Farmers Market Challenge Update

This past week we spent $115 LESS than we spend on average at Trader Joes, shopping at the Farmers market. Do I have the attention of your wallet? Husband? I thought so. And we would have spent even less if the toddler didn't get diarrhea and me break down and get some friggin’ diapers.  I had a moment of weakness after cleaning her and her entire crib worth of fluffy lovies and blankets from what appeared to be 8 gallons of butterscotch pudding. Emphases on the butt. Can you blame me?
I also got a new interesting thing to expand my horizons in food. Turkey eggs. If you can get them, GET THEM. As great a cook as people tell me I am, (okay, I’ll just admit it because people don’t care as much that you are bragging if you feed them) I am not terribly adventurous. I spent my entire childhood and all but the past 5 years of my adulthood with a terrible stomach condition. (Healed by 5 years of clean eating btw) Puking that much will give you weird aversions. Anyway don’t be lurky about turkey. They are a little richer than chicken eggs and about twice the size or 3 times the size if you get a double yoker like we did. Jack. Pot.
So I promised, that I would share a recipe. Below the recipe I will give the info of the farm or vendor we got that product from. Here is a fairly regular thing I make from what we get and you can change it depending on what veggies are in season. Ready? It’s super easy. A monkey could do it. Also, you have to help me name it because it deserves a name. Also, I really kinda hate lamb. Not my bag but this stuff is amazing so again don‘t be skerd!

Lamb chorizo and veggie and feta egg thingie that I made up one day (Help!)

One package lamb chorizo
Seasonal veggies, I used zucchini and carrots, shredded on a box grater or a food processor if you are a 1%er. (Okay, maybe I’m just jealous)
Large tomato or two sliced about ¾” thick
Lard (I used leaf lard because I’m a snob like that)
# of eggs (any kind) of people you will be serving (lucky hubby got the double yoked turkey egg)
Red onion (or white onion, I’m not the boss of you) sliced very thin
Feta cheese crumbled

Cut chorizo out of casing and brown/crumble in a little lard* until cooked through. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. If needed, add a little more lard for sautéing your veggies. While not needed for the chorizo you will need to remember to salt and pepper the layers as you go. Toss in onions first, cook for about a minute. Add remaining veggies S&P and sauté to your liking and remove to individual dishes for serving. In the same skillet, for the love of flavor, brown up the tomato slices on each side a little. Oh, the sweetness! While that is going down, layer the chorizo atop its luxurious bed of veggies. Say night, night. When the tomatoes are looking done, but not smushy,  put them on the chorizo, top with a sunny side up egg, or at the very least over easy. The whole point of the egg is the yolk dripping down into all the layers. *wipes drool* Then finally top with crumbled feta. So from top to bottom you will have:

Feta

Egg

Tomato

Chorizo

Veggies

There is it. My kids gobble it up and it is CRAZY filling. Everything I got came from the Saturday 441 market with the exception of the leaf fat which I picked up straight from the farm because I needed an excuse to visit Jill.
Lamb chorizo-Oak Lane Sheep Farm
Veggies-Frog Song Organics http://frogsongorganics.com/
Feta cheese-Cypress Point Creamery http://cypresspointcreamery.com/
Turkey eggs-laughingchickenfarm.com (some of my favorite people)
Leaf fat to render lard-http://www.cognitofarm.com/Cognito_Farm/Home.html

Enjoy!

*I always suggest cooking grass fed animals or wild game in a little extra oil because they are naturally very lean and otherwise may result in very expensive dog or chicken food (i.e. inedible).

Farmer's Market Challenge

Are you ready? “For what?”, you say? The extreme weight loss, money saving, clear conscience consuming, relationship making, waste reducing, improved health, shop local FARMERS MARKET CHALLENGE challenge challenge challenge! (*for full effect say out loud while decreasing your volume* start loud, it‘s fun, I‘ll give you a sec to reread it, go on) Okay, I admit that is a teensy bit much. But just a teensy bit. A while back we challenged ourselves to only shop at the farmers market for our groceries and personal care items. It was awesome! All those things above actually happened. So I decided before we go into the summer months, aka the a/c running non stop which costs a million dollars with no available overtime months, it would be helpful to do it again to save some money.
I’m calling it a challenge because there are a few aspects that are indeed challenging. If you are committed there are going to be things you have to do without. No, I’m not talking coffee, I’m still living on planet reality, you can get coffee at the farmers market. Though you will probably have to switch to honey to sweeten it, which I came to prefer and kept doing. I mean like on-the-go meal planning. Now I am a proud culinary school drop out so I am pretty good at this. I can make something tasty from just about any combo I am presented with. You will certainly become more creative and flexible.
I am going into this with a somewhat planned advantage. For starters I am still breastfeeding the baby. Yes, I’m still calling her a baby. Leave me alone. I also still have all my cloth diapers so that’s going to be happening again. We now also have a garden and chickens which we didn't before. The garden for right now will only in the next month give us some lettuce, kale, cabbage, garlic, possibly some beans, and herbs but not a ton. We get 3 eggs a day from the girls, so that‘s helpful. I also have a few things on hand that could work for our benefit. I make a habit of buying bulk grains, saves a TON and I have a bunch left! I have 5 lbs of cap fat to render into the best lard ever as well. A neighbor gave us some of his deer meat and I have some chicken carcasses in the freezer to make broth with my veggie trimmings. Yup, save those in a freezer bag as the week goes and once full, time for broth.
To start the challenge I went to the farmers market today and a local place that sells raw milk and spent $94. Here is what it got me, ½ flat each blueberries and strawberries, 2 bunches of humongous carrots, 4 heads broccoli, 4 large red onions, and because I bought  all that from her she threw in a head of lettuce, cauliflower, and 2 tomatoes, all organic. This is a perk when you are a regular. They know you pour your grocery money into their farm and homes and they appreciate it. They benefit and so do you. Then I got 2 lbs raw local honey and honey soap which is good for shaving too. 2 gallons raw milk and 1 quart cream, which will become butter. I will go again on Saturday for things like meat and cheese and all the delicious treats that I’m going to let you be surprised by.

Another benefit to doing this is the ability to budget. Most farmers markets are cash only so you just go there with what you are going to spend and don’t take out more. That’s it. When things were tight for us I realized how precious what we bought was. This was only intensified by growing some of our own food. Preparing the soil, hauling tons of mulch, planning, seeding, watering, and for the love, the waiting. Oh the waiting! Our food is sacred people! So much work and we think so little of the abundance we can scoop up at these corporate places. I really caused us to be more aware of waste. 

One of my favorite aspects is the relationships built. The people at the farmers market are the best kinds of Americans you will find. They are honest and hard working. They are super knowledgeable and share their knowledge freely. We have been out to some of these farms to learn, even on slaughtering day. Free knowledge for the taking in tough times. Can’t beat that. In the visiting you can also see how things are run on an ethical level. Okay, it’s about to get heavy now, I apologize in advance. Do yourself  a favor, Google “slavery in the American food industry”.  Don’t be a chicken. I can guarantee with a large amount of certainty  you won’t like what you find down that rabbit hole and especially if you claim the name of Christ, and most especially if you are a believer that talks a lot about human trafficking. I see your posts all the time and you are right, it’s evil and wrong. Here is your chance to do something ACTUAL, tangible, in real life, with your money and mouth. I‘m not just talking about sending that check out to your organization of choice. That is just too easy, you can do better.  You have to eat and you have to get it somewhere. Reap all of the benefits listed above and have a clean conscience. Something to think about. Clean soul food tastes better than slavery food any day of the week. 

Now, I am not condemning anyone who does not make this choice or for whatever reason cannot, of course. I get it. Some of you don’t have the farmers markets like I do here or don‘t want to shop where weird hippies like me shop because you think you might catch a whiff of patchouli. You can still educate yourself and become more conscientious. We are all on our own journey and all learning so be patient with yourself and don‘t heap on guilt. Guilt is a slavery all on it’s own. This is my personal conviction and many are just not aware of the real cost of their food.  By “the real cost”  I mean the actual cost up front, the cost of bad health, and the cost of waste, but also the cost of human lives perpetuated by a system of slavery that most of us, me included here, have signed up for unknowingly. It breaks my heart to think the back of a child breaks for my chocolate, or sugar. It’s just not worth it to me. 

I plan to post a weekly update with ideas on what do to with the food and recipes. I would also love to hear from you! What did you make? What did you learn? Did you lose weight and/or feel better? Make any new buddies or have hilariously quirky conversations? (I should have mentioned that is also a fairly regular benefit.) Okay foodie freedom fighters GO!