Pickles!!!

I opened the first jar of my homemade pickles yesterday and was very pleased. I had been waiting since August 18th, when I canned them.

They ended up a tart version of bread and butter pickles. The slices had some crunch and the taste was crisp. I wish I'd had more cucumbers and made more. I know I'll be making these next year.

Scott said they'd be great with braunschweiger. I used them today in a chicken salad using left over chicken from Sunday. There is something warm and comforting about homemade pickles. Mmmmmm.

Why I Haven't Been Updating the Blog

I have to admit I haven't been posting too much because eating local has become habit. Even when I don't have time to cook I have enough food available to eat using local ingredients. Some of my staples have become locally made cheese, pasta and pesto, with whatever produce has arrived for the week. Here is a typical fast night dinner for us. The macaroni and cheese is made with a combination of cheeses from Ropp Farms and Heartland Dairy. The ravioli has pesto on it. The greens are collard greens from Yellow Dog.

The small peppers were a new surprise from Yellow Dog, called pimientos de padron. They are tiny bite size peppers. I put a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and got it hot. Threw in the small peppers and tossed them around until they started to blister. I took them off the heat and added some sea salt. They were really fun --- just bite off the pepper and throw the stem away. Most were mild, with an occasional hot one. Someone described it as playing russian roulette with peppers, you never know which one will get you. I have to agree and think that is part of the fun. I'd love to have more and make a meal of them with sliced sausages and cheeses.

Other foods we've had recently include breakfast sausage, eggs, yellow watermellon and a lot of squashes. I've been grilling the squash and putting a little honey on it. The combination of smoky and sweet plays off the squash really well.

We received a meal of black beans and rice from del Carmen. My older daughter has been eating it as a snack and loves it. I guess I need to get more.

Sitting on my counter ready to go is a pattypan squash, an acorn squash and fingerling potatoes. We also have some sunchokes and mushrooms waiting to be eaten.

I gave my mother the grapes and radishes since we never seem to eat them.

Overall we have been eating much healthier and with more variety being a member of Fair Shares and I am looking forward to what the next season will bring.