Eating Local on the Road

I've been traveling a bit recently, some for work, some for fun.  No matter the reason there are a few things I've been sure to take with me - hard boiled eggs from the ladies and some form of bounty from our garden.

The last two weeks I have been traveling for work and have been in a town about 45 minutes north of Chicago, IL.  I've brought 2 hard boiled eggs for each day away and as many grape tomatoes as I can fit in my container.  For those wondering, these items are NOT liquid and can be brought on a plane in your carry on luggage.  You may get some odd looks and an extra bag check, but the taste is worth it.

My first trip out this way was last week and it was for training.  With the day and the meals provided by my employer I was happy to have snacks provided by my ladies and hard labor in the garden.  I opted out of the dinner menu selections requesting the pre-planned menu be slightly altered to offer me the option of soup and salad with my salad being a dinner size portion.  Why?  One reason really, I don't sleep well my first night out of town typically and the meal wasn't going to be served until 9pm CST, which is my typical EST bedtime.  A heavy meal would not have afforded anywhere close to a restful night sleep.

This week is my second trip out and I'm on my own so to say for meals.  The office is not near anything, so breakfast and lunches are relegated to the hotel or cafeteria, but dinners are my choice.  Again I came bearing gifts from the ladies and tomatoes from the garden.  On day 2 I could have easily finished my grape tomatoes, but I've decided to ration them.

Prior to coming for my second trip I did a bit of research.  Knowing I would be on my own for dinners I knew I would have a great deal of say in my choices.  While there is a mall with many chain restaurants supposedly just a few minutes to the west, I have been heading a few minutes further to the east and sampling from restaurants that share my love for local flavors.

Last night I enjoyed dinner at Inovasi.  With a menu that provides a listing of Farms providing their  ingredients I knew this would be a great place to start, and I was not disappointed.  I started my meal with a Watermelon Soup, followed by "The Carnivore Addition"  A menu option that explains the restaurant receives an animal from a different local farm each week and they prepare a variety of different dishes.  Last night's dish was a leg of lamb with chantrelle mushrooms.  I ended my meal with a cherry mousse.  It was divine.  I was able to get a few recommendations for other restaurants, though Inovasi is the only restaurant close to the office that provides a listing of local farm sourced items.

Taking a lead from the recommendation I received while at Inovasi I went to a sister restaurant of one recommended tonight for dinner - South Gate Cafe (Bank Lane Bistro had been the original recommendation, but I was looking for a little lighter fare this evening).  South Gate did not disappoint.  At first glance of the menu I determined I wanted to sample all of the sides and a few of the starters.  As I was dining alone, sadly this was not a reasonable menu selection, however the waiter indicated he would be more than happy to accommodate a meal of all sides...thus I started narrowing down my selection.  How could I not sample the tomato and watermelon side dish?  and peaches and cucumbers together, oh my.  While feeling the need for protein I did ask about the pork and beef.  While both were local, the beef was not grass fed, which made me wonder a little bit about the pork so I settled on my sides.

The waiter recommended the sides come out in courses, vs. all at once, which was perfect.  I could fully appreciate the flavors of one at a time.  Service 1 was the tomato and watermelon dish which was brought together with mint, basil and olive oil.  So light and refreshing.  Service 2 was new potatoes with thyme and basil in truffle oil, featuring blue, red and yukon gold new potatoes from the local farmer's market that melted in my mouth.  Service 3 was peaches and cucumber in a black peppery peach vinaigrette, again local produce from the farmer's market.  The Waiter raved about the peaches and they did not disappoint.  Of course I couldn't go without some protein...so I ordered Creme Brulee for dessert.  Perhaps a bit of a stretch on the protein part, but I swear there are eggs in there somewhere! 

I already have plans for my airport dinner tomorrow night - Tortas Frontera, a restaurant that lists the farms supplying their ingredients on a placard by their menu - thank you O'hare! 

While it took a little extra effort to find local fare, the food and the atmosphere have definitely been worth every minute of research.  And as I learned, it only takes finding one and asking for recommendations.  My only regret, I forgot my camera.  I wish I could share the beautiful food preparations with you.  Next time...

Preparing for the Locavore Challenge

The last few weeks Dann and I have been passing around the Locavore Challenge registration form.  What to do, what to do.  I know I will be traveling for work some and while I've gotten used to transporting hard boiled eggs and gifts from my garden in my carry on luggage, I'm not sure I will be successful with the contents needed for 3 meals + snacks a day for the times away from home in unfamiliar cities.

I did reach out to a local organic farm in the area I am headed to next week for recommendations on where to eat but have yet to hear back.  If anyone reading this has recommendations for local/sustainable eateries in the Mettawa, IL area, please let me know.

So back to the Locavore Challenge.  I decided to look at the food side of the challenge by making a list of our favorite meals that I know will highlight local products of the season, I was happy to list 20 dinners without much thought at all!  and considering we usually have leftovers that also provides 20 lunches too.  I know I have another 10 dinners to go, but still I thought this was supposed to be a challenge? 

It is a wonder to think back to how we have changed our eating habits and have embraced the produce of the seasons when they are at the peak of their flavor.  When I see strawberries advertised in a salad in August I'm aghast, don't they know strawberries are a June fruit?  We should be using blueberries and peaches in our fresh salads in August!  Which I do, I LOVE grilled peaches on my salad, no dressing required, the juice of the peach provides the perfect dressing.  Don't get me wrong, we will be enjoying strawberries later this year - strawberries we froze after we picked our own in June.

Like food?  Try eating with the seasons in your area, the flavors will amaze you!

Sushi Salad - A Clean Eating Test Recipe

I have been enjoying the opportunity to test recipes for Clean Eating Magazine.  I'm excited each time I see a new e-mail full of recipes to try.  For the August/September issue (now on sale) one of our favorite testing recipes was Sushi Salad.  It made a large amount, allowing for lots of leftovers which is a huge win in my book. 

That is actually a very interesting statement - I never used to be big on leftovers.  So what has changed?  Using fresh ingredients and exploring with flavors, and in many cases looking for new lives for the leftovers including salads, stir-fries, and tacos to name a few. 

So what did we like about the Sushi Salad?  Well, first of all we love sushi - our favorite local restaurants include Wasabi and Seabar.  If you aren't sure about Sushi, I highly recommend Seabar as their menu is diverse and you can be introduced to sushi with non-fish sushi like their Beef on Weck sushi roll or stick with their 40 Hour Short Ribs for the non-adventurous. 

Secondly, I love wasabi (the condiment, not just the restaurant).  Adding the wasabi dressing to this dish made me feel like I had actually made sushi at home without the scary concept of actually making sushi at home.

I hope you enjoy this recipe too!  Enjoy many other delicious recipes in the latest issue of Clean Eating Magazine!

Sushi Salad (From Clean Eating Magazine August/September 2011 edition)

Serves 4. Hands-on time: 20 minutes. Total time: 50 minutes.

Serving size: 1 cup spinach, 1½ heaping cups rice mixture, ¼ avocado

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup short grain brown rice
1 tbsp wasabi paste
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
⅔ cup rice wine vinegar
½ tsp honey (Raw, from Bob Colligan in East Aurora)
1 English cucumber, diced into ¼-inch chunks (from Duink Farms in Hamburg)
4 nori sheets, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
8 oz crab meat (claw or jumbo lump) (We used Salmon from Simply Alaskan Goods in Eden)
1 avocado, sliced
4 cups baby spinach (we used kale, from the garden)

INSTRUCTIONS:

ONE: In a medium saucepot, boil 2 cups water. Stir in rice, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for an additional 10 minutes. Spread rice on a baking sheet to cool.

TWO: In a small bowl, whisk wasabi paste, soy sauce, vinegar and honey. Set aside.

THREE: In a large mixing bowl, mix cooled rice, cucumber, nori and carrot. Drizzle with wasabi-honey mixture and stir to combine. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in crab.

FOUR: Divide spinach among serving bowls and top each with rice mixture and avocado.

TIP: If you can’t find prepared wasabi paste, make your own by whisking 1 tbsp all-natural wasabi powder with 1 tbsp water. 

Orzo with basil, tomatoes and lemon zest

This weeks recipe is one that has been in the line up for many years now thanks to our friend JJ who we met in our early years in Charlotte.  Feel free to jazz up this recipe with as many veggies as you'd like.  Dann of course added the bacon, that was not in the original recipe!

Orzo with Basil, Tomatoes and Lemon Zest

Cook 1/2 a box of orzo according to package directions (until al dente)
Meanwhile chiffonade 1 cup of basil and quarter 1lb of cherry tomatoes.
Dann would also have you cook bacon at this time....

Once orzo is cooked, drain, add basil & tomatoes, and the zest of one lemon to the orzo. Salt & Pepper to taste.

This dish is wonderful cold or hot. 

Hunting Tomato Hornworms

Tomato Hornworm

Each day Dann and I do a pass of the tomato plants in the garden, we aren't just looking for the shiny red fruit the plants share with us, we are looking for signs of Tomato Hornworms. 



While the worm itself isn't always easy to spot as it does it's best to "blend in" the signs are unmistakable.  Branches are missing leaves, and there are the droppings...yes, very large droppings are spotted usually on leaves just under where the horn worm is located.

Missing leaves - evidence of a Tomato Hornworm

Droppings - evidence of a Tomato Hornworm

Once the tell tail signs are spotted the hunt is on, another game of I Spy in the Garden.  Tonight we located 3 worms during our tour.  This is the second incident we've had, the first occuring about a month ago.  They seem to prefer our cherry tomatoes to the others at this time. 

I Spy a Tomato Hornworm

Of course the worms are not wasted in our yard, and in all honesty they are welcomed.  Dann removes them carefully from their perch and feeds them to the ladies as a delicacy he calls "Hornworm on a  Steek."

Tomato Hornworm on a Steek

What is this Locavore thing and why is it so Challenging?

Locavore is a term used for a person or family that looks to eat food within a certain radius of their home, typically just a few hundred miles.

For a reference, the average American meal travels thousands of miles.  Not only is the food not picked at the peek of ripeness in this average scenario, it also looses significant nutritional value.  Additionally, in most cases your dollars spent on average American food is going to line some executive's wallet far away vs actually paying a farmer a living wage for their product. I wont even go into ethical treatment of personnel or animals or the insane amount of your dollar that goes in to the marketing and transportation of these goods.

Quality and Community.  That was my focus a few years ago when I started down this path.  I want good quality food for the money I spend.  I want it to be fresh, picked at it's peek.  Additionally I want to see my community THRIVE!  I want to support local businesses and see them grow, adding jobs to MY community.  That may sound selfish, but there you have it.

So 3 years later as Dann & I look over the registration form for the upcoming Locavore Challenge hosted by NOFA-NY I am pleasantly surprised that we can already check off several of the items listed as a challenge.  To select these particular items in our registration would be dishonest as they now are a way for life for us.

Over the next few weeks I will share with you how we have prepared for not only the locavore challenge, but the winter a head of us too.

Check the link below for a copy of the registration form for this year's Locavore Challenge.  How many can you cross off from the list already?  What is left to challenge you?  Join in and share your experience!

NOFA-NY Locavore Challenge Registration Form

Grilling the Bounty

Ah, summer grilling.  There is nothing better.  A trip to the back yard, a trip to Duink Farm and a trip to the East Aurora Farmers Market makes for one excellent dinner!

Saturday night we grilled Pork Tenderloin (Duink Farm), Poblano Peppers (EA Farmers Market), Corn (Patches' Acre) and Fingerling Potatoes (Patches' Acre).  It was our first time with Poblano peppers and the "mild heat" was a bit more than what I care for, but all in all the dinner was delicious.

Monday night we did round 2 with the leftover Pork Tenderloin - Salad with leftover Pork Tenderloin, grilled peaches (EA Farmers Market), Goat Cheese (EA Farmers Market), and mixed greens (Patches' Acre) with a side of Corn (Patches' Acre).  What I love about this salad is the juice from the peaches serves as a great dressing, no need to add extra fats/oils (of course when you see the recipe below you will understand there is fat in there after all!

Pork Tenderloin with Cumin Dry Rub
1 Pork Tenderloin 
2 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper

Mix the spices together in a finger bowl.  Trim the pork tenderloin.  Rub the pork with the dry spices.  Grill until just pink inside.  PINK pork is Delicious Pork!!!  Don't be afraid.

Corn on the Grill
Remove silks from Corn.  Soak in water prior to putting on the grill.  Grill until slight roasting appears on the kernels (about 10-15 minutes)

Grilled Fingerling Potatoes
Wash 1/2 lb of Fingerling Potatoes
Place in square of aluminum foil
Add 1 Tbsp Oil or melted butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
Add any other herb(s) you like

Fold up foil.  Grill until tender (will vary by size, approximately 20-30 minutes)

Grilled Poblano Peppers
Rinse, place directly on grill.  Char exterior of the pepper.  Remove char prior to eating.

Grilled Peaches
2 Peaches
1 tsp Butter
1 tsp Honey

Melt butter, add honey and stir together
Cut peaches in half and remove pit
Coat exposed flesh with butter/honey mixture
Grill for 10-15 minutes, turning and basting as you go

Peaches and Blueberries Dessert

Peaches and Blueberry upside down "cake" is one of our favorite desserts and has been known to make it to the breakfast table a time or two also.  The dish is incredibly easy taking only about 10 minutes to pull together and another 30 minutes of baking.

The original dish was made with Pineapples and Cherries, using a can of cherry pie filling, canned pineapple, a 1/2 box of yellow cake mix and 4 tablespoons of butter.  This was a favorite dish from my childhood.  Upon learning of Dann's disdain for cherries over 10 years ago (until he had fresh cherries when we went cherry picking this summer) I had to come up with a different combination.  Our friend Heather made the wonderful recommendation of combining peaches and blueberries.  It was my first time combining the two fruits and now 10+ years later I can't imagine a better combination.

Needless to say in our new view of food, none of the above ingredients in their processed state made it into our cake this time round.  I looked for recipes that might work for the topping but struggled to find anything that really impressed me or included ingredients I actually had on hand.  Below is what I came up with and Dann & I really enjoyed the end product.  I'd love to hear what you think.

Peaches & Blueberry Upside down "Cake" - from scratch

2 cups blueberries, picked fresh
3 Medium Peaches, from a farm stand nearby
1 cup wheat flour
1/4 cup raw honey, local of course
Pinch of ground sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or almond) extract
3 Tbsp butter (divided)

Heat the blueberries in a small sauce pan over medium/low heat stirring occasionally until melted with some berries still retaining their shape (about 5 minutes).  Add a pinch (tsp) of flour and heat a little longer.  This will help the blueberry sauce to thicken.

While the berries are cooking, peel and slice the peaches and place in the bottom of a 9" pie plate. 


Mix together flour, honey, salt, extract and 2 Tbsp butter until mixture forms small crumbles.


Once blueberries are done, add them to the peaches and stir to combine. Top with flour mixture.  Top flour mixture with dollops from the last Tbsp of butter.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.

Let cool for about 10 minutes.  Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.