ELC Day Seven - Lamb's Quarters

Might I remind you about the newly born international Eat Local Challenge blog, where I just posted an article and recipe about lamb's quarters?

My husband and I really enjoyed this at lunch today. There was not a morsel of meat in it and Sandy ate two bowls full. It was easy, inexpensive, and delicious!

The navy beans came from Faucette Farm at the Greensboro Farmer's Curb Market. The lamb's quarters came from my community garden row. I used a half clove of elephant garlic from the back forty. Elephant garlic is really amazing. I dug this last bulb up over a year ago and it is still good! I was lucky to find it today, and will use the last few cloves sparingly until I can get some garlic locally. Some salt, pepper, and Liquid Smoke and that was it.

The big meal was tonight's dinner. I have been marinating a grass-fed beef roast from Rocking F Farm for three days in the oil and vinegar salad dressing that I made last week. One thing I have learned about this pasture-raised beef is that the cuts that I can afford are tough, and have to be dealt with accordingly. I meant to put it in the crock pot yesterday morning but didn't have the time. With a rare rainy, stay-at-home in pajamas day ahead of me, I decided it was time to dig out a cast iron dutch oven that my mother gave me for Christmas two years ago.

I had nearly forgotten about it. We found it at a country antique store - seasoned and perfect and just like hers, except not so black. I had had my fill of trying to season several cast iron pots and pans in the last century. One set that belonged to my late mother-in-law had some kind of hard goo in them that I simply couldn't chisel out. The other set I just lost patience with and finally sold the whole she-bang really cheap at a flea market.

I dusted the roast in flour, browned it in olive oil on all sides, then simmered it all day long in the rest of the marinade with a little water, a little red wine, a sliced up onion, the other half of the elephant garlic, and two chopped portobello mushrooms. And I finally got the thing tender!

The portobello mushrooms were from Gann Farm at the Greensboro Farmer's Curb Market. The onion was from Faucette Farms. The wine was a great discovery - from Grove Winery, a Merlot grown in my county! I bought it at Deep Roots Market. It is very good to drink, too - I plan to sample a little more as I watch the Sopranos.