Roasted Beet Salad on Braised Seasonal Greens
I MADE IT!!!!!!!!!
Whew. What a frickin’ rush. 31 days of eating nothing but locally grown and produced food. If my friends and family thought I was an a-hole to go out with when I was just vegan…well, let’s just say I introduced a whole ‘nother level of pretentious to my loved ones this month.
But I did it. Did I enjoy it? Not all the time. I think I will stray far from cruciferous vegetables for the next little while. Soup? I’m good for a bit, thanks. Did I find it educational? Oh, hells yes! One of the best things I learned this month is that my body doesn’t like sugar. I was so damnably grouchy for the first three days of this challenge, but I think it was because I was hurting for the ever-present added sugar I was missing by eschewing processed foods.
Another thing I learned is I that am NOT one of those vegans who can get by on all the protein in “everything we eat.” I am a nursing Mom who is quasi-athletic and I needs me some rice and beans. Seriously. That’s super nice that sunflower sprouts contain a butt-load of protein. Now pass the brown-basmati with lentils before I rip your face off!
But, by far, the very best thing that I learned this month is that I live in a kick-ass community. The Rootcellar, Michell’s Bros Farm, the Get Fresh Guide, Niagra (and Fairfield) Grocery, Wild Fire Bakery, Seedy Saturdays, Life Cycles, Spinnaker’s Brew Pub….there’s way more! It was really, very EASY to stick to my plan with all the community support/supplies.
I will pen a more detailed summation tomorrow, but tonight I leave you with my last meal of Locally Vegan 2011: Roasted Beet Salad on a Bed of Flash Braised Local Greens.
Yum.
Roasted Beet Salad with Flash Braised Seasonal Greens
So yummy. So fresh. So making me doubt my return to exotic foods. I roasted Michell Bros Farm golden and standard beets in a 425ºF oven for about 45 minutes. Then I dice’em up. Meanwhile, I braised a healthy handful of Michell Bros. first greens of the season (I really don’t know what kind they are–that’s what the sign said. But they were terrific!) in a covered pan with about 1/4 cup of water and a healthy (sense a theme) pincheroo of Vancouver Island Salt Company’s Cherry Smoked Rock Salt. Two minutes, tops. Plate greens, drop on beets, sproinkle with a teensy bit more rock salt and splash with Spinnaker’s yummy vinegar (or whatever lesser quality vinegar you may be stuck with). Enjoy!
Local food…huzzah!!!!
