Salad for Mexican Night

Roasted meets Raw in this baby.

Okay, first, there's not a whole lot in this dish that's local.  There's enough, but I fully admit this isn't a locavore's dish.  But isn't it pretty?  And, it was indeed really tasty, and met the needs of 8 hungry adults swooning over a sit-down chili luncheon yesterday.  Sweet, crunchy, buttery, earthy and salty (I finished it with smoked hickory sea salt), it's a keeper for our next chicken chili poker party....

NH-grown Sweet Potatoes!

Have I mentioned that one of my favorite kitchen tools is an immersion blender?  One of our local farms, Shagbark Farm, has turned out an unusual beaut of a sweet potato called 'Bonita'--it's delish!  Have I mentioned, too, that I love using up foods that can see my compost pile on the horizon?  Yup.  Guilty as charged.

Sweet Potato Bread Pudding



Riverside Farm sweet potatoes made this bread pudding velvety and luscious!

Break out the bourbon -- this is breakfast food for champions!

Okay, maybe it's not breakfast food for all champions, but consider it tried and true for the two occupants in this house who needed sustenance before heading out to watch a grandson's early hockey game (husband) and plant an entire braid of Wild Miller's garlic (moi).  Hot out of the oven (albeit briefly cooled) and drizzled with a pecan praline sauce (enter bourbon), the custard for this tasty pudding was light and creamy.  Be sure to pick up some sweet potatoes at the next winter farmers' market, and if you're in or around Kittery, stop by Beach Pea Bakery and grab a French baguette!