I've not been good with upkeep - given that the most recent post prior to this one is from one year ago, it makes sense.

Sort of.

But I have ideas about where to take it, so it may rise from the digital bit bucket.

Stay tuned....

Count me in as a big-time fan of this development. Corn syrup consumption has skyrocketed in recent years, and contributes to early-onset obesity, diabetes, and other health maladies. The real cane sugar, while hardly a "health food," is a much, much better option.

Kudos, Jones!

I've been remiss, as it was a fun summer in terms of food.

So I'll share my findings over the next few weeks, and will get moving with the flavors of autumn and the holiday season. There will be food, drink, gadgets, opinions, humor - and perhaps a few witty thoughts.

Stay tuned!

Everyone knows the dandelion. It runs rampant everywhere, delighting children when it goes to seed and vexing gardeners and lawn-mowers alike. A member of the aster family, the dandelion goes beyond its decorative purpose and can be used as a food source. (If you use fertilizer on your lawn or have pets that use the backyard as a bathroom, I would not recommend picking your own; otherwise, go ahead.)

Dandelion flowers can be used to make wine. The iron-rich leaves can be used as a salad green, in a stir-fry, or in soup. Its roots are similar to chicory's and, when roasted, can be used as a coffee substitute for those who like the taste. Dandelion root is also sold as a diuretic in pharmacies in many countries, where it is drunk, I believe, as a tea. Finally (and in a non-culinary use), some people use the milky sap from the dandelion stem as either a mosquito repellent, a wart cure, or as a rubber substitute (the last using the Russian variety).

A confession here: I don't particularly like bitter foods. I have a sweet tooth. I enjoy salt. I like spicy and I like sour.

So it should not perhaps, come as a surprise, that when Rudi came up with a salad on the internet that was comprised of raw dandelion greens and tomato combined with a balsamic vinaigrette that it was not immediately going to wow me.

I wanted to like it. I did. I like the smell of dandelions and the greens taste almost exactly like the flowers smell. And it was palatable when I put some ranch dressing on top. But I would not intentionally choose to make a salad with dandelion greens on their own again because it was just really not that pleasant to eat.

It could be that our leaves were older ones and therefore more bitter than you would usually include in a salad. Or, perhaps, mixed with milder lettuces, like butter or romaine, dandelion could add some flavor to the combination. And we have yet to try it in a stir-fry, where bitter greens tend to work extremely well.

Monday: Rudi whipped up a stirfry for supper, combining marinated tofu and rice with local baby tat soi, broccoli, and sweet potato.

Tuesday: Rudi decided to make his own pasta sauce for the first time. He combined canned tomatoes with dried basil from last summer's plant, green garlic and garlic chives.

Wednesday: We had local greens and tomatoes on our tuna sandwiches for lunch. Also, the strawberries were beginning to look a little sad, so I trimmed them, added some sugar, and used them and some fresh whipped cream to top the leftover cake Gramma made for Easter. Yummy!

Thursday: Nettle soup

Friday: I had read that hardboiled egg both contrasts well color-wise and tastes good with the nettle soup. It also added a little hardiness to the soup that was nice. (Particularly right before an all-nighter.)

Saturday: I believe this would the day off for the week. I ate peanut butter balls sold by (and thus presumably made locally) the Howard County 4-H folks, but that might be pushing it to include them.

Sunday: Blueberry scones with local mascarpone and farm-fresh yogurt made for a quick, but tasty brunch right before a ballgame. And dinner was pasta with more of Rudi's homemade sauce.

We got to this week's farmers' market too late for rhubarb and there were no duck eggs (my back-up plan), so we came home with dandelion greens to make something with this week. We'll let you know how it goes!

Some people go whole-hog and refuse even to drink beverages or use spices that aren't locally produced. I am not so die-hard nor so willing to sacrifice. My aspirations are decidedly smaller, but I'm content with them:

We at Off the Eaten Path will strive to eat something locally produced every day. We also will consume something new from the farmer's market each week in May in order to broaden our horizons about the types of food that are available and that we enjoy. Finally, we also will try a local restaurant this month where we have not eaten before in order to support local food businesses.

1. What's your definition of local for this challenge?

Our local farmers' market defines local as within 150 miles of Washington, D.C., and that seems reasonable to me.

2. What exemptions will you claim?

We reserve the right to take one day off a week (although we'll try not to need to).

3. What is your personal goal for the month?

To find new foods to add to the repertoire. To continue to support local agriculture. To consume what we buy without waste. To try some new recipes. To blog here more often about our experiences in the kitchen and with the local restaurant scene. And most of all I hope to be pleasantly surprised that this will not be a stretch for us taking into consideration that we already buy a large portion of our food locally at the farmers' market.

The Heurich family is finally shuttering the last vestiges of their brewing empire, effective immediately. It's been many years since the beer was brewed in the District, at their once landmark factory at the Watergate (since replaced by the infamous apartment and office complex of All The President's Men fame). Even though the beer was being brewed out-of-District, it still used the old family recipes.

But now it is no more. Buy some if you find it, because this is the end.

And this movement can be traced, in large part, to the work of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. As well as ale, the Campaign seeks to preserve the best in beer culture, including pubs that have historical significance. This group works tirelessly to celebrate some of the best in British, Welsh and Scottish liquid fare.

If you ever go to the UK, look for CAMRA's telltale logo in a pub's window - if it's there, you can be assured that a hoppy treat lurks inside.

Thanks to my friend Nat, I've been pointed to a great video that shows the proper method for approaching the sushi world - lot of detail included.

Scary detail.

Okay, so it's not too accurate - but it's fun!

Scary fun!

Enjoy!

Sushi Guide

(cross-posted to randomduck.com)