EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 21

Breakfast:
Omelette - Eggs from Ga.; our own wild puffball mushroom; parsley from Athens, Ga.; Sweet Grass Dairy Georgia Gouda from Thomasville, Ga.
Fresh-squeezed tangerine-grapefruit juice - fruit from Fla.

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 20

Breakfast:
Leftover Key lime pie

Lunch:
Leftover pork chops and Carolina Gold rice

Dinner at Farm 255

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 19

Dinner:
Farro with Italian sausage and onions - farro from Anson Mills, Columbia, S.C.; Vidalia onions from Ga.; our own Italian sausage, garlic, and rosemary
Salad - our own lettuce, carrots, and marjoram
Asparagus - our own

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 18

Breakfast:
Leftover cornbread

Lunch:
Leftover yellow split peas and slaw

Snack:
Key lime pie - Key lime juice and sugar from Florida; free-range eggs from N.C.; other ingredients' origins unknown
Iced herbal tea - Our own mint and lemon balm

Dinner:
Braised pork chops with carrots and onions - free-range pork from central Ga.; Vidalia onion from Ga.; our own carrots
Carolina Gold rice - from Anson Mills, Columbia, S.C.
Green and wax beans - our own

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 17

Breakfast:
Leftover cornbread

Lunch:
Leftover cornmeal pie with greens, leftover yellow split peas

Dinner:
Kohlrabi - our own, cooked with cheese from Thomasville, Ga., and parsley from Athens, Ga.
Slaw - our own purple cabbage and carrots; Duke's mayonnaise from S.C.; nonlocal organic raisins
Catfish - farmed in Ga. or N.C.; breaded with S.C. cornmeal breading mix

Holy cow...I've had cornmeal at every meal today!

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 16

Breakfast:
Leftover creme anglaise with raspberry sauce

Lunch:
Leftover stir-fry

Dinner:
Yellow split peas - don't know the origin of the split peas, but they were cooked with a Ga. Vidalia onion and our own home-cured ham hock from central Ga. (this dish was incredible!!!!!)
Beet greens - our own
Cornbread - Red Mule cornmeal from Athens, Ga.; Southern Biscuit self-rising flour from N.C.; organic nonlocal butter; organic milk from N.C.; honey from Watkinsville, Ga.

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 15

Breakfast:
Bagel - baked at DeKalb Farmer's Market from organic ingredients
Grapefruit - Florida

Lunch:
Leftover cornmeal pie with greens

Dinner:
Stir-fry - peanut and ginger tofu from Charlottesville, Va.; Chinese celery from Fla.; Vidalia onion from Ga.; our own carrots and peas
Creme anglaise with raspberry sauce - organic milk and free-range eggs from N.C.; sugar from Fla.; raspberry sauce from Thomasville, Ga.

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 14

Breakfast:
Red Mule English Porridge - Athens, Ga.
Dried pears - our own

Lunch:
Leftover asparagus and arugula pasta
Grapefruit - Florida

Snack:
Guava-strawberry smoothie - guava from Florida; my own homemade strawberry jam and yogurt

Dinner:
Greek cornmeal pie with greens - Red Mule cornmeal from Athens, Ga.; beet greens and mint from my garden; parsley and green onions from a vendor at the Athens, Ga. greenmarket; organic milk from N.C.; a little bit of leftover feta and olive oil from who knows where; and a grating of Thomasville Tomme cheese from Sweet Grass Dairy in southern Ga.

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 13

Breakfast:
The last pancake (see previous two days)

Lunch:
Greek salad and falafel balls at restaurant - not local

Snack:
Muscadine and apple pie from the freezer - all local fruit

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 12

Breakfast:
Same as yesterday - one pancake with Biscuit 'Lasses, one with blueberry syrup

Lunch:
PBJ

Dinner:
Fettucine with arugula and asparagus - pasta from Charlottesville, Va.; my own vegetables

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 11

Craig Claiborne....Saaaaaaaa-lute! Dinner was 100% from Claiborne's classic Southern cookbook, and it was fantastic. I guess I've just proved my point about eating traditional regional dishes in order to "keep it local."

Breakfast:
Pancakes - Logan Turnpike Mill whole wheat flour from Blairsville, Ga.; Southern Biscuit self-rising flour from Newton, N.C.; free-range eggs from N.C.; Mayfield buttermilk from Ga.
Syrup - on one pancake, Biscuit 'Lasses from Alabama; on the other, blueberry syrup from Thomasville, Ga.

Lunch:
Leftover amberjack
Leftover warm potato salad with sorrel
Yogurt with jam - both homemade from local sources

Dinner:
Quail with apple-honey-thyme sauce - quail from Greensboro, Ga. (13 minutes away!); our own bacon made from a middle Ga. pig; our own applesauce made last fall from apples I got in Ellijay, Ga.; our own thyme; honey from our friend Harold's hives in Watkinsville, Ga.
Acorn squash filled with minted peas - organic acorn squash from Florida; our own peas and mint

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 10

Breakfast:
Toast with peanut butter and jam - Bread made at the DeKalb Farmer's Market from all organic ingredients; peanut butter from Opelika, Alabama; my own jam made from blueberries picked in Watkinsville, Ga.
Grapefruit - Florida

Lunch:
Leftover blackeyed peas vinaigrette
Garlic bagel - organic, made at the DeKalb market

Dinner:
Fresh amberjack filet - Florida
Warm potato salad with sorrel - potatoes from Florida; our own sorrel
Green and wax beans - our own

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 9

Breakfast and lunch on the road

Dinner:
Fettucine - Charlottesville, Va. (the closest I've been able to find, unless I buckle down and make my own)
Sauce - heirloom tomatoes from Athens, Ga.; homemade Italian sausage from a middle Ga. pig; Vidalia onions from Ga.; our own garlic and fresh oregano; olive oil not local
Bread - made at the DeKalb Farmer's Market from all organic ingredients

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 8

Lunch:
Brawn sandwich

Dinner:
Pan-fried catfish - fish farmed in north Georgia or the Carolinas (the s.o. hasn't had time to fish yet this season!); cornmeal breading from S.C.
Blackeyed peas vinaigrette - blackeyed peas from N.C.; Vidalia onion from Georgia; green pepper from Florida; celery not local
Collard greens - our own

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 7

Breakfast:
Leftover strawberry shortcake

Lunch:
Brawn sandwich

Dinner:
BLTs - our own middle Georgia bacon; our own lettuce; heirloom tomatoes from Athens, Ga.; Duke's mayonnaise; Masada bread from Decatur, Ga.
Blackeyed peas with beet greens - Vidalia onion from Georgia; blackeyed peas from Sunny Creek Farm, Tryon, N.C.; heirloom tomato from Athens, Ga., my own beet greens

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 6

Breakfast:
Pancakes - whole wheat flour from Logan Turnpike Mill, Blairsville, Ga.; Southern Biscuit self-rising flour from Newton, N.C.; eggs from Florida; organic milk from N.C., my own yogurt
Blueberry syrup - from the Blackberry Patch, Thomasville, Ga. (I found this at Big Lots, believe it or not! They had toasted pecan, raspberry, and blackberry flavors as well, but we chose the blueberry because it's the one the s.o. likes best on his pancakes.)
Orange juice - from organic Florida navel oranges

Dinner:
Strawberry shortcake - whole wheat flour from Blairsville, Ga.; self-rising flour from Newton, N.C.; butter from Florida; organic milk from N.C.; strawberries from Watkinsville, Ga.; sugar from Florida
Brawn - homemade from a half pig we bought in middle Ga.; served on bread from Decatur, Ga., with Sauer's mustard from Greenville, S.C.
Asparagus gratin - our own asparagus; Duke's mayo from Greenville, S.C.; nonlocal Parmesan cheese
Mint juleps - our own mint; Florida sugar; Tennessee whisky

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 5

Breakfast:
Masada bread - Decatur, Ga.
Strawberry jam - made yesterday from strawberries I picked in Watkinsville, Ga.; Florida sugar

Lunch:
Leftover quiche

Dinner:
Ate out. Tried to reduce food miles by ordering chicken, since Ga. produces so much chicken that it is almost inconceivable that a small local chain restaurant would have it shipped from somewhere else. But to be perfectly honest, I can't vouch for it for sure.

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 4

Leftovers

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 3

Breakfast:
Yogurt and peaches again. I'm really liking this.

Lunch:
(Not the usual leftovers, because a friend is coming over.)
Muffins - Southern Biscuit self-rising flour from N.C.; Red Mule cornmeal from Athens, Ga.; a baggie of shredded yellow crookneck squash that I froze from last year's garden; the end of a jar of apple butter that I made last year from local apples; dried pears from our own tree; a couple of Florida eggs; some semi-local peanut oil. Now those are some pretty darned local muffins.
Sugar snap peas - my own
Iced sweet mint and lemon balm tea - our own herbs; Florida sugar
Quiche Lorraine - our own leftover home-cured ham; more Florida eggs; Florida cream; and the crust is secret, but I will admit there are some exemptions in it.

Dinner:
Toad in the hole - homemade sausages from our middle Georgia pig; more eggs and milk; flour. I'm not thrilled with where the flour is from, but I have something up my sleeve. It'll be better soon.
Salad - Our own lettuce; Braswell's of Georgia salad dressing.

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 2

Breakfast:
Homemade organic yogurt*
Canned peaches - Effingham, S.C.

* I am really proud of this yogurt, partly because it's the best my yogurt has ever turned out, and partly because it was through my efforts that our local Ingles grocery store started selling organic 2% milk in half-gallons. For a while, I'd go in and there would be one lone gallon of whole organic milk shoved on top of the other milk; it didn't even have its own place on the shelf. Then I talked with the dairy department manager and let him know what I wanted. Bingo--lower-fat organic milk in manageable amounts, with a whole row of dedicated space in the cooler. I hope other people are buying it too.

Lunch:
Leftover pea and asparagus risotto - from two nights ago. Rice from Texas, which is out of my area, but not too terribly bad; my own peas and asparagus; chicken and chicken broth from the same chicken that went into yesterday's soup; a smidgen of nonlocal cheese.

Snack:
PBJ - bread from Thomasville, Ga.; peanut butter from Opelika, Ala.; my own blueberry jam made from blueberries I picked in Watkinsville, Ga.

Dinner:
Ham - a leftover chunk of our own wonderful homemade, from half a pig we bought from a middle Ga. producer in January; glazed with my own green tomato chutney
Red Mule grits - from Mills Farm, Athens, Ga.
Coleslaw - my own cabbage and carrots; Vidalia onion from Ga.; Duke's Mayonnaise from S.C.

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE DAY 1

Breakfast:
Red Mule English Porridge - from Mills Farm, Athens, Ga.
Honey - from our friend Harold's hives, Bogart, Ga.
Banana - organic, from Ecuador (ouch! it's the last one, I promise)

Have started a batch of homemade yogurt from organic milk (from Wisconsin and NC, since I finished one jug and started another) and Stonyfield yogurt starter.

Lunch:
Vegetable soup - my own fresh wax beans, green beans, peas, beets, carrots, beet greens, and turnip greens; Vidalia onion from Georgia; a little leftover free-range chicken whose origin I have forgotten; a can of tomatoes from heaven knows where; a handful of nonlocal green pepper and celery.
Leftover focaccia - homemade, but containing nonlocal flour, wine, and olive oil

Snack:
Homemade marmalade swirl ice cream - I think this was totally local except for the vanilla; most of our milk, cream, and sugar comes from Florida, and I know the honey tangerines in my marmalade were Floridean.

Dinner:
Stir-fry - my own bok choi and snap peas; Vidalia onions from Georgia; farmed organic shrimp from Florida; and the less said about the rest of it the better...we were starving and opted for Asian noodles instead of Southern rice because the noodles were faster.