This past weekend I did something that I RARELY EVER DO.... I ate almost EVERY meal out. It was insane. Friday night was a birthday celebration for a couple friends of mine, Saturday's dinner was a foodie potluck with a group of local food-obsessed home cooks (so I guess that's not as bad as a restaurant), and Sunday I had brunch and dinner out. It was not my ideal weekend.
I wrote that last sentence, and had to laugh. It may have been my ideal weekend a couple years ago, it most certainly was my ideal weekend. I thrived on going out with friends and keeping myself busy around town running errands and such.... but now I am much happier staying around the house most the weekend catching up on "me" time (some of it is "us time" I suppose what with the husband being home and all). Reading a book or actually spending time knitting, cooking food from scratch, poking around in the backyard which will soon be our garden.... it helps me balance the hectic pace of the rest of my week.
So due to all the eating out, I haven't made a specific "dark days meal" again since we have leftovers out our ears and between those I've been noshing on all the items I posted about last week. I have all the ingredients for the parsnip recipe I hinted at a couple weeks ago, and I have yet to have the time to make them. Worked last night and have class tonight. Maybe I'll get to it tomorrow night?
I just wanted to tell a little more about the potluck we went to Saturday. First - it was another BEAUTIFUL day in Baltimore - sunny and pleasant and wonderful. The couple who hosted the meal had a good sized garden in their back yard to tour, as well as edible landscaping in the front and some city chickens that provide them with eggs. I had such a good time I can't believe I forgot to take pictures.
People brought an amazing array of food and drink. Home brewed beer, home-fermented kimchi, duck-fat eclairs stuffed with olives and onions, red lentil dal, potato & beef perogis, an amazing asparagus salad with roasted red peppers, olives and almonds... the list goes on and on. Dave volunteered to make our dish. He used the last of his pickled pork to make pork and red beans over rice... a big hit!
It's quite a sustainable group; everyone brings their own plates and flatware so that no paper goods have to go to waste. We spent most of the time chatting about how to best trellis your peas, which weeds the chickens don't like (and which house plants they do!), and where to buy local fruit trees. There was also ALWAYS someone throwing a ball around with the very fetch-obsessed dog.
Dessert was Egyptian orange cake with chocolate glaze - and homemade chai tea. This is a monthly potluck (and March was the first one we could make it to), so I'm looking forward to more yummy dinners in the future!
(next week I'll have a much better dark days post to wrap up the challenge)
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I am assuming the Saturday potluck was Foodmakers? So sad I couldn't make it!
ReplyDelete(p.s. to answer your question about the bulk foods, sadly I don't think any of the foods are local but I will have to check. I am pushing for us to have local produce in the future, but we're not quite ready as a group to start buying perishables.)
you assume right! Too bad you weren't there - it was very nice. Bummer on the bulk foods... it's "easy" to find local produce, it's just the bulk items that are difficult to find. I know there are flours and beans local to PA, it's just a matter of finding them!
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