Foraged lavender drying in the sun room, isn't it beautiful!
July 4th is all about freedom, food...and fireworks! This year join us in asking government leaders to participate in the Food Independence Day movement by celebrating freedom with locally sourced foods. In support of the event, Chris and I are using as many locally produced foods as we can this holiday. We hope you get involved by signing the petition and sharing your holiday menu on the Food Independence Day facebook page.
Most people start with a recipe, and go the store with a list of items to buy. Instead, when preparing your Food Independence Day Menu, look at what's available locally then determine what you'll make from those items. Here's a snapshot of our holiday spread:
Breakfast, my favorite meal of the day.
(Well really, I like 'em all)!
Earlier I blogged that I've become passionate about lavender. While walking recently, Chris and I stumbled across some lavender. Excited, I took a few sprigs since, well, I killed the lavender plant Chris bought me. We the lavender and made lavender pancakes with homemade June berry syrup. We're starting off our holiday weekend by making these pancakes again. We might add some locally raised scrambled eggs too.
It's prime lavender season and if you prefer not to forage for lavender, Clark Farm has lavender bunches for sale. Saturday they'll be at the Kansas Grown Farmers' Market. Visit them and wake up to your own lavender pancakes this July 4th. You could also make lavender lemonade, or use a beautiful lavender bunch as the focal point of your table.
The Main Event - Our Fourth of July Celebration!
Chris here, Paula's letting me write on her blog, isn't she just the sweetest thing! We collected a fair amount of local ingredients over the last six months, so our menu is made up of items we have on hand and some currently available at the Farmers' Market. I scoped out the availability at the Andover Central Park Farmers' Market Wednesday. They had cucumber, zucchini and squash, potatoes, peppers, garlic, green beans, herbs, a tomato here and there, lettuce and other greens, and corn (a little wormy but the farmer says he will pick the real deal sweet corn next week, can't wait).
We're going to make Chicken Fried Chicken with Cream Gravy using poultry we got from the last Unruh Pastured Poultry butcher (see Paula's list for their info). Sides include:
* Roasted Rosemary Potatoes with Green Beans (red potatoes from the farmers' market, garlic, green beans and rosemary from our garden)
* Cucumbers and onions in a sweet and sour dressing (cucumbers and onions from our garden)
* Fresh bread made from local wheat (Paula makes it and it is wonderful) with apricot jelly. Local flour, wheat berries or bread are available from Norm's Flour. We picked apricots last weekend at Paula's Aunt's house and are making the jelly as I write. 
* And for dessert, a Chautauqua Hills Farm Blueberry and Blackberry parfait with fresh sweetened whipped cream from Hiland Dairy for dessert. Lance from Chautauqua Hills Farm said many of you picked their berries last weekend, so you know, they are excellent!
Like Paula said, I encourage you to work backward on your menu. See what is available and then google a recipe and have fun making it! Happy 4th of July and God Bless America.
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