American Society For Nutrition

By: Emily C.



After last month's post on becoming a locavore, I decided to show you that I do practice what I preach. It's one thing to make simple meals using local foods, but how about a 5 course dinner?

I can't really take credit for this whole endeavor. When I heard about Foodbuzz's monthly 24^3 event, I knew just the person to help me out: Dan, another intern in St. Louis University's dietetic internship with a culinary focus and both the experience and creativity to conceptualize a fantastic 5 course dinner [see his sketches below].



As future dietitians, we know that local food is often more nutritious than food imported from thousands of miles away. We shopped for most of our produce at an enormous farmers' market. Not everything is from our immediate area, but we tried our best to get locally grown food.



A recap on the benefits of buying local food….



Locally grown food is kinder to the environment and reduces pollution due to decreased transport time.



Buying local food contributes to rural sustainability and helps support the livelihoods of small farmers, who contribute to agricultural biodiversity.



Local farms are also smaller, less open to hormone and chemical use, produce more grass-fed or free-range animals, and are more organic-friendly.



This is what happens when you overcook caramel. Oops. So maybe not everything went exactly as planned.



Cooking a gourmet meal is hard work. {and I wasn't really even cooking, unless you count shelling 100 walnuts and using my expert blender skills, haha}.



first course: providing a punch of spiciness paired with creamy and complex sensations, the appetizer featured Baetje Farms Goat Milk cheese-stuffed Jalapeno poppers tempered with creamy country grits and a dark chocolate mole.



second course: perfect for a fall evening, the soup was a corn chowder paired with Brussels sprout confit, roasted pearl onions, and tarragon oil garnished with jalapeno crÈme fraiche.



third course: a crisp addition to our October menu, the salad consisted of Missouri green and red apples, fennel, Baetje Farms Goat Milk cheese, and Missouri black walnuts paired with a coriander cilantro dressing.



fourth course: combining the best of savory and sweet, the entree featured pork jowl braised in cilantro honey puree, poached and roasted leeks served with caramel and chimichurri sauce.



fifth course: Gooey Butter Cake is a St. Louis tradition, so it would only be fair of us to include this delectable dessert as part of our menu. Pairing the cake with a reduction made from Missouri-produced apple cider provided yet another tie into the local food movement.



There you have it. With a little (okay, a lot) of creativity, you can use local food in amazing ways. From shopping for produce at the farmers' market to cooking and eating with friends….I can't think of a more satisfying and environmentally-friendly way to enjoy food.

Here's hoping you enjoyed this post and that maybe, just maybe…you'll be inspired to create a local food-centered menu of your own.