Well, we've made it through the first week of OLS! I can hardly believe the excitement for the project and the gorgeous meals I've seen throughout the week. I only wish I could see more of them. My time has definitely been centered around the northern parts, but once in a while, I hope to see what everyone is contributing.
New England:
I had a hard time knowing which of Wendy's local meals was her "official" entry. She started off the week with a local family breakfast, followed up with a dinner of spareribs and sides, and finished off with a chicken dinner. She's come a long way since last year.
Leslie may have had one of the most local meals I've seen... everything in her meal came from five miles away or less! And before you start thinking that she lives on a self-sufficient farm, just know that she lives on an island. Pretty cool.
Jen & Steve topped sauteed kale and garlic scapes with some locally made spinach ravioli.
Melissa got a head-start and had her local meal last week because she's leaving Maine soon for Colorado. But what better way to say goodbye to Maine's cuisine than with a boiled lobstah dinnah?
Heather had grilled pork chops and salad along with her (first ever) biscuits.
Magid's leftovers were a smart way to finish up a local meal.
Korinthe pulled together a lovely summer meal despite being in the middle of a heat wave (100˚ in the kitchen drawer!).
Laurie enjoyed crockpot shortribs with herbal iced tea sweetened with her own backyard honey. Hooray for bees!
Stephani tried goat meat for the first time. Guess what? She liked it!
Cheryl shared a homegrown chicken dinner with her family.
International:
Karen in Ontario dined on grilled bison.
Cheryl in Vancouver brought the Mediterranean to her with some veggie sandwiches.
Mary in Ontario had a wonderful time exploring her local farmstand (and got caught up on the local gossip) before creating a lovely local potato salad.
Moonwaves in Ireland (I knew that, really I did) learned that a little bit of enthusiasm can help create a fabulous beef stew even at the end of a long day.
Amanda in Scotland made veggie tacos, gazpacho, and a strawberry pie.
Yukino in Moldova enjoyed some simple foods on her own, and an assortment of locally produced meals with her family at "Villa".
And finally, I know she's not in my area, but for anyone who felt that this first week was an exercise in frustration, please read what Stacey has to say. Last year, she was new to the local food scene, and had to spend a bit of time sourcing out local suppliers. This year, she's a pro. Use Stacey as your role model, and know that it's possible to change the way you buy your food. It just takes some extra effort, and some time to make it work, but it's totally worth it.
