I’ve been following this month’s Eat Local Challenge with interest. While the ideal is to eat organically, locally, and seasonally…it’s definitely a challenge to put into practice. Especially at certain times of year in northern Iowa. And when you can’t have all three, what priority do you use? Does locally grown trump organically grown, or the other way around? And how does a busy family today find time to grow (or buy locally) and put up enough food so that they can eat year round?

This time of year it becomes easier to eat locally as the farmers market opens up and our own garden swings into production. But at the same time, this is the time of year that I hate to cook. I’d rather head out to the garden after work than head to the kitchen. And if I’m in the midst of canning and freezing, I usually don’t feel like fixing a meal on top of that. So I find myself turning to fastfood and convenience foods more often than in the fall, winter and early spring when I love nothing better than cooking up a big batch of hot comfort food from scratch.

So…what do you, dear readers, cook in the summer that’s healthy, uses fresh local ingredients, and is QUICK! And satisfies the appetite of a hard working, meat-and-potatoes man (who does also love salads and vegetables).

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4 Responses to

  1. Lacy says:

    I always look for local over the other two. If it’s local, it’s probably seasonal, and even if it’s not organic, at least you SORT OF know where it’s coming from. As for what to feed a meat and potatoes man, you’ve got me! I actually made my “famous” salad (with sauteed peppers, onions and mushrooms and sausage) and my “I HATE VEGGIES” husband actually LOVED it. And it takes about 20 mins and is actually a full meal…

  2. Lacy says:

    I love your blog by the way… I love that your farm is so diverse!

  3. Linda says:

    Whenever possible, I buy local produce! That requires some effort since I live in the city, but I prefer that over organic … I feel that by buying locally, I am supporting my local farmers as well as having a better knowledge of what I’m getting! But I also grow whatever I can in my tiny backyard garden!As for man food in the summer, BBQ … I take out the meat and marinate it … he cooks it on the grill! By cooking on the grill, we don’t heat up the house as much … I only have to prep a salad or a few other side dishes (not as time consuming as a full meal) … and the best part, grilling avoids having to wash as many pots and pans! Summer is my break from cooking as much, lol!

  4. Patti says:

    I have much more time to cook now than I did when I had little ones at home like you do. I used to make main dish salads with cold meats and cheese. I also made large french bread/hoggie sammies but my main “staple” on busy days was the crock pot. It was always nice to come home to something already done.

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