Eating Local,even in Winter

While working in the fields of a local organic farm last summer,  I had a lot of time to think ... One of the many bonuses to working outside with your hands :)  During harvest season life was great , fresh local veggies everyday , just picked 10 minutes before heading home :)   But what about winter ?  When I can't just simple pick something fresh, either from the field or from the grocery store.   I decided this year , I was going to challenge myself to continue to eat local thru the worst two months for fresh, local food here.  January and February ...   So i started stocking up ,  between a few farms and my own garden I managed to pack away a few hundred pounds of veggies...  lots to see me thru the two months I promised myself.    Quick numbers are 150 lbs of potatoes , 75lbs of acorn and butternut squash, 100lbs of tomatoes, jarred and frozen as a garden sauce,  50lbs of red peppers mostly all roasted and frozen , along with onion and garlic ( quick flavour adders ) ,100lbs of onions and 50 head of garlic .   I did have ambitions to put away more, but simply ran out of time and freezer space ...  It didnt help that the 20lbs of carrots went bad on me lol ..   Looks like I wont have a huge variety to choose from , but it should be fun , and best of all LOCAL :))  I'm already thinking ahead to next year ...   more frozen soups or puree's for sure , and more root vegetables carrots, parsnips, turnips etc...  More variety in canning , not just tomatoes :)

Four weeks in ,  Im really craving a nice big Caesar salad lol .... but its been fun,  Here are a few of my creations so far :)

Roasted Red Pepper n Garlic Hummus :) 

Roasted Red Pepper n Garlic Hummus, garden tomato sauce, red onions, garlic ,  ground beef , and roasted red peppers...  all local :)) Making  homemade hamburger helper :)   

Sardines on Toast the final 10 with 5 recipe !!

Ten recipes with five ingredients.... sounds pretty easy doesn't it ??  Well , it was easy enough , I mean how hard can five ingredients be to prep and use ?? lol.  For me it was actually stopping at five ingredients that was the hardest part , not that I use twenty in my meals , but eight or ten for a full meal is about normal. I managed to make my way through the ten , though , pushing myself with a  couple of full meals, even a vegetarian one, a couple of new appetizers , even the pantry staple beef stock made an appearance.  Click here for the previous nine posts :) http://richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/search/label/10with5
So for my final one , I wanted to try something completely different  ( well for me at least ) I was thinking of making a dessert ( I can not even remember the last one I made ??? ) then somewhere out of left field I got the idea  to try something completely new ...  maybe not to you , but for me who has never eaten a sardine before... this was something new !!

Ingredients required ( Enough for 4 good sized pieces, or lunch for two ) 


1 tin of sardines.
1 bell pepper ( I used 1/2 a yellow & 1/2 a red, from rainbow pack )
1 hunk of crusty bread ( enough for 4 thick slices )
2 Tablespoons of Caesar dressing
Hot Sauce to Taste ( I used a great southern one Bourbon Street Bad )
Freshly cracked black pepper to suit .
( Salt is shown , but was not required )

Alternative to hot sauce ingredient - Green Onions

Assemble your ingredients .

Dice or slice up the peppers, and find a can opener.   Meanwhile , slice your bread and get it into the toaster oven.  

So thats what all the fuss was about, I've got to say , I was pretty happy that I wasn't stunk out of the kitchen .  These did have a slightly fishy smell , but nothing like what I was expecting.  

I tried just a couple the for the first one, just in case I didn't like it... but there was nothing to worry about .

This picture is slightly out of order, I as forgot to take a picture of them before mixing on the first batch .   But it really is a easy as taking the back of a fork , and smushing away .

Add in the Caesar dressing and diced peppers. Simply scoop some out and lightly press it onto the toast. 

Spread it onto your toast , giving it a slight push to help it stick.   A few dashes of your favourite hot sauce , and your set.  Looks great !! I wonder what its going to taste like ?? 

Tasted like a second piece !!  I was pleasantly surprised, I figured the bones or the smell would bother me, but nope! They tasted great , and I plan on buying more soon !!   Its a bit hard to describe the taste and textures,  but for me .. it was somewhere between salmon and tuna.  I have to admit , I scarfed it down so fast , I didn't even think about it until after the fact . 

Ill leave you with this one, I tried. Without the hot sauce, and with a little diced green onion on top.  This was  very light and tasty snack !!   

I hope you have enjoyed reading the 10 with 5 challenge posts. I know I have really enjoyed participating !!  Its been a lot of fun , and a great challenge to stop at at 5 ingredients.   Please leave a comment below and let me know what you thought ?

Crispy Chili Cheese Bites #10w5 - 8

I came across a simple recipe for a baked crab Rangoon ...  which I tried, with a few twists of course, and liked !!  It wasn't so much the dish, it was good , that I liked but the idea !  So simple, yet so versatile.   It didn't take very long for me to start thinking up several new ways to use a baked wonton wrapper for appetizers.  Having just made a huge stock pile of chili last week,  an idea started forming.  I just needed to keep it to 5 ingredients for the 10 with 5 challenge who's deadline is fast approaching !!  Oh being very low cost , this appetizer qualifies for my latest series Good Food , Cheap .

Ingredients required : Makes 12


12 Wonton wrappers ( $ 0.10  )  $1.50 per 100pc pkg.
1/3 red bell pepper  ( $0.25 )  $2.00 for 3
1 green onion  ( $ 0.10 ) $ 0.69 per bunch
1 cup of chili ( $0.50 ) Cost me about $28 to make 14 Quarts
1 knob of good cheese - I used 6 year old cheddar.  ( $2.00 )

Total Cost $ 3.00  per dozen 


As for how many to serve,  I would think 6 as an appetizer would be plenty,  I had 12 for a light meal, and 18 as my dinner.  I do tend to eat large portions though.

Okay , on we go :

Assemble to the ingredients.  Small muffin pans are required.  

I sliced up about a 2cm wedge of cheese ( and made 24 with it )  small dice on the red pepper, and green onion. Give the muffin pan  a quick spray or wipe lightly with oil. I happen to have some garlic infused olive oil in a mister. 

Making Hamburger Frittatas - Creative Leftovers #3

I'll start by explaining Creative Leftovers, its a simple and easy way to use up all the extra food I always seem to cook. Sometimes even on purpose.  I know there are lots of people out there like me , that simply don't want to eat the exact same meal two days in a row. 

So today, I'm going to take two of my favourite meals , and combine them for an amazing leftovers creation.

Homemade hamburgers and Frittatas!!

I could not decide on which one to show you , so I choose three.  All using hamburgers from the night before, and all with different ingredients. 

You will need an oven safe pan for this recipe.  Cast iron,  or non stick works the best. 

Frittatas are really easy to make,   you don't need this many ingredients ... but it can't hurt either.

I like to have everything prepped and ready, bite sized pieces are best. Once you start the process going its all over in ten minutes. 

2 eggs per person is plenty, I also like to add about a 1/4lb of meat each.  Its all flexible and you can get away with almost anything. 

Don't forget to whisk your eggs.  Room temperature produces the best result.  At this moment you can add some great flavour to the dish.  I like to take a small hand full of the grated cheese, whatever herbs I'm using ( Usually Basil ) and a few cracks of black pepper.

My favourite ingredients are : Mushrooms, Onions , Red Peppers, Broccoli and Tomatoes.

Start sauteing, your veggies, I always seem to slip a minced clove of garlic or two in there as well.  About 5 minutes or half to two thirds cooked. At this point you will want to preheat your oven. 

Next up is the egg mixture, I like to shake the pan around until it looks even before adding the egg.  Be ready , and do this fairly quickly.  Pour in a clockwise motion around the pan.  Once it is starting to look like an omelet,  the edges are starting to cook, but still running on top.  Its time for the final toppings.  Depending how well done you like you broccoli , you can add it in here or ,save it for the next step.

Tomatoes, Cheese, Prosciutto salami , green onions and broccoli  are all  good for toppings. Of course we cant forget the cheese. This was freshly grated mozzarella and 6 year old cheddar. 

Into a 350F oven for around 12 - 20 minutes , depending on how many eggs you have used and the amount of cheese and toppings involved.  Just take a look at it ever couple of minutes.  You may need break the seal around the edge of the pan it get it out.  My method for telling when its done properly is, when the frittata can slide around in the pan without sticking, means the middle is done.  This also makes it a lot easier to slide it off the pan.   Otherwise you may have to cut it like pie. I simply slide it onto my butchers block and slice like a pizza.   A couple of minutes rest time before cutting will give you a nicer presentation. 

Tomato, Broccoli, Prosciutto salami, green onions, red peppers , hamburger, mushrooms and cheese make for an amazing lunch. 

Some have a little more cheese thank others. :)  Those crispy edges , to me, are the best part. 

They don't have to be all neat and tidy looking. 

They look just like an egg pizza to me :) So good, healthy, and tasty!!

Simply slice and serve, and enjoy.  They do reheat really well,  if need be.  300F oven for 10 or 15 minutes and they are as good as new. 

I'm going to try something new , and end with a photo for this post.   A couple of  important tips to remember are needed first.

Stove Top/Oven safe pan is a must.  Cast Iron is great.

Pan Size Guideline: 2 to 3 eggs - 6" -8" , 3 to 4 eggs - 8" -10" , 5 to 6 eggs - 12" pan.   

Room temperature eggs, I take them out at least an hour before.

Add broccoli, tomatoes, and deli meats just before the oven for best results.

Experiment and Enjoy, the possibilities are almost endless. 

Rich :)

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