Tuesday, October 14, 2008

To Stuffed Peppers and Beyond!

When I started participating in the early Eat Local Challenges, I found myself gravitating toward a New World diet. It seemed natural to eat what my California ancestors ate.
I'm not going the elk/otter/acorn route (yet — we'll see how the economy holds up), but I've been enjoying a kind of rancho repertoire. Father Junípero Serra would love to eat at my house these days.
Yesterday yielded this beautiful roasted pepper, filled with beans, tomatoes, onions and cheese. It's perched on a spray of sauteed corn kernels.

24 comments:

Dagny said...

That's not what Buzz Lightyear says. OK. Too many years around kids obviously.

I would think that elk is pretty tasty. Is it much different from antelope? Because I've had grilled antelope.

And peppers make me think of the yummy chicken and chile soup I had yesterday.

Anonymous said...

Oh! That breaks my heart!

The Spiteful Chef said...

I'm pretty sure that fresh corn is unrivaled from a delicious food standpoint. I love corn. Perhaps I'm half Norwegian, half-Cherokee. Probably not, though, or I'd have cheekbones.

Ms Brown Mouse said...

Don't forget Red Beans & Rice (with corn 'n peppers) a dish so good they wrote a song about it!

cookiecrumb said...

Dagny: Hah.
Elk, I think, would resemble venison. Haven't tried antelope!! Wow.
Mm. Soup weather.

El: In a good way, I hope! It's delightfully simple and naive and filling and... all the good stuff.

Spitey: We've been woefully remiss on corn this summer. Wait, it's not even summer anymore.
They have "cheekbone" implants, I believe. Ask the allergist about them. ;)
Naw. You're too cute already.

Morgan: I do love some red beans and rice!!

Heather said...

That really is beautiful. Gorgeous, even. I certainly wouldn't kick it out of bed.

Nancy Ewart said...

My grandfather gave me a recipe for squirrel. Kill squirrel, nail squirrel to board, leave on board for a couple of days. Take squirrel off board. Throw squirrel away. Eat board.

OK - pretty lame Southern joke. But with all those deer in Marin County, why not add a bit of venison to the diet? Can you do that? I've had deer and elk but they were both as tough and chewy as old shoe leather. I'd stick to corn if I were you.

Unless you could get Rev. Bibbles to smoke them for you. Now that would be awesome. I'll bet he could even make squirrel tasty.

Brittany said...

Lovely! Looks absolutely delicious. I would devour it despite the fact that it appears to be somewhat healthy....I'm on a "foods that will make my butt big" only diet these days.
dunno why.

Anna Haight said...

So colorful! Nothing boring about an Eat Local diet!

cookiecrumb said...

Heather: I only ate half of mine. I slept with the other half. Ow!

Nancy: Rev. Bibbles (he's gonna love his new name) recommended I shoot wild turkeys in my neighborhood with a bow and arrow so there wouldn't be a cop-fetching bang. I have often thought about slaying and butchering my own deer. It would be messy.
Oh, and my mom butchered a squirrel my brother shot when we were kids. Roasted it. Tough little sucker, but we were thrilled.

Brittany: I've secretly been off "elite" foods for a while, so this is a return to genuine eating. Even if it's humble.

Anna: And, as you know, colorful foods are the healthiest!

Zoomie said...

I love peppers but, sadly, they don't love me.

kudzu said...

My old recipes for Brunswick stew call for squirrel. I've never tried it that way, nor have I eaten raccoon or possum (other backwoods Southern treats). I presume that using them in stews makes up for their toughness (and probably disguises the strong flavors).

"Cop fetching bang" --wonderful.

PS Red beans and rice has no corn in it.

cookiecrumb said...

Zoomie: There is a pepper in your avatar photo! Ho. Still, I give you my sympathy.

Kudzu: I haven't had a Brunswick stew either. Er, maybe you have. Should I?

kudzu said...

Hundreds of Brunswick stews in my past, but none with squirrel. Mostly ours were with chicken. In Kentucky they use mutton. It's a forgiving basic recipe, sort of whatever you have along with butterbeans,corn,tomatoes,onions, potatoes, hot red pepper, a splash of vinegar added at the end. Cook it all day.

Michelle said...

That is just utterly gorgeous! Food Art, to be sure. I love this style of cooking. Maybe because I was born and raised in the desert in Colorado? But I don't know, Cookie, they say acorn flour is quite delicious ;) xoxo

cookiecrumb said...

Kudzu: That just sounds exactly like food. Especially with the vinegar, because I have a sour tooth.

Michelle: So kind of you! But yes, it is good, simple eating. And -- I have a jar of leached acorns in my pantry (home-macgyvered) just waiting for a spin in the blender. If it's sturdy enough to grind them.

Zoomie said...

Sometimes, I eat them anyway - even if it means tasting them long after they've gone down the "little red lane."

Nate @ House of Annie said...

Bow and arrow might work on turkeys but you'd have to be a real good shot to take down a deer.

Ever thought about hunting jackrabbits?

michael, claudia and sierra said...

for me the moral of this story is:

stuff peppers soon and perch on corn

none of it will most likely be local but in my next life.........

peter said...

Nice job, Buzz Nightshade.

cookiecrumb said...

Zoomie: I know. I still eat hot food, and then I wake up and belch all morning. We are stupid, yes?

Nate-n-Annie: Arrows would probably just bounce off deers. Damn, those things can leap over barbed wire without a scab.
YES, I have thought of wild hares!! I might still do that.
:D

ceF: If you can't eat local, eat delicious. My motto. :)

Peter: Nightshade! Good. Kinda gives me a woody.

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Para i familiaku said...

What a vibrant dish!

Georgeous!

cookiecrumb said...

Para i familiaku: Ooh! Thanks. Vibrant it was. Which makes me feel... lively!