I just got back from Lancaster's Central Market. With $60 in hand and eyes wide with anticipation I set out to discover what Fresh and Local yields I could find. This week has been Buy Fresh, Buy Local week in Lancaster. I've experienced great food, great company and have met some of the best people.

First I stopped and bought my yogurt from the Maplehofe Dairy Farms stand that sells yogurt from grass fed cows. Then it was on to a new stand, Mike's Produce where he sells produce in season. I bought the most beautiful blueberries and fragrant peaches. When you open the bag and are overwhelmed with the warm fragrance of fresh fruit, you know you have just purchased a little bit of heaven. My next stop was the produce stand across from Wendy Jo's. I'm sorry I don't know the name of the stand, but their produce speaks for itself. I bought corn that looks as golden as a ray of sunshine and smells fantastic. I bought some bell peppers. I'm pretty sure they are local because they are not the giant, mutant offspring of some chemically-spawned pepper plant.

I visited S. Clyde Weaver Smoke Meats and Cheese for our cheese supply. They are located in East Petersburg. I don't know if they produce their cheese locally, but the people are friendly, and the cheese is delicious.

I stocked up on paprika from Jim the spice man for my vegetarian bean chili, and then stopped to chat with Omar, my absolute favorite person at market. He owns the Middle Eastern food stand. I just finished munching the cheese boat that he heated for me, a delicious dough package filled with cheese and oregano.

Then I was on to Carr's corner grocery. I was in search of some smoked salmon for some smoked salmon quesadillas. I'm sure it's not local, but I feel good that I'm buying it from the corner grocery and supporting a business in my neighborhood.

My last stop before returning home after an hour of modern-day hunting and gathering was Space to Grow, an urban garden store in the bottom floor of our building. I talked to Dwight, the young man who owns the store and bought some potted chives (I couldn't find any at market so I decided to grow my own). He told me how to grow them and even offered me a handful of potting soil should I need it to report my chives. My better half stopped there the other day and bought organically grown flowers, and Dwight wanted to know how we liked them. Dwight took the time to know my husband and I by our first names, something that I appreciate very much.

So, now I am going to go make blueberry pudding cake with our local blueberries and milk and roast some red peppers for antipasto sandwiches. It only took an hour of my time and less than $30 to support some our country's finest local growers and my city's finest local businesses. I consider myself blessed beyond words.

-ebelen  ¶ 12:00 PM

  Bean Chili The female contributor to this blog loves the vegetarian chili nachos served at a local hot spot, which we have shared with friends and all of our family.

After craving veg chili for so many nights I decided to make my own (I really like beans and the smoky spices but hate dealing with raw meat so veg chili is great). I tried a few recipes and finally sort of formulated my own. So here it is. It makes great nachos and burritos. The amount of spices and coffee are approximations since I made up this recipe. I tried to measure so I could duplicate it, but you may have to use your taste buds to confirm the amounts.

2 - 15 ounce cans of beans, whatever kind you like (black beans are my favorite)
2 - 15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes, drained and juice reserved
1 onion
1/2 green bell pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
4 to 5 teaspoons cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup brewed dark coffee
dark chocolate
salt
olive oil

Finely chop the onion and bell pepper. Saute over medium heat with olive oil until soft and translucent. Be sure to put salt on the vegetables while you are sauteing them. When the vegetables are soft add the minced garlic and oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Cook for another couple of minutes so the herbs and spices heat up and become very fragrant. Be careful not to let it burn. The onion and spice mixture will be very thick and dark. Add the brewed coffee and de-glaze the pan. Cook for another minute and then add the beans (drained and rinsed) and tomatoes. Add a little bit of the reserved tomato juice if needed. Cook for at least 20 minutes, stirring frequently. The flavors will meld and the tomatoes will release more juices. Salt throughout the process, being sure to taste the chili each time you add more salt. At the very end stir in some dark chocolate, starting with about 1 inch square and adding more a little at a time as you feel you need it. I usually only use the one small square. It should be good dark chocolate.

Serve with cheese, cornbread, chips, chopped scallions, or whatever else suits your fancy. The leftovers are great for nachos or burritos. Try stirring in some cooked corn to add color and a slightly sweet texture.

Feel free to experiment with the spices to get the flavors you like. I am pretty heavy-handed with the cumin. It adds the greatest smoky flavor. The oregano and cinnamon add a sweet, exotic flavor. If you feel like more spice definately add more cayenne pepper. For you meat eaters out there, you could probably increase the amount of diced tomatoes and add group beef or turkey if you like.

-ebelen  ¶ 10:25 PM