Celebrating Earth Day with Local Food

Today I pick up our first share from Fair Shares. I got an email yesterday listing the food I should be receiving.

5. STC/FSE (that's my pick-up group) will get:

Hinkebein Hills Pork Breakfast Links
or patties (choice)
Ozark Forest Fresh Mushrooms
Ivan's Lettuce
Yellow Wood Spinach
Yellow Dog Lettuce Mix
del Carmen Black Beans, Soup or BB & Rice
Pilgrims' Acres Eggs
Marble Creek Maple Syrup
Centennial Preserves
Companion Strawberry Poundcake

I have to admit at first glance I was a little disappointed. But then I remembered I am buying local, which means what is in season, and this is perfect. The next step was to figure out how to use these items in our family diet this week. Falling to my old ways all I could think of was soup and salad.

Then without even knowing, my older daughter came to the rescue. This morning she announced she wanted one of her favorites for dinner -- Lemon Spinach Pasta. Perfect!! While I know the lemons won't be local, it seems the ideal way to use the spinach, and I may even be able to pick up some locally made pasta when I get my allotted share. If not I should be able to stop at the Bush's Grove Market to get some local pasta. I'll make a homemade dressing with the preserves to put on the lettuce and we can have the poundcake as the finish.

Tomorrow I may make a quiche with the eggs and mushrooms, that is if I can stop myself from adding the mushrooms to the pasta.

I've never been a fan of maple syrup, but I'm determined to try all the local products we get. Anyone have ideas how I can use it?