Last month, I discovered a new online challenge to participate in called One Local Summer. The premise is simple. "Participants will be expected to make one meal each week using locally grown ingredients (we use the typical 100 mile radius definition - your definition may vary). The permissible exceptions to this rule are oil, salt and pepper, and spices." In my usual slow pokiness, I spent a lot of time thinking about this, doing research and then sat out the first week to see what the other participants posted. Now I'm ready to roll.
Gathering local ingredients is harder than it seems. I've read lots of labels and looked online for nearby places to shop. I visited the Sunday farmers market in Red Bank, NJ to see what the options there were. I suspiciously eyed homemade mozzarella and ravioli. When I questioned the vendor about where the milk came from, he could not answer my question, so no cheese for me. The produce choices were still pretty slim this early in the season. I settled on some fabulous beets and spinach. While there, I also bought some baby bok choy, a six pack cell of sugarbaby watermelon plants and a six pack of teensy rosemary plants. I almost bought some heirloom tomatoes with the colorful moniker, Boxcar Willy, but held back since I've already got so many tomato plants going.
The beets and spinach seemed like the beginning of a meal but I wanted more ingredients. Out to our own little veggie patch in our front yard for some lettuce, a sprig of lovage and French Breakfast radishes. A visit to Deerborn Market in Holmdel, NJ turned up some red leaf lettuce marked as NJ grown and a hunk of Vampire Slayer, a garlicky cheddar cheese produced by Calkins Creamery in Honesdale, PA. When I bought it, I was unsure where Honesdale is located. Turns out it is 117 miles from my house... but by invoking some black math ie Clinton style calculations, I was happy to discover the creamery is only 98 miles from my office. Works for me! I also added some diced ham that was clearly marked Made in New Jersey on the package I picked up at Shop-Rite. The salad is topped off with a simple dressing I whipped up with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh parsley.
To see more people using local ingredients for meal this summer, broken down by regions across the U.S., visit the One Local Summer page which is hosted by Farm Philly (which is addictive itself.)
your salad looks fabulous. anything with beets i'm all about. good luck on your eating local summer. i've thought about trying that, but, i'm not that adventurous. plus, i may be sorely disappointed with the quality of my diet!
Posted by: rebecca | Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 09:54 AM
Oh, I love beets. Seems all last season's are gone around here so I'll have to wait. Great salad. (The sheep milk ricotta may be closer to you than it was to me.....)
Posted by: leendaluu | Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 10:15 AM
I have a serious love of that Vampire Slayer cheese. Calkins Creamery produces some great cheeses!
Thanks for tips on Jersey markets - I'll have to check some of those out!
Posted by: Nicole | Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 08:34 AM