The challenge to blog every day in May continues, but today I’m going off topic.

I didn’t need the prompt, because yesterday turned out to be pretty dang blog-worthy, in my opinion.

Greg and I went to our local Grower’s Market in downtown Albuquerque. I was so excited.

‘Tis the season for buying local!!! 

We arrived at the market and right away, we saw friends of ours. The sun was shining. Little kids were dancing along with the music of the live band, and families were picking out the healthiest food within miles to take home. It was a perfect Saturday.

Right away, we found this:

The Valley Gurlz, two cousins here in Albuquerque, started their small business of pickling green beans. We met them and chatted, had a sample, and became instant fans of what they do. They were so nice, too!! It’s worth checking out, folks! (One of these women live near us in the South Valley! It’s a small world)

Next, we got these items:

The garlic scapes (shoots? I think scapes!) were from Erda Gardens (UM…. just down the road from my house!!!) and I got information on how I can volunteer. I’m so excited.

The black and white radishes came from the Moore Family Farm. They were so nice. We got to try those, too, and man- were they spicy!

We also bought green onion, but I honestly don’t remember the name of the woman’s booth! Will make up for that…

So off we went, home to make a great dinner with these ingredients.

Oh, and a few more right from out backyard:

Lambsquarters is a green that grows like a weed in our garden. It is everywhere. I didn’t even know such a plant existed until this year. Michael Pollan even mentions Lambsquarters in Food Rules, as one of the top two healthiest wild greens you can eat. (it’s a good source of Niacin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Magnese.)

The butterhead lettuce, I’m sure you are familiar with. It apparently loves our garden, too. And we love IT.

Spinach also did well. We had enough left from the winter crop to pick some for the meal yesterday.

And here is what I cooked:

Dinner:

I cooked mixed red and regular quinoa in my rice cooker. (One part quinoa, two parts water. I added a splash more water, as the red seems to take more to cook all the way through.)

I sauteed:

-carrots (from California)

-Garlic shoots (from down the street)

-Radishes (from a little further down the street)

-Green onion (from Albuquerque)

-Spinach (from my backyard)

-Lettuce (from my backyard!)

-Lambsquarters (from my backyard)

-Tempeh (from California)

-Soy sauce (from Virginia)

I added some EVOO and voila! DINNER!!

I’m no math expert, but I’d say that’s a very high percentage of LOCAL. 

Every single item I made was organic. MOST of it was not USDA certified, but certified by ME, because I met the people who grew it and/or saw where it grew. What a blessing.

This dinner was a cinch. SO easy to make. SO EASY to enjoy, too. We sat in the backyard with our neighbor and ate, drank some beer, and enjoyed the healthy feeling running through our veins.

Find your nearest market, meet some new friends, grow something in your backyard, and smile because it’s good for YOU and the Earth!!

Love,

LOU