Animal. Vegetable. Alex.

So I've been in Nashville, thus, life has not been quite as locavorious. Saturday, however, I did go to Asheville to see a Chris Thile and th Punch Brothers Concert. While there, I visited one of my favorite groceries, The Fresh Market as well as dined at Cucina 24- a brilliant farm to table tapas itallian restaurant on Wall Street. It was truly delectable and a real treat to savor.
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Last week's Recipie was also fantastic- A Goat Cheese Arugula Tart with fig spread and almond crust. It was my first time making a crust alone, and I was very very pleased. :)
All local ingredients of course.
Savory Fig and Goat Cheese Tart with Arugula
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Savory Fig and Goat Cheese Tart with Arugula

Serves 6 to 8
A delicious crust of Marcona almonds makes a rich base for fig spread and goat cheese. Arugula's sharp flavor serves as an ideal counterpart to the richness of the tart.

Ingredients
1/2 cup Marcona almonds
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup fig spread
3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 cups packed baby arugula or mixed salad greens
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Grind almonds in a food processor with 1/4 cup of the flour until ground to a coarse powder. Add remaining flour and process until well blended. Distribute butter over nut-flour mixture and pulse until blended. While pulsing, add honey and process until clumps of dough begin to form, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Press dough into the bottom of a buttered 8- or 9-inch tart pan, building it evenly up the sides. Freeze 15 minutes until firm. Bake crust for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Spread a thin layer of fig spread over bottom of the crust and evenly distribute crumbled goat cheese on top. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer until crust is golden brown and goat cheese is softened. Allow to cool slightly.

Toss arugula with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Top tart with arugula and serve.

I never realized how local I already live! I get pretty overwhelmed before updating because there is just so much to add and I always leave some things out. I will just do a few quick rundowns.
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Friday we dined at the new Mellow Mushroom! It was wonderful- I had a stuffed portabella mushroom, loaded salad, and split the Philosopher’s Pie
(pizza, not dessert haha).

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Saturday as usual, I went to Wildflower for Breakfast and Abington’s Wines of Distintion for lunch- a cappuccino with unreal amounts froth and a cheese plate. Each week I try different varieties. This week was Cyprus Hill’s Truffle Tremor and Walnut Brie. Fantastic!
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Sunday I brunched at Wildflower-a delicious Monte Cristo with Banana pecan pancakes. The best part of the meal, however, was certainly the grits with corn kernels. Afterwards I Journeyed to Earthfare for the weeks groceries. For dinner, we had Pimento cheese sandwiches with arugula on thick, crusty Multigrain Peasant bread, We purchased our bread Saturday from the Mehls in Abington. During Farmers Market season, we always purchase from their tent and have made a habbit of stopping in their small bakery for delicious breads, pasteries, and cookies on the weekend. The Pimento cheese and arugula on our sandwiches was of course from Earthfare. We also served brie to complement our meal
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This week we cooked Shrimp and asparagus linguini using a recipe my mom first had on a sailboat with friends who lived at sea. It was incredible! Last night, we had Rich Valley NYS with a Chipotle Pimento Cheese crust…also fantastic. With both meals we had sauteed spinach, a dinner staple in my home.
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I have pictures of all these meals....I just can't find my camera cord :)

So, since we last Spoke, I have eaten well  : Saturday morning oatmeal at Wildflower with a pastry ring followed by Osaka’s Udon noodle bowl for dinner. I also went to Earth Fare’s ‘Super Saturday’ SuperBowl party and stuffed myself with organic junki food ( unfortunately for my waistline, this does exist in abundance). Sunday brunch constituted of another trip to Wildflower for their first ever Sunday brunch…which was utterly exquisite. A cornucopia of mini pastries for an appetizer chased down with Virginia Roasted coffee. The main course consisted of a greek egg white omelet bursting with greens , tomatoes, and cheese as well as locally milled grits and homemade gravy. We also all split ambrosial French toast with OakMoon Creamery crème fraiche and roasted apples.
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Cooking at home has been savory as well. Kale chips are always tasty when paired with Organic spinach feta burgers and sautéed mushrooms, peppers, and spinach. I al so made bell pepper chips, however, they were soggy. Tonight as we speak I am nibbling on a cheese plate with OakMoon Creamery herb goat cheese and red pepper cream spread.
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We have been seasoning our food with kitchen herbs we have growing in the picture window sill. 6 variations of basil along with a small pot of cilantro are safe from winters chill, but not my skillet.
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OakMoon Creamery Cheese

So, since I know everyone has been dying to hear about my local living, I’ll give a quick/brief weekend food rehash.
Friday: Traveled to EarthFare to procure fresh veggies (peppers, broccoli, garlic ect), cheese, grass-fed beef and fish…and baked goods (they are my kryptonite…and that Éclair was SO worth it). With these comestibles (along with other miscellaneous groceries for the week), we had fondue! I loooove fondue and it was magnificent on a snowy evening. It was definitely the best ‘all regional’home prepared meal thus far.


Saturday: I dined at Cranberries in Johnson City as well as had super at Café one 11…both of these establishments are locally owned and operated).
Sunday: I had brunch at the Troutdale Bistro, which was phenomenal as usual. The chef guarantees 99% local ingredients from regional farms and gardens. From experience, this is very hard to do in the winter! During warm months, a trip to the farmers market is all it takes. At brunch, Dad feasted on steak and eggs from Rich Valley farms while I savored French toast and berries picked straight from the chef’s garden along with sorghum syrup made outside of Abington. My mom enjoyed her trout with Anson mill grits and bacon. We were all happy campers and delighted in the eclectic, fresh tastes. Unless you’ve had an all local meal, it is truly impossible to describe the richness and enhancement of flavor.
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Someday, I hope you too will understand.