This year, my husband and I each created some goals. The goals fell into separate categories: as an individual, as a couple, and as a family. Being food-centric people, several of the goals involved food, such as trying a new fruit or vegetable each month, taking the family to a new-to-us restaurant each quarter. One of the goals my husband created is for our family to use only produce, meat, and dairy items that are locally sourced. Actually, he wanted to locally source all food, but as I am the main grocery shopper and explained the logistics of that, together we edited the goal to a more manageable version.
I have to confess that the idea of locally sourcing produce, meats, and dairy was both exciting and overwhelming. What was overwhelming was knowing that grocery shopping no longer was as simple as stopping at the local supermarket for dinner ingredients. Say goodbye to tomatoes in January and lunchmeat from the deli. However, do tomatoes really take good out of season? Not really. Aren’t lunchmeats filled with all sorts of interesting ingredient. Yep.
So, two weeks into this way of life, things are going well. Living in New England, the produce selections are pretty limited, but a little creativity can make things go a long way. Plus, I am a competitive person. So with the gauntlet thrown down, I will not let the cold winter of the northeast win. I will find creative ways to make meals without buying food from thousands of miles away.
Last weekend, my daughter and I stopped by a local fish market and found haddock from the Gulf of Maine. I knew we had a head of cabbage (locally sourced) at home, so I figured I would make cole slaw for a side dish. The kids like cole slaw, making it an easy way to deliver veggies that coordinate with fish. But with cold weather, a chilly salad was less appealing to me. I decided to try a little experiment, using half of the cabbage for the kids’ salad and the other half to make a warm cole slaw. Much to my delight the warm slaw was delicious. Quick to make, flavorful, and warm, it is now my favorite veggie side dish for fish in winter.
- 1/2 Tb. olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1/2 cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 2 Tb. honey
- Old Bay seasoning, optional
- Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add cabbage, and sauté for approximately 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile combine vinegar and honey in a small bowl.
- Pour vinegar mixture onto cabbage mixture, and cook for another 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld. (I removed the pan from the heat when the cabbage was al dente. You can cook the cabbage more or less depending on your texture preference.)
- Season with Old Bay, if desired.
Sounds great. We will try it.