If you are local to the NC triangle, on Wednesday, May 23, Slow Foods Movement founder Carlo Petrini will be speaking at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh at 7pm. The main sponsor is CEFS, Center for Environmental Farming Systems at NC State and they have more info or you can call 919-513-0954. Check out what Mental Masala, of Ethicurean: chew the right thing, had to report from Petrini’s recent San Fran talk. Locavore Sage Van Wing tagged him as political and dynamic beyond what folks might expect of Slow Foods. He’s preaching “all gastronomes must become environmentalists, all environmentalists must become gastronomes” and I’m happy to hear that sermon spread.
OK, so I just made a lunch worthy of a marriage proposal from a complete stranger. Granted, that’s my opinion. Jeff the Chef from Chatham Marketplace just announced our intentions to craft a owner-compiled co-op cookbook in his last blog. He also put out the call for recipies.I’ve a new goal to build my own home 90% (or better) local cookbook (family Christmas presents, I’m thinking . . .), as we build the Co-op cooking book. This recipie only makes it if I leave out the grain bed. Hmm . . . Since I’m dissertating today, no real blog–just sharing my lunch:
Spring Asparagus
ingredients
4 medium red and white potatoes, cubed, not peeled
1 lemon*
4 basil leaves, more to garnish
two dashs oil* of choice, could use butter if necessary
six garlic cloves, peeled, left whole
1 lb asparagus spears, cut into two inch lengths
4 oz. feta cheese
1 roasted red pepper
1 1/2 cups grain for serving bed (rice*, quinoa*, millet*, etc)
Toss potatoes and garlic in dash of oil, juice of half a lemon, and finely grated rind of whole lemon. Roast at 400, turning at about fifteen minutes, until crispy on outside.
Cook grain while potatoes are roasting. (I used millet today, which bumps me way off 90% target.)
(Here’s where I go do some computer work, and pop out to the garden for the basil leaves.)
When potatoes are almost done, heat dash of oil in pan and when hot throw in thin sliced basil leaves. Then braise asapragus spears, quickly, squeezing second half of lemon over them while cooking, and adding slices of roasted red pepper near end. Finally toss in crumbled feta and roasted potatoes and garlic. Serve over bed of grain.
costs about $6 (farmer’s market purchases);
serves two to four, depending on serving size (1/4 shown in photo);
90% local, depending on grain source–if SC rice, still beyond 100 miles . . . ;
35 minutes, including cooking time;
zip on difficulty scale.
I really want a lemon tree . . .
