Who eats local? We do, we do!

Seared Atlantic Yellowfin Tuna with Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

Alright, I know what you are saying, wasn't I just complaining that I was coming home at 10 p.m. and here I am cooking dinner darn near midnight?

Well before you begin to really think twice about my sanity, I will tell you that after many times watching me prepare this meal, hubby stepped in, prepared this meal, and really 'kicked it up a notch.' ( I hate myself a little bit for writing that but I couldn't think of a better way to tell you that he really did an incredible job!)

If you have never experienced the flavor of fresh caught fish I urge you to get off your computer immediately and head to the local fish monger (even if this means at a whole foods) and buy yourself whatever was brought in that morning. I pinky promise you will not believe the difference. This entirely local meal (except the spices, I admit!) needed very few adornments to be truly sensational. (Click on the title above for the secrets, ahem, recipes for both!)

Any other local eaters out there? Give a shout out and share your favorite local eats....

Happy eating!

Inspired by Alice: The greenmarket challenge

This mornings walk through the farmers market was both ordinary and extraordinary. After watching Alice Waters' video on the NYT this a.m. (thanks Em for keeping me in the know!) I noticed my own peculiar shopping pattern as I wander through stalls smelling, tasting and generally relishing each mornings finds.

In honor of Alice, and the fact that going green is good for so many things, including your health, wallet and your altruistic tendencies, I present you with a challenge: How far can you stretch your green by going green?

This mornings shopping trip found me full to the brim with heart healthy eats! My shopping bag (imported from our trip to Paris) is full of seasonal treats that won't break the bank:

So not only are you supporting actual people whose lives are dedicated to providing quality nourishment to you and your family, you are saving green when you shop green.

My challenge to you is how far can you stretch a budget? For starters I will share with you my food finds from today. I spent $34.60 and came home with everything on this table:

See! You can save green while shopping green.

I don't know about you, but if I were to walk into a Whole Foods or even a shoddy Food Emporium, there is no way I would walk out with: a dozen organic brown eggs, a pint of yellow cherry tomatoes, an avocado squash, 5 ears of corn (FIVE for $2),a bag of mixed organic lettuce, two cousa squash, three red bell peppers, 1 lb. of lima beans in their shell, 3/4 lb. organic yellow wax beans, a 3 lb. butternut squash, and two freshly baked round challah's for tomorrow's break fast.

So what do you say? Can you make it a point to go to one farmers market in the next week and see how far you can stretch, say, $30?

I'll leave you with a simple summer/fall lunch menu that is as comforting to eat as it is to look at and hope that some of you will join my challenge to save green, shop green and join the locavore club:

Homemade bread topped with miniature red heirloom tomatoes (remember this post?), organic mesclun, asian tofu, cherry tomatoes and a sliced pippin apple. Not too many instructions, slice and place...and enjoy!

It is easy being green!

Atlantic Flounder simmered and served with new potato dill frittata

Ever since my friend Em bought me THAT book, I have been highly concerned with creating meals with fresh, local, organic, ingredients.

Now I've not gone off the deep end to swear off flours, grains, rice, essentially the carbs we need that aren't always ground nearby. And I'm not entirely dedicated to eating potatoes all winter.

However, what I am concerned with is supporting local farmers and eating as much local produce when it is at it's freshest. Which is precisely where this delicious, hearty and healthy dinner fits in.

Every bit of food on this plate was caught or raised within a 75 mile radius of our home and it includes fresh veggies (tomatoes, red pepper, onions, garlic, thyme, new potatoes, dill) and protein (fresh Atlantic flounder, local eggs).

Even if you can't buy everything from a farmer, eating foods when they are in season brings a whole new meaning to fresh. In fact, it might find you enjoying a veggie previously sworn off, probably from childhood, and probably because you attempted to eat something like asparagus in the middle of December.

Again, I'm not proselytizing here because we will HAVE to eat veggies this winter and we don't exactly have a root cellar in our 3rd floor apartment in the the middle of NYC. You see, the neighbors below might have complained. But with a head towards being more environmentally conscious we will savor healthier foods when they were meant to be enjoyed and that means better eating!

Seared Atlantic Yellowfin Tuna & Sweet Potato Fries

Seared Atlantic Yellowfin Tuna with Sweet Potato Fries

For the tuna:

2 tuna filets (size, weight of your choice)
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

Combine worcestershire, soy, & olive oil in bowl. Liberally season both sides of the filets with salt & pepper. Put filets in the bowl with sauce one at a time, making sure to coat each side evenly.

Keep tuna in the marinade for no longer than 5-10 minutes before cooking.

Heat nonstick skillet on medium high and place tuna in pan when it starts to sizzle. (You can test this by dipping a fork into the sauce and seeing when the sauce sizzles, before putting the tuna on the heat)

Cook the tuna for 4-5 minutes* per side but DO NOT touch it other than to flip it. (This is how you get that beautiful crust.)

Rest, and serve!

*this will give you a nice medium/medium rare piece. If you like your tuna cooked well then add another minute or two. You don't have to buy sashimi grade tuna to have it medium rare so enjoy!

Sweet Potato Fries (or chips!)

2 sweet potatoes
kosher salt & black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
palm full of cumin (we like a lot on ours so sometimes it's a whole handful!)


Preheat oven to 375-400.

Clean (but keep the skin, it's good for you) and slice sweet potatoes into your desired size. Put 'fries' into a large bowl and add the olive oil, then liberally add salt, pepper, and cumin.

Spray a large cookie sheet and evenly spread fries. Don't worry if they overlap a bit, they will cook down a lot.

Bake for at least 1/2 hour or until at desired crispy-ness! Our oven is funky so it changes, but with a normal oven you might even be able to broil these bad boys.

Have fun with alternate seasonings and let me know how else you like to eat your fries.

Happy eating!

Simple, Local, Seasonal Mediterranean Flounder

Simple end of summer fish simmered with Mediterranean style sauce

1 lb. filet of meaty white fish, flounder or halibut work wonderfully
1 heirloom tomato
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
chili flakes or a few teaspoons of diced chile (remember the seeds carry the heat so season to your taste!)
fresh seasoning of your choice, I prefer thai basil or thyme

.5 cup of stock (vegetable, chicken, whatever) and you might not need all of this, it is just to make sure the sauce isn't soup or paste!

Dice one onion (into rainbow/ribbon slices) and sauteeing them with olive oil until they carmelize (not brown). Add garlic and let it join the party, getting soft and a little caramelized. You aren't looking for brown but a soft yellow is great. Slice in big sloppy chunks, squeeze and add your heirloom tomato.

When this mixture is nice and blended add any herbs/seasonings you like (i love fresh thyme or thai basil and a sprinkle of chili flakes) and then rest a nice filet of cod, flounder, halibut (whatever is available) on top of the mixture, add a bit of vegetable stock, cover and cook on medium for about 7 minutes.

Plate and enjoy!