I didn’t really intend to take part in the Dark Days Eat Local Challenge this winter, but it turns out I’ve been doing so without even realizing it.
Take dinner a few nights ago. Husband had requested fish and chips, and that sounded pretty good to me. Except, I wanted onion rings instead. And Husband knows you really shouldn’t mess with the crazy lady who’s cooking your dinner.
So, I got some local haddock from the fish market. I sliced some local onions. I made a beer batter with local ale from Wachusett Brewery. Then came the frying. That just left the issue of coleslaw, which is not an optional part of the fish and chips experience, if you ask me. But, I was out of local cabbage. They all went into the sauerkraut that’s currently still festering in the corner of my kitchen (update to come).
However, I did have local celery root. So, I peeled three small ones, as well as a local carrot, and grated them in the food processor. Then, I minced a small onion, put in some mayo, and a bit of vinegar and Dijon, salt and lots of black pepper. And there you have it. The white trash version of remoulade. And, look, I even photographed the whole thing on a local newspaper.
If you had asked me last spring if I thought I’d become an Eat Local convert, I would have said you were smoking something homegrown. What a difference 273 days make.
Yum! Your fish and erm, rings look perfectly fried. And that white trash remoulade looks damned tasty too.
Posted by: Ann | January 23, 2008 at 04:43 PM
The real shame is that I can't print this out and eat it. Combine this with the news that Lenny Kravitz is celibate and I'm about to go off my rocker!
Posted by: Jess | January 23, 2008 at 05:02 PM
That is fantastic. Just the presence of mind to go about making it yourself... isn't it awesome?! It looks scrumptious too. I wish we had access to local fish. I LOVE onion rings...why has it never occurred to me to try them myself? Up on the table tomorrow night!!
Posted by: Ellen | January 23, 2008 at 08:39 PM
Ellen: You're new. Hi! How are things in Boulder? Husband has lots of family out there.
Jess: Lenny Kravitz is celibate? What a waste.
Ann: If there's one thing I can do, it's fry.
Posted by: Tammy | January 23, 2008 at 10:33 PM
I was just thinking about fish and chips the other day. Maybe this is a sign from the universe that I should spend some quality time this weekend in the company of a pot of boiling oil.
Posted by: Adele | January 24, 2008 at 02:06 PM
Where's your local fish market? We could stand to eat some local fish. I asked at Donelan's and the fella said the shrimp were from Thailand.
Posted by: Korinthe | January 24, 2008 at 02:23 PM
Korinthe: It's hard to find shrimp from anywhere but Thailand these days. I use Steamers in Newton a lot because it's close and he usually has at least a few local choices. Other good fish markets, per local fish guru Helen at Beyond Salmon, are New Deal in East Cambridge and Captain Marden's in Wellesley.
Adele: Consider it a sign. That's good company to keep.
Posted by: Tammy | January 24, 2008 at 03:06 PM
Oh that meal... yum!
Posted by: Kristen | January 25, 2008 at 10:40 PM