Here we are, I believe on Week Eleven of the “Dark Days Challenge“, where over 100 of us from across the US, with one or two from Canada and the UK, are trying to see if we can make one meal a week using ingredients sourced from 150 miles or less from where we live. We have exceptions like spices, oils, chocolate and coffee. Plus, whatever we declared before we started. I will use locally produced items that may contain ingredients like flour or baking powder that aren’t local. Atwater’s bread is one of those sources.
So far, every week I have been able to source and use local items to make at least one meal. I finally reached the repetitive stage in this week, the eleventh one. I did an omelet for dinner, not much different than my frittata of a few weeks ago.
Finding a CSA that delivers all winter, and having numerous markets open year round, has made this fairly simple. Silver Spring, Tacoma Park and Dupont Circle all stay open year round. Zahradka farm provides home delivered veggies, fruit, meat, eggs, bread, and specially ordered items using an online weekly form. After picking which options you want for the 18 weeks, and pay in advance, we just sit back and take delivery weekly.
For this meal, the inspiration was a package of bacon from TLV Tree Farm in Glenelg, bought from Jamie this past year at the Fall Fest at the Howard County Conservancy in October and put away in my freezer with other goodies like a brisket and sausages. I defrosted it to use for Tuesday’s omelet and for Southern greens I will be making this weekend when my CSA arrives with collard greens. I admit, belonging to a CSA means you have to plan meals.
The baby Swiss cheese from a recent visit to South Mountain Creamery along with their milk and unsalted butter is going to be used for this 5 egg omelet. I am getting my biweekly delivery of eggs this coming weekend from Zahradka Farm CSA so I needed to use up some of the ones from last month. The spinach is from the CSA as well. The mushrooms I picked up at Boarman’s. They are labeled as from our favorite local source, Kennett Square PA. I get these mushrooms most of the spring and fall from the Sandy Spring CSA that delivers to Columbia and to the Conservancy.
Come this May will mark our second year with the cooperative of 70-80 organic farmers around Lancaster, including Mother Earth mushrooms. Until then, though, I am eating lots of greens, onions, potatoes, leeks, chard, cauliflower and broccoli. Eating seasonally is something many of us stopped doing when year round veggies from all over the world came into our chain supermarkets.
Taking this challenge has brought me back to simple cooking, fresh foods and decreased allergies. I am glad I did it.
On to the omelet, I cut up some bacon, browned it in the pan, added the veggies and mushrooms, then poured in the egg and milk mixture.
The finished product fell in pieces when I was trying to serve it so there are no dinner pictures.
We poured a glass of Linden Chardonnay from VA and buttered some some Atwater’s Bread, making this a completely local meal except for the salt and pepper.
A source that I have relied upon to tell me where to find local foods is the book Dishing Up Maryland by Lucie Snodgrass. I bought mine at Black Ankle vineyards last year, and I have seen it at Baugher’s Market. Besides the great recipes, there are pages of local resources in the back, a great place to find farms, artisans and markets in the state.
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AnnieRie Unplugged 
Have you tried the smoked baby swiss cheese from South Mountain Creamery? It’s from Ohio, so not quite local, but delicious.
What a nice book for you area. That is great. Psst: don’t forget we have a breakfast challenge coming up too (and a vegetarian one also!) Your omelet looks great, even though you said it fell apart. I use a cast iron pan and I have learned (for me) that I do my veg/meat first and take it out of the pan (yes, extra work) then do the eggs and I limit it to 2 eggs per omelet or it gets out of hand. Then with the eggs on the plate I fold it over the veg/meat and cheese. Works for me. It also means making two omelets and my husband is usually done eating his by the time I am plating mine. I haven’t tried using my large cast iron pan, I might be able to do three eggs and split it for us.
I love the greens in omelets. so good!
Very inspiring! I hope to join you guys in the Dark Days Challenge next year – I’m pretty much attempting it anyway, just don’t have the time to blog about it right now. And I have that book, you’re right, it really is a great resource!
Marcia, I have to try that smoked cheese. I saw they were selling cheeses from farmer’s around the region, including Ohio.
Emily, I want to try pancakes for the breakfast challenge. I have local buckwheat and whole wheat flour. hope they turn out.
Bethesda Locavore, Lucie’s book is one of my favorites to use. She spoke at an event I attended last year. She is an amazing lady who left political life to live and work on a family farm in Harford County.
In response to an earlier post of yours – the best thing about being retired is the ability to visit some local stores on weekdays. They aren’t busy and you can chat with the owners or sales people. Somehow that makes patronizing them even better, it’s personal.
Today I took my dogs for a walk on that trolley trail in Oella. Then into the Breadery, then Treuths for a Valentine’s Day treat. Off to Catonsville where I intended to go to Ken’s Old Fashioned Candy and tell them how much I missed them (and get a box for my mom’s 89th birthday this weekend) but what did I spy? Atwater’s almost next door. Of course I popped in!
What a pleasant morning, doing a bit of shopping and a bit of talking with not only the people working in the stores but customers as well. We sure don’t get to do that when we’re working full time and have maybe one day to cram all our errands in. Love it!
We were in Frederick today, at Wegman’s. And, I got my CSA this afternoon. I need to cook a bit of stuff tonight, for next week. I like doing things on weekends to make all week.
Spaghetti with meat sauce tonight, and venison chili tomorrow. Enough to freeze for later.
Agreed – We are quite lucky in the Mid-Atlantic. Second Sunday @ Tongue Row starts back up this Sunday…can’t wait to see and taste the goodies!
Does it? We have to get down there. I thought it started in March last year, but I will take February.
We did Wegman’s for lunch today. Had to go to Gaithersburg Garage Door for a replacement weather strip for one of our doors. Indian food for lunch, yum. Can’t wait. Four more months until the Columbia store opens.
We found they had fresh wild caught Chesapeake Bay rockfish. Guess what my dark days dinner Sunday is going to be?
I am putting it in to marinate tomorrow.
Annie
Looks delicious! I’m a bit behind in my DDC cooking — too many kid activities at night :)! I’m trying to come up with a dessert for the challenge though — I have some apples and frozen blueberries and milk and eggs — hmm maybe a fruit custard?
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