I didn’t end up planting butterfly/bee plants, like I suggested in yesterday’s post. That’s probably best for them, because my prior planting experiments have not ended up well for the poor plants.

Instead, I spent my money at my local Farmers Market, the Cary Downtown Farmers Market. That was intentional. Most US families can’t live without their cars, or can’t switch to solar-paneled electricity, or use other major ways to reduce their carbon footprint. The way most families CAN make the biggest difference in lowering their negative impact on the planet? Changing their food systems.

Eating meat is just such a large contribution to our carbon footprint. Especially beef. Cows require SO MUCH in terms of water and food/land/chemical fertilizer and produce so much methane that if people simply cut back on eating beef, that could make a huge difference. Unfortunately, cheese mostly comes from cows, so that’s not great either. Pigs and goats and chickens aren’t as bad, but they aren’t as environmentally friendly as eating plants. Fish aren’t too bad, but mostly if you eat the local variety instead of the few types offered in the grocery stores that came from far away.

So the Number 1 thing we could all do to help Mother Earth is stop eating meat. Or at least eat less, especially beef. True confession: I’m not a vegetarian, although my son is. But I try to have more plant-based meals, even when he isn’t around (he’s away with his college studies right now).

The Number 2 thing we could all do to help Mother Earth is to buy local foods. Studies estimate that foods in a typical grocery store travel an average of between 1,000-1,500 MILES from farm/factory to store. At our Farmers Market, all the food sold is within 100 miles (the rule for most is within 50 miles, but we have an exception for fish that is brought up fresh from the NC coast, which is a bit further). That is at least 10 TIMES less than food from the grocery store.

Now, access to local food does depend on your location. But for those of us in the Research Triangle area, we have no excuse. We are close to tons of farms, and even more convenient, tons of local Farmers Markets.

So the thing I’m doing to help the Earth this Earth Hour is having a locally-based vegetarian (almost vegan) dinner by firelight. It is based on a recipe my Farmers Market buddy shared with me, so I’m sharing it with you all.

The major components of the meal are shown above. I’ll explain them below.

The item on the white bag on the upper left-hand corner is a DELICIOUS Strawberry Butterscotch Cake, by vegan bakery BE Bakery. I had some of it for my breakfast but will have more for my Earth Hour dessert. See their menu and how you can order at: https://bebakery.square.site.

Next to them on the upper row are spring flowers from Parker Farm and Vineyards. We love Jason, who has been a mainstay of our Farmers Market for years. I believe his wife does the same for the South Durham Farmers Market. Check them out at: https://parkerfarmandvineyard.com/farm.

Next to the flowers is a handmade pasta by local Melina’s Pasta. It’s a company based in Durham that sells at multiple farmer’s market. I was excited to get a pasta variety I’ve never heard of before, let alone having tried. It’s a new offering for them, and here is the description: Malfadine – Wavy fettuccine perfect for thick sauces. Made with semolina and water (vegan).

However, the ingredient list on the package itself says it has egg. So, I’m not sure if it is vegan or not. This is the only dinner item that may not be completely plant based, so if this isn’t a totally vegan meal, it comes close. To find out more about Melina’s, go to: https://www.melinaspasta.com.

Our usual bread vendor, Breadwaala, hasn’t come for a few weeks because they are moving to a bigger kitchen…so YAY (except we can’t get their bread right now). See what is coming at: https://breadwaala.square.site.

Instead, I got some multigrain bread from a local bakery right down by the Farmers Market. Check out La Farm Bakery at: https://www.lafarmbakery.com (this bread is also available at Whole Foods, but I’m boycotting them because of my disgust with owner Jeff Bezos, so I’m glad I can get it elsewhere).

Next comes a CDFM favorite, Queen’s Jollof Sauce. Her description is “a line of all-natural sauces made from locally sourced ingredients that bring traditional West African flavors to North Carolina homes.” She is originally from Ghana, and we talked about Earth Hour. She said they had many unlit nights when she was growing up, so it’s great to have her sauce as a crucial part of my meal tonight. Find out about the many food and other items she offers at: https://queensjollofsauce.com. (PS–Her fans and her baskets are also great!) Note: I got SPICY, of course ❤️🌶️

Beneath that is a FIRST TIME farmer at the market: Durham-based MamaGreens Farms, which grows sustainably-based microgreens. This is my first time with them, but I’m sure it will be great. Their website is: https://www.mamaspringsfarm.com/microgreens

For some protein, I bought the sausage-spiced plant-based nuggets by Dojo Fresh. I wrote recently about trying to make my own Banger Sausages for St. Patrick’s Day, but to be honest, Dojo Fresh’s Fennel and Sage mix tastes more like sausages than my pork-based “sausages” did. It’s a great thing to have on hand for veggie meals because it doesn’t have to be refrigerated! Find their info and recipes at: https://dojofresh.com.

Finally, I wanted some wine to go go with the meal, so I went to local Chatham Street Winery. The owner specializes in small, sustainable, and yet affordable vineyards, mostly outside the US. This lovely bottle is from a Chilean vineyard that is certified sustainable and harvests the grapes by hand, and yet costs less than $15/bottle. The wine itself is not local, but I bought it from a wonderful local wine store that support ecologically-responsible vineyards, so I’m saying that counts. If you want great tasting, environmentally friendly, and reasonably priced wine, visit Doug and co at: https://www.chathamstreetwine.com.

So what did I make?

To be honest, I did include some grocery-store ingredients for my dinner. I had some cabbage left over from my St Patricks Day meal and some eggplant from my Nowruz meal, along with onions and garlic. None of these are growing locally as far as I know. I boiled the pasta, sauteed the vegetables, heated the Jollof sauce, and mixed them all together. I sprinkled raw microgreens on top for some crunch, served with multigrain toast. I cooked the Doja Fresh protein and added that to the mix. And, of course, toasted Earth Hour with a sustainably-sourced wine.

It was a lovely meal.

As it turned out, one of my former students from one of the homeschool families we were closest to back then (they have since moved out of state) was performing with a really interesting dance company. This company combines able-bodied dancers with dancers in wheelchairs and walkers. They challenge our perceptions of what it means to be a dancer by including dancers with physical restrictions. Their live performance was streaming online and just happened to fall during my Earth Hour. So I watched it on my laptop running on its battery (which ultimately comes from electricity, but it wasn’t using electricity at that moment). It was a very interesting program and I was so happy to see my student performing onstage!

It was a very special night. I was fed physically and artistically. And I drank a toast to Mother Earth, to my local farmers and farmers market, to a dance company that pushes the idea of inclusivity, and to my students, past and present.

It was a lovely night. I hope yours was as well.

And if you missed it, you can still have a wonderful local plant-based meal like this any week. Just check out the Cary Downtown Farmers Market every Saturday morning next to Cary’s Downtown Park. Next week it will be there from 9-12, but it runs from 8-12 starting in April, which is the start of our “regular” season (versus our winter hours). Or visit whatever Farmers Market is closest to you, which I assume has equally wonderful local ingredients.

Let’s all give thanks to Mother Earth by choosing food that is environmentally friendly!