Sunday, August 3, 2008

One Local Summer wk9: i guess i like zucchini after all

one local summerI mentioned to someone yesterday that this is no longer a challenge, really. As I've documented on this blog, I've settled into a groove: farmers market, Co-op, make a bunch of food, eat it all week long, repeat. While I could do much better (see: yearofplenty.org and that lovely family in Spokane), I'm pleased with the changes I've made. Probably next year I'll try my hand at canning things, and we're already talking about getting together a buying group for chickens. In other words, this summer has been a good start but still is just start.

I went to the market yesterday without much of a plan, but that will change next week. Everything is ready now: all the leafy greens, the root vegetables, the potatoes, the tomatoes, the fruit, etc. For instance, one farm (Tonnemaker Hill Farm of Royal City WA) had at least fifteen different varieties of peppers. I am not a huge fan of peppers (combine that with my relative dislike of warm tomato products and I'm just about the worst Italian ever) but I want to try some of theirs. I will do some research to see just what I might like before the market next week.

One Local Summer wk 9: summer sausage, onions, zucchini, tomatoes over homemade pastaThe featured local dish for this week is very simple, contains two things that in the past I have not particularly liked, contains one thing I never thought I'd get at the market, and turned out to be the best dish I've made so far this summer—and I've loved everything I've made so that's saying something.

At the market, Nikki Eaton of Eaton Beef said "Hey Julie, do you like summer sausage?" to which I said something like "Hell yes" and grabbed it out of her hands. I thawed it immediately and planned to use it in today's featured dish. I also picked up a few zucchini because I thought I'd make some zucchini bread. I got some Walla Walla onions and some tomatoes, and then realized that in my bag I had all the fixings for a tasty sauté—which is just what I made.

As I cooked up the aforementioned sausage, zucchini, onions, and tomatoes, my pasta was drying on the rack. Yep, I made fettuccine too, and dumped the sautéed stuff on top. Freaking delicious. Who knew? Probably all of you who like zucchini and cooked tomatoes already, I'm sure.


SUMMER SAUSAGE, ZUCCHINI, ONIONS, AND TOMATOES ON HOMEMADE FETTUCINI
- flour: Shepherd's Grain (Columbia Plateau farmers, Spokane mill/distributor), via the Co-op (8mi)
- eggs: Troyer's in Potlatch, ID (25mi), via the Co-op (8mi)
- summer sausage: Eaton Beef, Colton WA (10mi)
- zucchini: Affinity Farm, Moscow ID (8mi)
- onion: Affinity Farm, Moscow ID (8mi)
- tomato: from another farmer whose name I can't remember but I got it from the Farmers Market, Moscow ID (8mi)
- cougar gold cheese: WSU Creamery, Pullman, WA (2mi)
- not local: olive oil, pepper
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I put a little cougar gold on everything, it seems. It really isn't dinner without a little cougar gold.

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