The $5 Challenge at Local Roots
I headed off to Local Roots Wooster yesterday to buy food for the $5 Challenge. There so many options of things to make that would have cost me way below $5 per person. The cabbages are in season and the local butcher had fresh brats, braised cabbage with brats would have been less than $10 for everyone. The zucchini and squash are nearing the end of their season so ratatouille would have made a very inexpensive dish for a crowd. There were tons of fresh eggs begging to made into fresh light pasta with a simple butter sauce. I finally settled on an old classic, something that is make so much better when made with love and care in the Slow Food way with quality ingredients, no boxes or cans and a extra little time to make it flavorful. What did I decide to make? Watch the video and find out. (keep watching, there are a few bloopers at the end of the video)
It’s not too late to join, head off to your local farmer’s market this morning and see what ingredients are available. Cook some something delicious and share it with friends since good food is made better by good company because the $5 challenge isn’t just about food that’s inexpensive, it’s about building your community and sharing good food with others.
Do you have a favorite local market or farm?
Filed under Cooking, Going Local | Comments (9)
I like two Farmer’s Markets. One is on Sunday in Bar Harbor. It features the usual produce, cheese, local raw milk, grass fed meat, seafood, crafts etc. On Fridays, there is one a quarter mile from me that features the same but different because the vendors are different.
to Jennifer Fisk's comment
Loved your video. I’m headed to the Farmer’s Market today!
to DebbieB's comment
What a fabulous market! We love going to the farmer’s market here.
Your video was very professional! Impressive!
Enjoy your meal tonight and thanks for the inspiration.
to daisy's comment
I wasn’t going to do this challenge, and really didn’t do it, but I did manage to, without even thinking about it, eat local food all day. Yeah!!
to K.B.'s comment
Wow, what a great video, you guys really do fantastic work. I wish we had a market like that in our area. We only have farmers markets in the summer and fall here and the one that is really close has all produce vendors and one bread vendor, no meat or dairy at all. I’m jealous!!
to Rick's comment
It really is a great market, we used to just have one like you, in the summer without dairy & meat. When this market opened up I started going whenever I can (even though it’s an hour drive each way). I also buy a lot of produce there simply to encourage the farmers and producers and to help make the market a success!
to Susy's comment
We’re fortunate to have North Market here in Columbus. I was just at our local microbrew festival there and picked up local produce and Snowville Creamery milk (delicious!). We joined a CSA this year and the Kroger by our house buys local (their chicken comes from the Canton area and is grass finished). We try to eat local as much as possible while I work on my gardening skills (hopefully I will be able to grow all the produce we need some day).
to Alley's comment
What a great idea the $5 Challenge is!
Too bad no one pointed you in the direction of the Des Moines Farmer’s Market while you were here in Seattle. Des Moines is a suburb south of Seattle, on the Puget Sound. They started a farmer’s market a few years ago, contracting only farmers that use organic or sustainable practices. It has grown so quickly…it really has become quite a hangout on Saturday mornings. There is live music (my favourite is the band known as the Saltwater Saints–rootin’ tootin’ old cowboys playing covers of old Johnny Cash or Roger Miller), fresh food from Asian, Jamaican, Polish hertitages or from bakeries in the area, and all right by the water. After i pick up my items for the week, i usually take a walk down on the pier where you can usually find seals, herons, and crab and shrimp fisherman.
to Whit's comment
Sounds like a great market – would love to visit someday – next time I’m out West.
to Susy's comment