Monday, March 2, 2009

Dark Days Eat Local - Week 15

This week's meal was inspired by a trip to our freezer. Michael has been taking care of me since he got home from Chile on Friday. My broken foot got some much needed rest, the dogs got exercise, and the girls and I are enjoying home-cooked meals again!
Michael inventoried our freezer and discovered we easily have a couple month's worth of food still in storage. Our plan is to shop and eat from our freezer the entire month of March, buying only perishables, such as milk, cheese, and maybe, fresh fruit.
We have quarts and quarts of various types of homemade pasta sauces just waiting to be thawed. Above is the mysteriously named "Basil Sauce," dh pulled out of the chest freezer. It may be from a cookbook or it may be an original, but one thing is certain: the ingredients are all from our garden and CSA last year.
The sauce was served over soft polenta. I love the creaminess of soft polenta. When paired with the sauce, polenta is a nourishing, inexpensive, comfort-food type of meal. The cornmeal is from Paul's Grains, a source for organic flours and grains here in Iowa. (Though I don't think they grow everything they sell themselves.)
I am so thankful to have an abundance of good food and loved ones to share it with.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hooray for a solid freezer stock :-) Pasta sauce, ahhh, that is something I sorely miss. But polenta is a beautiful thing. Did you make it plain with milk/water, or add flavorings as it cooked? One of the ways I like it is with some creamy veg like cooked carrots or squash. Though with that sauce, it is looking good all on its own!

Karen said...

I've never tried it with squash or carrots - sounds good!
I add a bit of butter and 1/2 cup or so parmesan, cook it in water.
How can something so simple be sooo good?