One Local Summer

Liz over yonder came up with this great idea to have One Local Summer. Which really ends up to be many summers because I think this is not the first summer that she has been the hostess with the mostess!

The idea: Eat at least one completely local meal each week. Use locally produced items to fix your dinner. Don't worry about the spices and small stuff, but the main things like meat, dairy, grains, and so on. Then post about it so everyone can share their thoughts and ideas. And maybe, just maybe it will help people understand the importance of eating locally. Even if it is just one person who learns....it's a start.

Here is my dinner.


Roasted chicken with a pesto rub.
Chicken---free range, organic---50 miles
Basil---organic---Blue Moon Farm---10 miles
Pine nuts---not local
Asiago cheese---not local
Olive oil---not local
Roasted carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Carrots---farmer's market----Carbondale, Il--- 180 miles
Salt and pepper---not local
Olive oil---not local
Golden Kohlrabi patties(not so golden really, but you get the idea!)
Kohlrabi---organic---Blue Moon Farm---10 miles
Green onions---organic---Blue Moon Farm---10 miles
Whole Wheat flour---not local
Egg---free range, pastured, organic---Moore's Farm---60 miles
Butter---hormone free---Oberweis Dairy---180 miles
Pepper---not local
Milk
Milk---hormone free---Oberweis Dairy---180 miles

The chicken we got at our farmers market. The carrots came from a little further because we were at grandma and grandpa's house at the time. So, that was about 3 hrs from home. Much further than I would normally do, but it was where we were. The kohlrabi also came from our farmers market(along with the onions in the patties).


We utilize a dairy that is not as local as I would like it to be, but as good as I am going to get in order to have hormone free milk and butter and such.


Cheats would be salt and pepper, asiago cheese in the pesto, and olive oil.


Golden Kohlrabi Patties

4-6 medium sized kohlrabi
1 egg, beaten
3 T whole wheat flour
1/4 C butter
1 small onion, finely chopped(I used green onions since that is what I got at the market)
1/8 t ground pepper

Trim kohlrabi of stems, peel and then shred. Place in a medium sized sauce pan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower heat and then simmer for 10 min. Drain and cool. Mix kohlrabi, egg, and flour in a large bowl.

Melt butter in a large skillet, add onions, and saute until translucent. Add kohlrabi mixture, sprinkle with pepper, and cook on medium heat until bottom is golden brown and crusty. Divide into quarters and turn each quarter over with a spatula and brown on other side. Serve hot.

Serves 4 Rodale's Basic Natural Foods Cookbook