As a wrap-up to Local Food Month, and in conjunction to finishing reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, I proposed trying to create The Perfect Meal.Unfortunately, I never did get around to actually hunting, collecting or harvesting all my own food, so I let it slide. But last night I think I got about as close to the Perfect Meal as I'm going to get.
It was Sunday Family Meal night and I harvested from my backyard potatoes, beets, carrots, onions, garlic and rosemary for a roasted vegetable dish. I also oven roasted locally grown corn and made (if I do say so myself) some absolutely fantastic Rioja braised chicken thighs (from local, organic chicken) with a plum port sauce, using the Plum Port jam I made last month. I still can't get over how crazy good my creation turned out. I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow. Let me know if you are interested in the recipe and I'll post it on Crunchy Chicken Cooks.
I also wanted to let you all know that Joel Salatin (of Polyface Farms - the farm featured in The Omnivore's Dilemma) has a new book coming out. He was kind enough to send me an advance copy, so I'll be posting a review when it's closer to the book's publishing date. Between that and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I'm in food reading heaven!
Crunch,
ReplyDeleteLooks good! You inspired me over the weekend to go out to my garden and actually cook the things I grow! (I love gardening. Not so much cooking. I know. I know. Yet again, I know.)
I actually roasted veg this weekend, cooked eggplant, and made stuffed peppers. Huge accomplishment.
I am also reading away at Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (which also contributed to my cooking episode, but you are the one that has me reading that too!) and I didn't get much else done as I sat and read the damn book because I can't put it down!
Also, I was wondering if you could touch on plants that we can grow in the fall/winter in our garden. I am in zone 7, which is probably pretty close to the zone you are in. I've never tried to do so, but maybe you know how!