An Almost Local Dinner

I have a confession to make. Lately I've been thinking to myself: Self, are you really going to be able to do this whole "eating local" thing on a regular basis, or is it something you are just proselytizing about until some other shiny food trend glitters in the light and you run after it squealing "Ooh, pretty!"?

And then tonight when I cooked dinner for myself (it's a Butter and Julie night again, but tonight we'll be dancing to Fleetwood Mac), I was able to honestly answer myself: Yes. You'll be able to do it. Sometimes. And somewhat.

You know what? I'll take whatever I can get.

I reached this very well-formulated conclusion as I ate tonight's meal:

• Pasta with homemade pesto (whipped up this morning with basil I picked from the pot out front)
• A salad consisting of lettuce and green pepper from the farmer's market and a cherry tomato picked from my plant out front (someone can't seem to keep her hands off the cherry tomatoes long enough for there to be more than one for her salad ... I wonder who that could be?)
• Zucchini and summer squash (both from the farmer's market) sauteed with a bit of onion, garlic, and olive oil

The verdict? Dee-licious. And, as you can see, it was a mostly local affair, minus a few supporting characters. Now perhaps you understand why I told myself "Sometimes. And somewhat."

I think it's a pretty good showing though. Because you know what? I ain't no miracle worker, folks. I am doing what I can with what I have here and trying not to let the concept of "eating local" rule my life, while at the same time being more conscientious when I'm in charge of the menu. And that's all you can do.

(On a side note, I sure do wish I had five more basil plants now. Because the one I do have isn't going to produce enough leaves to keep up with my recently developed pesto habit. How did I ever think that envelope of pesto mix you can buy at the store was good?)