor until I let the glass sit for awhile. It definitely had the light qualities of some of Deboeuf Beaujolais Ive had in the past, but the fact it was made with blueberries leads to a wonderful flavor journey !
As for the Blueberry Smash (Port)...it was and is just what we needed for dessert. Today I also got loads accomplished on the rooftop deck. Planted and staked a handful of tomatoes and peppers... its starting to come together ! Tomorrow I will take a gander at the new community plot I just got the Ok to start using !

Transportation included 32 miles of commuting via my Surly LHT bicycle, as well as about 6 miles of errands on the Ras Commuter.
Check out www.sweetgrasswinery.com

Project Local Rootz (Day Forty Six)

Day Forty Six's Consumption

June 15, 2009.

Breakfast
Spring Green Omelet
w/ Asparagus, Spinach & Shallots
Slice of Volkonbrot

Lunch
Plain Sheep's Milk Yogurt
w/ honey

Dinner
Spelt Tomato Basil Pizza
w/ Goat Mozzarella

Dessert
Blueberry Butter & Maple Ice Cream

Today was a standard back to the grind Monday... with Cassi working a double and only a couple hours to spare in between...I opted on the quick route home in order to have some pizza in the oven for her return. My plan worked perfectly with the two of us sitting down for an early dinner with a bit of relaxing time after...

Transportation today included 28 miles commuting via bicycle with a couple extra miles running errands in the evening.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Project Local Rootz (Day Forty Five)

Day Forty Five's Consumption

June 14, 2009.

Breakfast
Spring Green Omelet
w/ Red Russian Kale, Spinach
cheddar & chevre
Great White Heirloom Homefries
w/ red onion

Dinner
Kraut Salad
Steamed Lobster
w/Collard Greens
sauteed w/ red onion & haddock
glass of Honeymaker Semi-Sweet Mead

Dessert
Baked Cortland Apples
w/ oats, blueberries & cranberries
topped w/ maple goat milk
ice cream

So after coming home from the lobster dinner with Geofferson's family I couldn't stop telling Cassi about how much I enjoyed the lobster. She was glad I liked it but obviously a little disappointing she had to work for it. I instantly said that to make up for it we could have our own lobster bake. So after a hearty breakfast that left both of us stuffed... Cassi was off to work a short 4 hour shift... I was off to get a couple more rounds of ping-pong in before Geofferson and Hannah headed back to Philly. After several futile attempts to reclaim some dignity at the ping-pong table...it turned into a friendly volley before Geo had to head out. I also decided to put the paddle down and to continue a rainy bike ride around the peninsula...filling my panniers with a delectable dinner... (2) 1 1/4 lb lobsters, 1 bottle of honeymaker semi-sweet mead, 3 cortland apples from ricker hill and a tub of smiling hill farm butter. Upon returning home I prepped the apples and baked them for later that evening. Then dinner was on and it was as good as I remembered the previous nights to be. I dove in, eating the tamale and all... Being a longtime vegetarian and even dabbling as a vegan for a year here and there... I thought it might be difficult to put a flopping lobster into a steam bath... but after last night i found it not as difficult as imagined.... needless to say, Lobster bakes are gonna be a frequent occasion at our household!

Project Local Rootz (Day Forty Four)

Day Forty Four's Consumption

June 13, 2009.

Breakfast
Spring Green Omelet
w/ Spinach, Swiss Chard & Asparagus
w/ Great White Heirloom
Potato Homefries
slice of Volkonbrot

Lunch
Tomato Basil Open faced
Sandwich
w/ goat mozzarella
on volkonbrot

Dinner
Steamed Maine Lobster
w/ kraut salad

Today started off with Cassi and I heading down to the Farmers Market... first thing in the morning... at the market we picked up a few pieces of goat mozzarella, & goat milk (both from Tourmaline Farm), basil & cherry tomatoes (from olivias garden), collards and another handful of tomato and pepper plants for the container garden. After making the long ascent back up to our west end abode... we decided it was time for breakfast. I kept it pretty standard but no matter what I add or subtract... it always brings a satisfying smile to both our faces. After breakfast we spent some time planting our recently purchased seedlings into containers as well as taking in the warm sun rays that had escaped us during this rainy week. After a few hours passed...we made a quick lunch with the remains of our Volkonbrot bread from Mother Oven. After lunch I headed over to Percy Cycles to finish my final adjustments on the Surly LHT. Cassi had to work the evening shift and I had dinner plans with my good friend Geofferson or Geo for short. His parents had just bought a house in my neck of the woods and Geo and his lovely wife Hannah were intown visiting from Philadelphia. Geofferson and I are the only two members of Coignizant Sound... (www.cognizantsound.com) a reggae soundsystem that sprouted from a weekly gig we did together at Free St. Taverna back in 2003 I believe....? Anyhow, the house was gorgeous...old time Portland west end style with many modern upgrades ! I should also mention that this was the first time i was able to eat something that I had not made myself... this meal was something i was very excited about... Lobster ! I have had lobster meat in a few things but I had never taken the plunge to eat a whole one. It was a wonderful experience... I brought along my infamous "kraut salad" and the whole meal was enjoyed with friendly conversation and a couple bottles of vino. I should also mention the fact that as an added bonus there was a freshly installed ping pong table in the game room/ attic... which I masterfully cleared without any serious challenges...they say they will practice and I long for a game that will leave sweat on my brow !


Saturday, June 13, 2009

Project Local Rootz (Day Forty Three)

Day Forty Three's Consumption

June 12, 2009.

Breakfast
Spring Omelet
w/ Asparagus & Spinach
Shallots & Goat Cheese
side of rubykraut

Lunch
Plain Sheep's Milk Yogurt
w/ honey
Slice of Volkonbrot w/ Goat Cheese

Dinner
Baked Haddock
w/ Roasted Asparagus
Side of Mashed Great White Heirloom Taters
w/ goat cheese & rosemary
glass of Bartlett's Coastal Blush

Dessert
Baked Macintosh Apples
w/honey, blueberries & oats
topped w/ Maple Goat Milk Ice Cream

Today had me leaving to finish off the work week in torrential rains...and in order to psych myself up I opted on a special breakfast omelet with asparagus ! You really can't go wrong whenever you cross asparagus cheese and egg... after a standard work day that included my daily yogurt pick me up at eleven... I started thinking about dinner. I started thinking about how good Tuesday nights haddock was and I decided based on the low haddock price to go ahead with a similar game plan. Its quick and easy and the end result is always very satisfying... Three quick steps... boil some potatoes, lay some asparagus spears in a pan, lay some haddock in a pan... season with seaweed & sea salt. Bake both pans at 425* for 10 -15 minutes... while that is cooking strain the taters add a couple tablespoons of butter and goat cheese...mash whip and stir to desired consistency and wallah ! Dinner is served....

Friday, June 12, 2009

Project Local Rootz (Day Forty Two)

Day Forty Two's Consumption

June 11, 2009.

Breakfast
Rough Cut Oats
w/ blueberry butter, cranberries & honey

Lunch
Plain Sheep's Milk Yogurt
w/ honey

Dinner
Mashed Great White Heirloom Taters
w/ Sea Salt, Rosemary & Goat Cheese
Asparagus

Dessert
Baked Cortland Apples
w/ oats and honey
Topped w/
Maple Blueberry Ice Cream

Today was that rush rush day I had prepared for... early bowl of oatmeal with Cassi then off to work for both of us. After a long day and a swift commute... I arrived home with Cassi finishing off last nights pizza. I opted on cooking up a quick dish of mashed taters with some roasted asparagus on top. this proved to be both filling and tasty. After an early dinner it was over to Percy Cycles to replace my badly beat up headset on my Ras commuter !

Transportation for today included 22 miles of bicycle commuting.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Project Local Rootz (Day Forty One)

Day Forty One's Consumption

June 10, 2009.

Breakfast
Spring Green Omelet
w/ Swiss Chard & Monterey Jack
Side of rubykraut

Snack
Plain Sheep's Milk Yogurt
w/ honey

Lunch
Kraut Salad
w/ New Leaf Mesculin Mix
Olivias Garden Cucumber
& Tomatoes
Pea Shoots, kimchi
goat cheese

Dinner
Spelt Tomato Basil Pizza
w/Mozzarella & Cheddar

Today was a typical day with easy meals consumed throughout the day. We decided on
preparing two pizzas in preparation for a busy day tomorrow. Cassi is working the double job shifts... so food is gonna need to be readily available in between her busy work schedule.

Transportation included 26 miles of wet bicycle riding.



Project Local Rootz (Day Forty)

Day Forty's Consumption

June 09, 2009.

Breakfast
Spring Green Omelet
w/ spinach, frisee, shallots
& raw cheddar
w/ rubykraut

Lunch
Plain Sheep's Milk Yogurt
w/ honey

Dinner
Baked Haddock
w/ Braised Red Russian Kale
Mashed Great White Potatoes
w/ goat cheese & rosemary
Glass of Barlett's Coastal White Wine

Dessert
Baked Macintosh Apples
w/honey, blueberries & oats
topped w/ Maple Goat Milk Ice Cream

Today was the beginning of a long stretch of rainy gray weather. It started with a great breakfast and the standard lunch... but on the way home I knew I needed a big dinner tonight because there was a hollow echo groaning from within... on the rainy bicycle commute home I decided to stop at Free Range Fish & Lobster to take advantage of the wonderful $3.99 /lb price on haddock. With a handful of heirloom potatoes and a bunch of Red Russian kale from Rippling Waters in the fridge... I knew we had the makings of something special. Special enough to make the extra effort to head over to the public market and pick up a nice bottle of vino to accompany the feast. Bartlett's Coastal White is always great with fish so that was the final selction to round off the perfect meal. Preperation time was only about a half hour and the end result left us stuffed beyond reason !

Transportation today included 30 miles on the bicycle...

Project Local Rootz (Day Thirty Nine)

Day Thirty Nine's Consumption

June 08, 2009.

Breakfast
Rough Cut Oats
w/ blueberry butter, cranberries & honey

Lunch
Plain Sheep's Milk Yogurt
w/ honey
Spelt Tomato Basil
Pizza

Dinner
Grilled Butterfish
w/ Lacinato Kale & Shallots
Glass of Barrett's Barn Red Wine

Dessert
Bowl of Maple Goat Milk Ice Cream
topped w/ blueberries.

Monday Monday...back to work after four days off. Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Got right back in the swing after starting the morning off with a quick breakfast before we both headed out the door at 5:45. From there it was standard work day with the mid day bowl of Townhouse Farm Ewegurt...topped with Sparky's honey. It hasn't grown old...its just the right sweetness to bring my energy up to grind out the rest of the day and power my bicycle back onto the peninsula. After arriving home at the same time as Cassi...we were glad to have prepared an extra pizza the evening prior... Cassi started another job tonight and is now juggling double shifts on occasion until her hours get straightened out. I also had a second gig this evening... subbing a radio show on WMPG from 3-5pm. Anyhow it was a quick lunch then off we both were. After the radio show I felt a bit hungry and seeing as it was a beautiful sunny 70* evening... I decided it was time to fire up the ole grill. After dropping a few invites and swinging by the fish market... the end result was Andrew, Matt and I lighting the grill at around 6:45. They opted on grilling some Blue Mango veggie burgers with loads of unlocal toppings... I on the other hand purchased 3 little butterfish from the gulf of maine. They were 2-3" long and made for quick grilling... this was actually the first time I had grilled a fish in its entire form. It was good...a bit boney and the puddle of guts that oozed out under my fork made me think that next time i may remove the innards before grilling...but overall it was a nice snack that required a bit of persistence to consume...next time I think Ill grill something a little larger ! Along with the few fish I also dropped a bunch of lacinato kale, that I had purchased from Rippling Waters Farm at the farmers market on the Saturday prior, into my cast iron skillet and sauteed it ontop of some smoking hardwood. I was very pleased with the final result and am looking forward to more grilling experiences to come...
Transportation today included the standard 28 mile bicycle commute to work as well as an extra 10 miles of pedaling around from radio station to fish markets...

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Project Local RootZ (Day Thirty Eight)

Day Thirty Eight's Consumption

June 07, 2009.

Breakfast
Spring Green Omelet
w/ Asparagus, Spinach & Shallots
Slice of Volkonbrot

Lunch
Kraut Salad
w/ New Leaf Mesculin Mix
Olivias Garden Cucumber
& Tomatoes
Pea Shoots, kimchi
goat cheese

Dinner
Spelt Tomato Basil Pizza
w/ Goat Mozzarella

Dessert
Baked Cortland Apples
w/ oats and honey
Topped w/
Blueberry Butter & Maple Ice Cream



Project Local RootZ (Day Thirty Seven)

Day Thirty Seven's Consumption

June 06, 2009.

Breakfast
Rough Cut Oats
w/ blueberry butter, cranberries & honey

Lunch
Spelt Savory Crackers
w/ Yellow Eye/Soldier Bean Dip

Dinner
Spelt Tomato Basil Pizza
w/ Goat Mozzarella

Dessert
Baked Macintosh Apples
w/honey, blueberries & oats
topped w/ Maple Goat Milk Ice Cream

Today was the unwind day from the hectic 30+ days of preparing for the first installment of "Local Rootz" events. It started with a morning bicycle ride around the peninsula...ending up at the farmers market in deering oaks. I was excited to see such a crowd this early in the morning and was glad I got and early start... what I ended up with in my panniers was...
Full Bunches of Lacinato Kale, Red Russian Kale, Swiss Chard and Bok Choy ! I was very excited to get some "full size greens" after using strictly baby greens for the past couple weeks. Along with the greens I also purchased some more savory, a bag full of spinach a quart of goat milk as well as a nice hunk of mozzarella from Tourmaline Farm ! From there it was back around the peninsula for an extended commute home...once home I unloaded my goods and then it was back to the ARM Factory to pick up the loose ends. A big thanks once again to Dominic and the whole Evolve 2 Advance Crew ! Good Luck selling those shirts at Bonnaroo ! After finishing up the days activities...it was time to make some pizza and relax. I took a stab at making a yeast free spelt dough and we were very happy with the results...mmm getting hungry just thinking about it.
The recipe I came up with...

2 1/2 cups Maine Spelt Flour
2 tbls raw butter
1/2 cup water

Blend it together till it forms a ball...kneed it for a bit (1 minut) on a floured surface...let it rest a bit...press it out, then place it in the oven for 5 minutes on 425*, remove from oven...place on toppings...in this case it was one large Olivia's Garden tomato, some basil and oregano from the garden and some Goat Mozzarella...back in the oven for 5 - 10 moinutes!
The end result was mmmmm mmmm wonderful !

Transportation today included 12 miles of bicycle riding and 4 miles of walking around doing errands with Cassi.



Project Local RootZ Continues...

So at the start of this project Cassi and I decided to eat only 100% Maine grown goods. It started as a month long endeavor...however as you can see we have continued on to day 37 so far. The new plan is to stay on the "diet" indefinitely ! We however have decided that we will allow ourselves one "cheat" day a month. A "cheat" day will usually consist of a dinner out at a local restaurant (yes portland has many), or perhaps it may included a BBQ over a friends house or maybe dinner with the parents... As usual stay updated on our progress right here. I will continue updating our daily consumption on a somewhat regular basis.

On another note... anyone who is interested in hopping on board the local train can contact me directly: lukaduke@gmail.com

Think of how great it could be getting some other Portlanders involved so that maybe we could share duties...this week I make pasta for all of us...you make bread for everyone...someone else makes ice cream... or even maybe trade dinner nights and create a more social interaction with food. Just some ideas people have brought to my attention and I thought I should bring them to yours...

Anyway as always keep it Cognizant and keep it Local.

Wheeeelout for now !

Project Local RootZ (Day Thirty Six)

Day Thirty Six's Consumption

June 05, 2009.

Breakfast
Rough Cut Oats
w/ blueberry butter, cranberries & honey

Lunch
Spelt Rosemary Crackers
& Rye Savory Crackers

Dinner
Baked Scallops
w/ Asparagus
Glass of Sweet Grass Cranberry Apple Wine

"Local r ootZ"
Opening Snacks
Spelt Rosemary Crackers
& Rye Savory Crackers
Assorted Pineland Farm, Smiling Hill
Farm and Sonnental Farm Cheeses

Soldier / Yellow Eye Bean Dip
w/ Sea Salt

Kraut Salad
*New Leaf Farm Mesculin
Olivia's Garden Tomatoes
& Cukes, Thirty Acre Farm
Pea Shoots & Rubykraut
topped
w/ Sunset Acres Goat Cheese

* A very special thanks for the tasty mix donated by Dave and Chris Colson and the whole New Leaf Farm Crew !
learn more about their farm @ www.newleaffarm.biz

Today was a great day, though the morning started off with a bit of haste... it was smooth sailing up until the time of the opening. Cassi and I had a nice early dinner that was quick and easy to prepare. I was looking for good substance after baking crackers and mixing bean dip all afternoon...but I was also concerned with ease of preparation. With all those determining factors, I opted on scallops and asparagus. Both bake @ 425* for about 15 minutes and have no prep other than a quick rinse and a sprinkle of salt...accompanied by a nice light sweet grass wine on a warm sunny day ! mmmmmm. From dinner it was off to the Arm Factory for last minute food preparations and the set up of the sound system... and then it was time to open the doors to
" Local rootZ" !

Id would like to take a quick moment and thank each and everyone who came out to the show. There was a good crowd ebbing and flowing throughout the night. Everyone was very gracious and supportive. I especially want to thank everyone for consuming all the food I brought for the event as well as purchasing a large quantity of my newest mix cd !

Give thanks to one and all and stay tuned right here for next crop
of Local root
Z !






Friday, June 5, 2009

"Local rootZ " is here !


So tonight is the opening and I hope everyone gets a chance to walk, bike or as a last resort carpool down top the ARM FACTORY , 200 Anderson st (see map below)
(Its a factory building... look for the "Local rootZ" flyer in front of the Arm Factories entrance...right next door to Maine Mead Works)

the hours are 7 - 12 and the music will really start heating up @ 10 !
There will be a local spread of some of Cassi and my favorite local snacks including maine cheeses with homemade crackers, bean dip and a krautsalad that will be available in the early hours of the show.

Hope to see you all TONIGHT !



View Larger Map



Project Local Rootz (Day Thirty Five)

Day Thirty Five's Consumption

June 04, 2009.

Breakfast
Spring Greens Omelet
w/ baby kale, spinach & frisee
Monterey Jack & Cheddar Cheese
Great White Heirloom Hash
Cup of Chamomile Spearmint Tea

Lunch
Maple Sheep's Milk Yogurt

Dinner
Roasted Asparagus
w/ Baby Spinach

Dessert
Baked Macintosh Apples
w/honey, blueberries & oats
topped w/ Maple Goat Milk Ice Cream

Today started with a relaxing breakfast with Cassi and I...then it was straight to the grind. I had taken today and tomorrow off from work in order to make my final preparations for my show. It started with hanging the show... but the 5' x 2 1/2' painting wouldn't fit on my bike very well... I opted to carry that one down to the Arm Factory on Anderson st and it proved to be a bit of a hike with painting under arm! After that it was easy...had Percy Cycles help me tune up my bike trailer and then it was a simple load up and a careful ride across town. The Arm Factory is bubbling with creativity...Dominic was very busy printing shirt after shirt in preparation for the E2A (Evolve 2 Advance) vending booth that is happening at Bonaroo next week, and I was hanging the show making some last minute lighting adjustments, labels, price lists and a whole heap of other things Im trying not to overlook. I should mention Andrew because he was an integral part of helping me get all the final details ironed out. Needless to say... food was the last concern until I got a little woozy on my return bicycle trip from the Arm Factory...as I got home I realized I needed food and all my major sources for food int own were closed...whats in the fridge..ahhh give thanks for some fat bottom asparagus !

Transportation today included 16 miles of errand via bicycle as well a a 4 miles hike with the more comber some of paintings !

Project Local Rootz (Day Thrity Four)

Day Thirty Four's Consumption

June 03, 2009.

Breakfast
2 Eggs Sunnyside down
Great White Heirloom Hash
w/ shallots and rosemary
side of rubykraut

Lunch
Plain Sheep's Milk Yogurt
w/ honey

Dinner
Garden Herb Pita Pizza
w/ tomatoes, basil, oregano, sage
goat mozzarella & romano cheese
glass of Hard Cut Apple Cider

Dessert

Baked Cortland Apples
w/ oats and honey
Topped w/
Blueberry Butter & Maple Ice Cream

Today was another standard day of local eating...loading up on breakfast felt good and kept me satisfied throughout the day. Dinner was a late night affair with Cassi working the night shift and myself being engulfed in prep work for "Local Rootz" show....on the down side I spoke with Dean of Mother Oven Bread...who warned me that unfortunately his current batches of bread were not made using 100% Maine Wheat and Spelt. Apparently the standards he keeps for his flour was not met recently by the Maine supplies...looks like Im going to have no choice but to start baking my own, soon come! Although his Rye Bread known as Volkonbrot is still made with all Maine flour...but Rye bread is a bit more pungent and unique...the local bread saga continues !

Transportation for today included 28 miles of my standard bicycle commute as well as 1 mile of walking around town on errands.


Thursday, June 4, 2009

Project Local Rootz (Day Thirty Three)

Day Thirty Three's Consumption

June 02, 2009.

Breakfast
2 Eggs Sunnyside Down
on a bed of braised
Baby Kale, Frisee & Spinach
w/ ruby kraut

Lunch
Plain Smiling Hill Farm Yogurt
w/honey

Dinner
Mashed Great White Heirloom Potatoes
w/ Rosemary & Savory
Kraut Salad
w/ New Leaf Mesculin, Tomatoes,
Cukes, Rubykraut & sunset acres chevre
Side of Maine Grain Tomato Soup

Dessert
Bowl of Maple Goat Milk Ice Cream
w/ Blueberry Butter

Today was a thrown together nourishment as quick as possible day... been busy preparing for the upcoming show...and leaving food for the after thought...resulting in different combinations and less time prepping. I am very excited to relax and spend more time on food after the opening... On a positive note the mash potatoes really hit the spot and we can never go wrong with the kraut salad.

Transportation today included 25 miles on the bicycle as well as 2 miles of errand strolling....

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Project Local Rootz (Day Thirty Two)

Day Thirty Two's Consumption

June 01, 2009.


Breakfast
Plain Smiling Hill Farm Yogurt
w/ Honey

Lunch
Plain Smiling Hill Farm Yogurt
w/ Honey

Dinner
Maine Shrimp & Bay Scallops
over
Braised Frisee & Pak Choy
w/ shallots & tomatoes

Dessert
Maple Goats Milk Ice Cream

Project Local Rootz (Day Thirty One)

Day Thirty One's Consumption

May 31, 2009.

Breakfast
Spring Greens Omelet
w/ baby spinach, baby red russian kale,
chevre & cheddar cheese
Side of Great White Potatoes w/ shallots
Slice of Greek Peasant Bread
cup of lemon verbena & mint tea

Lunch
Assorted Cheese & Rye Crackers

Dinner
Spelt Fettuccine
w/ tomato basil sauce
topped w/ Romano Cheese
Bartlett's Blueberry Wine

Dessert
Baked Macintosh Apples
w/honey, blueberries & oats
topped w/ Maple Goat Milk Ice Cream



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...