Lots of Peppers

This was the last Saturday of our outdoor farmers' market.  My husband and I went all bundled up as it as about 35 degrees. We've had several frosts so we weren't expecting much, but we wanted to support the vendors.  Boy were we wrong.  Of course there were the squash, I have a bushel basket full of squash - hoping they  don't go bad before I get to them.   And of course there were potatoes and other root vegetables, but there were a ton of peppers and the very last of the tomatoes. I also was lucky enough to pick up some bock choy, broccoli and lettuce.  Now the question is what to do with all of the peppers when I got them home. Some of them I cut up and froze, but the others I decided to try a new dish to me Pipérade - it's like a French salsa.  I served it as a side with our macaroni and cheese the first night.  The next day I just reheated it, always love that, and served along side an omelet.  The Pipérade keeps for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator and can be served cold, hot or a room temperature.  How perfect is that? 

This recipe comes from The Bonne Femme  by Wini Moranville. (This is really a great book if you are looking for a new cookbook.)  But really it is a question of sauteing sliced peppers, onions, salt and pepper in olive oil. After allowing them to soften for about 10 minutes I added the tomatoes.  The recipe calls for canned, but I just used fresh since I had them.  Towards the end of the cooking time, about 5-8 minutes later, add minced garlic, 1/2 tsp paprika and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper. Saute for an additional 30 seconds to a minute.  You can serve right away or just take off the heat until ready to use.  

Bon Appétit!

and as always with love from the Midwest,

Beth  

Apples for Breakfast

Generally I don't think of apples as a go to breakfast fruit. I don't know why not, they fall in the fruit category which I always have for breakfast.  However I found this recipe years ago for baked apples, and I look forward to it every fall. Of course it also work well in the winter. I'm still eating local apples which makes this recipe to me all the better.  It's super quick to make since you don't have to peel the apples and it cooks in the microwave. I make enough for the week on Sunday and my mornings are that much easier during the week.

Baked apples 

About 6 chopped apples (don't peel) - I use a 8 x 8" microwave safe dish

Cinnamon to taste

 1/4 c sugar - raw cane sugar or brown sugar works quite well

 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans - really whatever nut you like for a little protein

1/4 c water

sometimes I add some dried cherries or cranberries depending on my mood

Microwave for 20 minutes.  The apples will be soft but still have some shape.  These are all rough measurements of course add more or less of anything for your personal preference.

Bon Appétit!

And as always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

What does local look like this week?

Well I thought I'd share with you what local looks like this week, the first week in October.  We've had crazy warm weather recently so I still have a ton of flowers and our farmers' market is still going strong at least as of the Saturday before.  Appleton had it annual October Fest in place of the market.  So instead of spending my money on the local farmers Saturday my husband and I supported our town. All of the food vendors supported local charities as did our local artists.

We also went to our favorite apple orchard.  Yes this is a view of my extra fridge. I picked up a bag of "seconds" -they are great for pies, sauce and my baked apples for breakfast.

Luckily I also have vegetables left over from the Wednesday market and my garden.  So I've included a dinner of mostly local food.  The steak is from our cow we get that is from 15 minutes away.  I know the farmer, and I pay him directly.  I also have it processed at a local butcher.  The mushrooms are from Wisconsin and the tomatoes are local. When I use such fresh produce I really try not to cook it that much, so just a bit of sea salt from our trip to Washington and San Juan Island. 

Now the black truffle risotto is not local at all, but it was delicious.  And our Pinot Noir to drink was also not local.  But as I've said before we're not perfect just trying to be conscientious.  

Last week I did pick up some local garlic.  We choose the one with the red writing and it was delicious roasted on our grill.  I made sourdough the same day and what a treat -roasted garlic, butter and fresh bread.

As for my flowers, yes they are still growing on the south side of my house.  I've filled many rooms with Zinneas and Dahlias.  They just make me happy looking at them.

I hope over the past few weeks I've inspired you to think more locally about your purchases and food in general.  

Until the next time,

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth