A typical fast meal using local foods

Time and physical challenges have kept me from writing about our resolve to eat locally. December is crazy busy, as we are heavily involved in church activities, then I fell down some stairs earlier this month which as limited the use of my left arm/hand. The good news is I will heal, and my family has been stepping in to do more cooking.

This is a photo of a typical meal we will throw together on a busy night. It includes pasta, sausage, sauteed greens, garlic, olive oil, and cheese. This combination is one of my favorites. The hearty sausage, with the tasty greens has become a comfort food for me. I also like that it helps us clear ingredients from the refrigerator. You can throw in other veggies if you have some strays in your frig. Shoots from Claverach farms regularly make an appearance.

We made this wonderful apple galette to finish the meal (and use up the apples that were getting soft.) I always make an extra crust to freeze when I make a pie, which I had for the holidays, so we already had a crust ready. Roll it out flat and pile the apple filling* in the center, pull the sides up around the sides and bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

My husband used this recipe, but didn't peel the apples and used locally grown pecans rather than walnuts. I was really easy and fast -- apples, brown sugar, nutmeg and nuts.