Ground Rules

Okay, so not *everything* is actually going to be local on my table for these three months.

I'm sorry if that's a deal breaker for you.

I have some bizarre health complications which lead me awhile back to a paleo/primal lifestyle.  Because of this, I don't eat any grains at all and limited dairy.  I only have certain fats in my diet, and I'm oddly allergic to random other foods: celery, rhubarb, fennel, etc.

So while I'm committed to this experiment, I'm committed to the spirit of the law, not the letter.  There will be a few notable exceptions to the rule of *everything* must be local for dinner.

1) Coconut Products.  This includes coconut oil, coconut milk and coconut cream.  Perhaps a touch of coconut flour from time to time for searing some liver, etc.  Without grains, which I could technically buy at the farmer's market from local bakeries, I need to use coconut products to fill in the gaps for my cooking.  Not much, but some.

2) Spices and Flavorings.  I'm not a martyr, people.  I like my cumin, and I like my fish sauce and curry paste.  I've decided that my spice cabinet is fair game for this experiment.

3) Oils and butter.  I'm going to try to limit these in my cooking.  When possible, I will try to use locally produced or even homemade lard or butter.  But I'm not ruling out the possibility of some store-bought grassfed butter on some veggies here and there.

Again, it's the spirit of the law that matters to me.  Can we really do this?  Can every dinner really be local?

I'm determined to find out!