Local Foods -- Late in a Minnesota Winter
photo credit Jenniferr Hess from her blog Last Night's Dinner
I've toyed with the idea just eating local foods-- foods grown within a couple hundred miles of where I live-- for Lent. Our ELCA Lenten e-mail messages started out with a treatise on eating local foods. Lent comes at a hard time of year to eat local in Minnesota-- it would be much more convenient if it were in September.
It might not be much of a sacrifice as we've been enjoying some incredible winter meals with local foods.
Our meal the other night was entirely local- from our farm and our neighbor's- except for the salt, pepper, and maybe the butter (but it was Cass/Clay and so could have been from Wade Athey's dairy east of us). We had:
-Pork Roast (Jim VanderPol) and pork gravy
-Pickled beets
-Mashed potatoes (Yukon Golds still looking fantastic in our root cellar and about 100 pound remaining)
-Squash (we had to cook and freeze all the remaining squash as it was going bad)
-Candied Crab Apples- from our own crab apple tree
-Well water to drink
Last weekend we enjoyed an all you can eat rib fest of beef and pork ribs (both pasture raised by neighbors) and cole slaw. We finished the last of the cabbages -- they looked moldy and dry on the outside, but peeling away the outer leaves left nice cabbage on the inside. We mixed the last heads of purple and white cabbage.
We are on the last frozen roasted red, yellow and green peppers. But we still have lots of sweet corn, chickens, lamb, venison, squash, frozen beans and pea pods, various edible dry beans, garlic, jams, apple sauce, beets, pickles, roasted red pepper spread, tomato sauces, potatoes, and a few frozen strawberries.
The carrots I buried in sand boxes in the root cellar are doing amazingly well -- I pulled out a large carrot that was sprouting last week and you could smell the sweet carrot fragrence and it was still firm and tasty to eat raw. We also have about a bushel of apples left in cold storage in the basement and they are still fine for fresh eating.
I'm not sure it will last us until this years harvest, but it will be fun trying...
Comments
My mice are eating local also. They love my squash and red potatos. Lucky mice. The white garden is now a rich black and i am loving that color more and more everyday. BLACK! It is wonderful. Keep eating good and you may need to ask mike for a butter churn for your birthday! If you don't get the churn keeping buying Land o Lakes butter!
love your sis
Posted by: Kelley | March 5, 2009 8:26 AM
We are eating local, too: fresh kiwis and citrus, lettuce and chard, dungeness crab, a good chardonnay, candied walnuts, dried pears, and some Pt Reyes cheese. You Minnesotans may have better hockey, but California in the winter has great grub.
Posted by: Dan Ray | March 5, 2009 6:28 PM
Yes Dan-- there are certainly better places to eat local than Minnesota. And I'm pretty envious of the local foods you list!
But next year I'll have my own pears to dry and now I'm learning how to make cheese and can get milk from a neighboring grass fed small dairy. Also, I have to get some indoor greens and herbs growing-- this is ridiculous to go months without fresh greens.
Folks around here, even pretty young folks!, talk about the casks of leutifisk sitting on the front porch. I'm sure you've seen Babbette's Feast as well.
Enjoy your local foods Dan... And you're always welcome here for a hearty Midwestern winter meal.
Posted by: Kathy | March 6, 2009 4:38 AM
Went back to see where this good-looking food came from, my slow-moving antique took forever but the first picture that came up said, "Beautiful Aquidneck Farms steak" -- the only time I've ever heard that name was Aquidneck Island, (where Newport, Middleton and Portsmouth are located)(and where we lived for a couple of years) Guess the blog is from Boston ?
I'm always amazed about how small the world is getting. Anyway, this gal's food looks delicous..makes me a little too hungry! How's the blizzard? Haven't heard that it's hit you yet.
Posted by: Mom | March 30, 2009 12:40 PM
Simply put, Green Day rocks! I remember the first time I listened to them.. Basket Case.. lol. After that I was hooked.
Way to go Green Day!
Posted by: Link Building Services | March 18, 2010 1:01 AM
That looks delicious.
Posted by: bär | April 17, 2010 5:50 PM
Thanks for your visiting this www.watchau.com online store,It is a good idea for getting your desired replica rolex or rolex replica. we are a professional,loyal and reliable store for your need replica watches paypal.
Posted by: swiss replica watches | July 3, 2010 6:13 AM
That looks delicious. How has your resettling going? I am able to grow all of our own vegetables here in Maryland, but as we only have a few acres and due to restrictions, we are not allowed to raise any livestock. We are in the process of searching for land that will allow us to do so.
Posted by: Rob | July 29, 2010 9:38 AM
http://loveofpete.com/2010/06/floaters-in-the-eyes
Posted by: Watch Persons Unknown | August 17, 2010 7:35 PM
Thanks for your visiting this www.glamour-watch.com/replica-pen online store.
Posted by: replica watches | August 21, 2010 12:33 PM
Thanks for your visiting this www.hello-free.com/freebies online store.
Posted by: Swiss Replica Watches | August 29, 2010 7:29 PM
Thanks very much for this downright article;this is the stuff that keeps me on track through these day. I have been searching around for this site after asked to visit them from a colleague and was thrilled when I was able to find it after searching for awhile. Being a demanding blogger, I'm hopeful to see others taking initivative and contributing to the community. I just wanted to comment to show my appreciation for your post as it's very challenging to do, and many writers do not get acknowledgment they deserve. I am sure I'll be back and will recommend to my friends.
Posted by: Download Starcraft 2 | September 1, 2010 8:14 PM
Milkshake is the name of the TV programme that shows Hi-5 here in the UK. It's also a type of drink.
Posted by: Interior design | September 16, 2010 1:10 AM
Hee I did found your site on internet and I'm suprised by the qaulity of your published article I will keep following or bookmark your blog! Keep up the good posts Fellow Blogger
Posted by: Watch True Blood Online | September 21, 2010 6:19 PM
Sweet, that's precisely what I was hunting for! You just saved me alot of digging around
Posted by: Blanqueamiento Dental | September 26, 2010 1:01 PM
What skin Pay Attention gadget would consumers recommend as 12 how to 15 year olds who allow acne and black heads? as this skin Care product is The very best like us Neutrogena, Biore, or Pro Activ. I was also wondering went The Wave okay worked While I've heard powerful and bad actions with regards to it.
Posted by: Permanent Hair Removal | September 27, 2010 3:14 PM
how numerous laptops could be permitted how to be carried, If you travelling from Australia To indiana? Hi , I am enduring how to be travelling out of Australia how to hindia, and I allow two netbooks. I as for them is never working (is approx 3 yrs old) and I have to leave it in indiana using my folks. the various other laptop is my new laptop (1 yr old), which I cannot leave here. can everyone say to me if this is allowed To carry two netbooks internationally, esp out of Australia how to indiana ? None of these is a gift as well as none as to them is into new condition. Please help ! Credit !
Posted by: Make-up | September 28, 2010 12:50 AM
how Many netbooks in most cases are permitted how to be carried, If you travelling out of Australia To hindia? Hi , I'm enduring To be travelling out of Australia To hindia, and also I have two netbooks. a on them is never working (is approx 3 yrs old) as well as I have to leave this on hindia by my folks. The various other laptop is my new laptop (1 yr old), as this I cannot leave at present. can Anybody say to me went it is given how to continue two laptops internationally, esp out of Australia To India ? None as to these is a gift and none of them is into new condition. I beg you help ! Thx !
Posted by: Netbooks | September 28, 2010 1:16 AM
how Many laptops per child have to be allowed in airplane? I desire To recognise Tricks to Many mobile computers have to be given per head when we in most cases are travelling out of US To hindia. I have on To continue two mobile computers via me. a great deal can Some a say to me, if it is allowed how to continue way more than one laptop? I doubt went The US customs or indiana customs went object went I carry two. went it is not allowed, can end users suggest me Tricks to I may drive those people two mobile computers how to hindia? Appreciate it to ahead of.
Posted by: Accessories and Cases | September 28, 2010 1:17 AM
Thank you very much. Noble article
Posted by: Edric Chavez | October 19, 2010 5:27 AM
Hi, I'm new here. I finally joined after lurking for a few days ^^ My interests are photography, nature, organic stuff (not just food, stuff like clothing, cosmetics, etc...), and learning about various types of drugs. Howdy all, I just wanted to introduce myself. The name is chr0nicles and I'm interested in mostly medical marijuana and research chemical information, guidance, and companionship. Thanks for being here and I hope to learn much from our collective consciousness...
Posted by: phone jammer schematic | October 22, 2010 9:39 PM