Thursday, November 25, 2010

100-Mile Thanksgiving

It's been nearly a year since I first had the idea to start writing about food. A lot has changed since last winter - we now live out in the country (yes, I can see horses out my window and we have chickens out back... it really is the country). This year we decided to participate in one of the local CSA (community supported agriculture) programs. We signed up with a farm nearby - Denison Farms - to receive a box of fresh vegetables and fruits each week and it has been amazing.

I've always enjoyed cooking but without being forced to try new things I realized I was sort of stuck in a rut - stir fry, pasta, enchiladas, some sort of soy protein, and repeat. I couldn't do that once we started getting the Harvest Boxes. All of a sudden we had fennel and fava beans and kale  - all things I would never normally buy in the grocery store. The past six months have naturally lead me to incorporate more and more local foods into my diet, so this year for Thanksgiving we have decided to do an all (or as much as possible) local meal.

On the menu so far:
Turkey from Afton Field Farm (or if you're me, Field Roast... I need some sort of protein!)
Cranberry Sauce (Oregon coast cranberries and Corvallis apple cider)
Cornbread, Apple, Hazelnut Stuffing (Cornmeal from Washington, Apples and Hazelnuts from Corvallis)
Roasted Delicata Squash (Denison Farms)
Squash, Caramelized Onion, and Hazelnut Pizza (Big River pizza dough)
Mashed Potatoes with Kale and Garlic (Denison Farms)
Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake (Cream cheese from Eugene, cranberries from the Oregon Coast)

This year I am particularly thankful that I live somewhere with so many local food options! Pictures of the meal to follow shortly!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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