What Have We Been Eating ?

So we have been struggling the last few weeks... time has been a major factor in the struggle with a few commisioned pieces weighing on one end and the holiday sale coming up I was strapped for time and motivation in the kitchen... the good news is we have become reacquainted with a few of our old sushi hangouts, Ohno breakfast sandwiches and various goodies from our true guilty pleasure Aurora's Provisons...but we have kept to our values for many of home cooked local dinners and snacks in between the slackness of the holiday season.  As testament to the localrootz project we have an occasional photo to show how we have progressed and regressed !

 cooking up some dinner !

eat local Indian Style.... curry spice from farmer @ the Commonground Fair !

the last of the eggplant and sungolds (they stored for weeks in the storage hall) from out of our garden... this looks like late October/early November to me !

Simple local breakfast Scrambled Eggs, Aroostook Wheat Toast and garlic sweet potato homefries

gotta love Snell Farms sweet potatoes !

Sunnyside down with toast and sauteed tat soi from Green Spark !

Local indian inspired dinner part two...

Pumpkin Rosemary Soup

with Pan fried Cauliflower

and spinach saag

Wild Mushroom Omelet with Sweet Potato Homefries and yummy cider !

An mid November Farmer's Market Grab !

Cider, Squash, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Fingerling taters, Jerusalem Artichokes, Cippolini Onions, Eggs, Goat Milk, Tat Soi and Brussel Sprouts... Yummm

Day 230 LocalrootZ Project (August 21, 2010)

Farmer's Market Goodies

After being away for a couple weeks we needed to stock up...

Frying peppers, tomatoes from our garden as well as Fishbowl, ground cherries, eggplant, mini watermelons, onions, shallots, lacinato and red russian kale, spinach, apples as well as some Manchego cheese and oatmeal bread !

Breakfast

Tomato Medley

w/ shallots & manchego cheese

Dinner

Curried Haddock

w/ Kale, Viking Potatoes, peppers, garlic & shallots

Glass of Coastal White Wine

Dessert

Apple Crisp 

w/ Maple Ice Cream

Alright we are back and rejuvenated !  Gonna try to get back to the day to day meals and hopefully spend more time describing recipes and such !  Sorry for the laid back posts of the last month but with a hectic schedule and a vacation to plan, the blog got set on the back burner.  I'm ready to finish these last four months strong though... fall is my ultimate favorite season hands down !

Transportation Today

Errands : 12 miles bicycle

4 miles walking

Day 161 LocalrootZ Project (June 12, 2010)

Breakfast

Plain Swallowtail Yogurt

w/ Honey

After an early breakfast an a little time tidying up the painting studio... off I went down to the Deering Oaks Farmers Market. 

This weeks pick up were... Strawberries from Beckwith, Butter Chard and Mustard Greens from Green Spark, Green Garlic from Thirty Acres, Tomatoes from Olivias, Raw Goat Milk from Tourmaline, Plain Yogurt from Swallowtail and of course a bouquet of flowers for my wonderful Cassi!

Lunch

Sonnental Pepperjack Grilled Cheese 

Roasted Asparagus

Dessert

Blubarb Crisp

w/ Honey Ice Cream

Transportation Today

Work Commute : 22 miles bicycle

Day 154 LocalrootZ Project ( June 5,2010)

Farmer's Market

An early morning stroll down to Deering Oaks had me shopping lightly in preparation of eating some of our own garden delights this week...

I did manage to pick up some rhubarb from Alewife Farm, Yogurt, Provolone and Mozzarella from Swallowtail Farm, Chard from Fishbowl, Tempeh from Lalibela Farm, Tomatoes from Olivias and Green Garlic from Thirty Acre. Oh and a couple tomato plants... more more more!

Breakfast

Whole Wheat Pancakes

w/ Maple Syrup

Lunch/Dinner

Garlic Root Soup

w/ Salad

Dessert

Rhubarb Crisp

w/ honey ice cream

I was doing a little organizing in the fridge and discovered my cache of carrots, still crisp and sweet.  Not wanting to push my luck I decided I should use up the carrots and start a soup.  Simple and easy... a kitchen sink kinda soup with old scallion ends, green garlic leaves, lovage, baby beets n greens, shallots and a handful of dried and fresh herbs.  Simmer for a couple hours and serve...

Day 147 LocalrootZ Project (May 29, 2010)

Breakfast

Plain Swallowtail Yogurt

w/ honey

After a small breakfast and a morning session organizing my paintings studio, I hopped onto my bicycle and took a circle around the peninsula with the final destination being the Farmers Market @ Deering Oaks !  I was so happy to see it bubbling with customers even at 7:30am.... so much good stuff, heres what I got this week !

You can haul alot on a Surly Touring Bicycle...

the full bounty out from the panniers

Merrimac inspecting the goods...she loves greens !

Let see scallions & spinach from fishbowl, cukes and tomatoes from Olivia Garden, Yogurt from Swallowtail,  Japenese Turnips, Spicy Radishes & Broccoili Rab
 from Green Spark, Rhubarb from Alewife, Kohlrabi from Fishbowl, Baby Broccoli Rab from Dandelion Spring and a few other odds and ends I cant seem to recall as of now but jeez so many wonderful greens... its gonna be a healthy week for us !

We be well stocked...

Lunch
Asparagus Omelete
w/ Raw Swiss Cheese
Fingerling Homefries
Spelt  Toast

Dessert
Blubarb Crisp
w/ Honey Ice Cream

Yup thats right Blubarb crisp !  A nice combination of rhubarb and frozen blueberries creates a lusciously tangy and scrumptious late night treat.  I spent a good 10 hours in the painting studio and am looking forward to showcasing a few of my new pieces at the Local Sprouts Cafe grand opening this Friday ! 

We were actually so busy today that we spaced pictures of the omelet... oh well sometimes things just are not meant to be !

Transportation Today

Errands : 18 miles bicycle

Day 140 LocalrootZ Project (May 22, 2010)

Breakfast

Plain Swallowtail Yogurt

w/ Honey

FARMER'S MARKET

 Wow ! What a week for locavores... let see;

Microgreens from Thirty Acre, Radishes, Tat Soi & Broccoli Rab from Mary Ellen & Austin, Baby Beets & Spinach from Fishbowl, Asparagus from Serendipity, Baby Bok Choy from Dandelion, Arugula at Lalibela,  Goat Mozzarella & Milk from Tourmaline,  Provolone & Yogurt from Swallowtail and finally if I remembered Scallions and ?? from Meadowood... as I type this Im not sure which is funnier... recalling every last purchase or the fact that the only purchase that wasn't edible, the flowers for Cassi... is the only one in which the name escapes me...if Ill be damn what kind are these??? Just goes to show you how much food is always on our minds...

Lunch

Sunnyside Up Egg

over Asparagus & Baby Arugula

Fermented Slaw with Chevre

Yukon Gold Homefries

Slice of Spelt Bread

If your sitting here looking at what we ate and have been eating for the last 6 months... I hope that it has sparked something that has brought you out to your local farmers market !  Ive been carrying alot on my shoulders for the past couple months and now with the sun at my back and the gardens coming along nicely, it is time to start thinking about the painting studio.... its no small task to keep up a blog, I mean really... 365 days of local eating is nothing compared to sitting down and actually putting it out there with images and words.... Good Grief .

Day 133 LocalrootZ Project (May 15, 2010)

Breakfast

Plain Smith Farm Yogurt

w/ Honey

I was up early as usual and the cats were starving... so I decided to get a early start by picking up some kitty food and I also swung over to the farmers Market to pick up the food items. We would stroll back through for some other things such as honey and seedlings when Cassi rolled out of bed later on but I did not want to miss out on anything special... and Im glad I went early!

Heres what I scored...

Fishbowl Farm

Baby Beet Bunches

2 Bags Watercress

Bunch of Radishes

Freedom Farm

Baby Bok Choy

Swallowtail Farm

Plain Yogurt

Duck Eggs

I also grabbed some spinach at Rippling Waters as well as some fresh picked rosemary and sage to fill our seasoning jars !

Here is Merrimac inspecting my Farmer market grabs as well as hoping there is some kitty food in the bags too !

Lunch

Sunny Up Duck Egg

over

Yukon Homefries

Butter Wilted Greens & Fiddleheads

topped with Fermented Slaw

side of spelt toast

Dessert

Honey Oat Cookies

Day 113 LocalrootZ Project (April 24, 2010)

Breakfast

Plain Swallowtail Yogurt

w/ Honey

My standard early morning hold me over.... then my weekly kitchen assessment where I go through the cabinets and fridge and make sure I know everything I already have before stepping over to the Winter Farmers Market.  I should mention this was the last week @ the Free st. location for this year... lets hope and encourage they keep it going for years to come !  Anyhow have no fear they (the farmers) will be down in Deering Oaks starting on Saturday morning and some of them are starting to already trickle in on Wednesday in Monument Square... 

Ok so here are they great things I found at the last Winter Farmers Market

Four Pints Olivia's Garden Cherry Tomatoes

Thirty Acre Farm

Lovage

Chives

Catnip

Nettles

Fishbowl Farm

Spicy Mesclun Mix

Spinach

Watercress

Goransen Farm

La Ratte Fingerlings

Braising Greens Mix

(Chard, Mustard, Kale)

Rhubarb

Other things I got was another 6# jar of greater Portland honey, pastured eggs from Buckwheat Blossom, some halibut & lobster tails from Port Clyde, Butter from Caldwell as well as a selection of herbs thyme, mint, savory from L & H Farm during the Wednesday market... with such a great selection of new things i was off to the kitchen for our early afternoon feast...

Lunch/Dinner

Finely Minced Radish, Sauerkraut, Fermented carrots, chives

over Arugula & Watercress sauteed with green garlic, shiitake mushrooms and lobster tails

1 Egg Sunny Up 

Slice of Aroostook Wheat 

Dessert
Baked Macintosh Apples
w/ Oats & Honey
Topped with Maple Ice Cream

Day 106 Project LocalrootZ (April 17,2010)

Breakfast

Swallowtail Farm Plain Yogurt

w/ Honey

After a quick breakfast I was off to the Winter Farmers Market to see what I could find...

 Fishbowl Farm

Bunch of Radish

Bunch of Turnips

Spicy Mesclun Mix

Sweet Mesclun Mix

Bag of Watercress

Swallowtail Farm

Plain Yogurt x 2

Creme Fraiche

Caldwell Farm

1/2 Gallon Raw Milk

1# Raw Butter

I also grabbed another container of Miner's Lettuce (claytonia) from Thirty Acres Farm, a few bags of Swiss Chard from Goransen Farm and 4 cukes from Olivia's Garden.

Lunch/Dinner

Whole Wheat Pizza

w/ Spinach and Basil

Dessert

Apple Crisp