Tonight we made burritos...sounds pretty normal and boring...but, they were about 70% made from local, home grown, great tasting ingredients. We are meat eaters in this household and the main ingredient was ground venison from one of two deer Alex takes yearly from our property. Now, I know, I had a big issue with "eating Bambi" too when we first started. But, when you look at the alternative of beef, feedlot beef at that, then you really don't feel so bad. Free range beef would be an alternative, but it is expensive. Alex does not hunt to increase and fulfull his testosterone levels, or just to "kill something" as many do. He hunts for subsistence ...and we use a great deal, if not all of what he takes. Plus, venison is the leanest meat that you can eat. It ranks with chicken breast as far as the least amount of fat for the amount of protein/iron you are getting, (which is always good for this often anemic mama). I still can't stomach large quantaties of the stuff on it's own, (which is good, as you really shouldn't eat tons of any kind of meat, ) and I have never been a rich meat lover. I do love cooking with ground venison! We make venison spagetti, burgers, lasagne, you name it...and of course back to the burritos...
So, pinto beans were from good friends garden, and they thankfully had cooked them for us and gave us a freezer bag full when we had Forrest. Lettuce was from our garden, just about the only thing coming from it at the moment, and of course the ground venison. All other ingredients or toppers, (sour cream, cheese, olives, roasted peppers, salsa,) were bought.
Soon, just about all of the ingredients will be from us! In the summer half of the days of the week we pretty much are vegetarians due to out glutton of vegetables....it's wonderful!
And of course salmon...soon we will have fresh wild caught spring run salmon...mmmm mmm.
It makes me happy to produce a lot of what we eat. And meals like tonight happen without even trying....sure we still like our store bought chips/ice cream/out of season veggies or fruit from Mexico or other climates. But, when you eat what you grow, or take from your own land, (or friends gardens,) it does seem to taste better! Now if we could just figure out how to grow an avocado tree up here...hmmm. Got to be the one thing we'll have to keep buying...
4 comments:
You didn't mention the Tortilla's! Did buy them or make them? Just curious, I have a tortilla recipe I make sometimes
Yum! I wish I was this handy with my land, but the garden just isn't getting much attention this year with a new baby in the house. Good for you for planning ahead. And so awesome that you can eat the meat from your land. If you want to sell any, I bet John would LOVE to by it, possibly even seasonally.
Alex is the garden master....I've maybe pulled a couple hours of weeds in the asparagus bed and that's IT! Without him, there would be no garden...
As for the venison, Alex would love to work out a trade or barter...not so into selling it for $$$$. We'll figure something out...
and, Katie, I would love your tortilla recipe!
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