I love to eat. I also would like to maintain my weight and keep some minor health issues in check. What I choose to eat plays into those two things. I try and avoid a lot of carbs since turning 50 – I have found it helpful for weight maintenance. My doctor also said avoiding carbs would help decrease the joint inflammation I deal with regularly. So while there are lots of things I love to eat, I have to choose carefully. Sometimes it’s fun and delicious and sometimes it’s just tedious. The work I do on the front end; hitting the farm market and natural food store to fill my panty and fridge with good options that I enjoy and fit within my values; locally sourced as much as possible makes it more fun and yummy than tedious.
Travel and family visits kept us from our usual farm market excursion these past few weeks. I remained local focused however while shopping at the grocery store. But this past Saturday we were back at it and thrilled because Spring is coming! Yes, it’s still cold out, but as I mentioned before there are plenty of ways to extend the season with greenhouses and high tunnels. The greens were much more plentiful, and we got a bag of spinach and a bag of baby kale along with another box of broccoli sprouts. The farmer we purchase our sprouts from said he grows them inside under lights, and he has had them all winter. There are a delicious addition to salads and a fun topper for canapes. The baby kale is providing me with a delicious base for salads at work.
Hubby was most excited about the spinach. A favorite steakhouse dish is creamed spinach and he had a steak at home to grill. Perfect!
This was our first attempt at creamed spinach and it was a home run! Some bacon from Dakin Farms which we picked up on our way home from a trip to Burlington Vt, a red onion from the farm market, a leftover leek just because I needed to use it up, and half and half from the farmers’ market added up to one delicious and decadent side dish.
I am loving the fact we have a fish monger at our farm market. I decided to buy some Long Island scallops and some Rhode Island smoked bluefish this week. While those locations are a bit over the 100 mile mark, they are a lot closer than what we can often find at the supermarket.
I had some fun with the smoked bluefish today at lunch. I enjoy food that not only tastes good but is fun to eat. I put together a plate of some yummy faves and created a little canape in the process. I discovered a while back that Nettle Meadows garlic and olive oil chevre pairs fabulously with the smoked bluefish. I started to grab some crackers to pile it on but switched gears and grabbed a kohlrabi instead! Kohlrabi has been plentiful at the market all winter. I enjoy it both cooked and raw. Today I peeled and sliced it and used it as the base for the fish and cheese. Then just cuz I love ’em I popped a sprinkle of broccoli sprouts on top. Delicious and healthy. My favorite. I added some dried cherries for contrast and some roasted and salted pumpkin seeds for crunch.
Last night, I was less healthy but equally as delicious. One of the pleasures of shopping at the farmers’ market is creating dishes out of what is in season. Kohlrabi are plentiful and versatile so I incorporated them into a grilled cheese. I used Rock Hill Bakehouse sourdough bread, Dakin Farms cranberry chutney mixed with some mayo, deli turkey and Fontina cheese and a few slices of kohlrabi for crunch and made a DELICIOUS grilled cheese!
I may eat to live healthfully but I also live to eat! I encourage you to check out your local farmers’ markets and local food purveyors. Explore and get creative. Eating well makes eating healthy a habit that’s easy to keep.
Robin Schneider Larkin 