eat make read

I’ve been feeling really inspired by food lately. Between going to the market and seeing the amazing fruits and vegetables, to reading articles and books about why what you eat and where it’s from matters, I started to feel like it was time I took a next step. Ideally I’d like to start growing some of my own food, but in the meantime, we do have pretty amazing greenmarkets where we can get everything from fresh dairy to grass-fed meats and beautiful fruits and vegetables, all from farmers and vendors within 100 miles of New York City.

So I set a goal for myself: make a weeks worth of dinners (for two) using only market goods, with the exception of flour, sugar, spices and oil. I wanted to keep this in line with our daily lives and budget, so we went to our normal greenmarket and spent around the same amount of money we spend on food each week (including market, grocery and 1 meal out).

Here’s how my trip to the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket broke down:

Meat, $39:

• 1 whole free-range chicken (1.5 lb)
• 1 lb grass-fed beef
• 1.5 lbs grass fed hot turkey sausage

Dairy, $25

• 1 half gallon fresh 1% milk
• 1 pint fresh cream
• 8 oz salted sweet butter
• 1/3 lb cheese
• 1/4 lb cheese
• 12 eggs

Vegetables, $20

• 1 head garlic
• 2 hot peppers
• 1 green pepper
• 2 handfuls green beans
• 1 handfuls sugarsnap peas
• 2 summer squash
• 3 cucumbers
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 11 new potatoes
• 4 red onions
• 2 tomatoes

Fruit, $9

• 1 pint sour cherries
• 1/2 pint raspberries

Bread, $4.75

• 1 loaf whole wheat sourdough

Herbs, $3

• 1 bunch rosemary
• 1 bunch thyme
• 1 bunch cilantro

Total: $100.75

I have a rough meal plan scheduled, but I think it will be interesting to see how I use the products and if they last longer than I expect. For instance, will I be able to use the leftovers for another dinner or to take in to lunch and will we be able to restrain myself from gobbling up too much cheese? I sure hope so.

So please join me on my week of market meals. Each day I will post the previous night’s dinner with a recipe and some thoughts. At the end of the week, I’ll let you know what’s leftover, what worked and what didn’t and if I think it’s something I can keep up. Woohoo! I think it’s going to be fun!