We have been eating really really well. Sort of blowing ourselves away by the amazing meals on our plates. I wish we could take more credit, but the truth is it is simply the quality of the ingredients that makes it all so awesome.

B and I are on our 3rd year participating in the challenge, but the first time we’ve done September (previous two were Augusts), and we’re finding that September opens up a whole additional world of foods while still keeping almost everything we got in August. This year in particular we are having fun discovering we can make some good ‘ole standards out of totally local ingredients.

This is [1] Lasting Legacy ground beef, bought at the farm, buns made with Vermont flour, roasted fingerling potatoes from [2] Meadow’s Mirth Farm and Bibb lettuce from [3] Wildroot Farm purchased at the Portsmouth Farmers’ Market, and blue cheese dressing made from [4] Great Hill Blue Cheese, purchased at basically any store and plain yogurt.

The cooler weather has inspired a couple chowders, this one is corn and fingerling potato, with a little bacon on top. Corn from Barkers’ Farm, on rte 33 in Stratham, potatoes from [5] Meadow’s Mirth, purchased at the [6] Portsmouth Farmers’ Market, milk from [7] Brookford Farm in Rollinsford, bacon from Kellie Brook Farm, also from the Portsmouth Farmers’ Market.

Bubble & Squeak is theoretically made from the leftovers of your boiled dinner. We plan it for the same week as some mashed potatoes, then prepare a double batch of potatoes. Add in some chopped, blanched cabbage chunks, a bit of onion, and plentyo’bacon fat. Yup, bacon fat. Cook over fairly high heat in a heavy pan, turning sections as they brown. The dish gets its name from the fun bubbles and squeaking it produces as it cooks. Potatoes, cabbage, and bacon are all easily found at the [8] farmers markets.

These guys were the beginning of some crab cakes made by adding eggs, onions, and garlic from the [9] Portsmouth Farmers’ Markets, herbs from the back deck, and a slice or two of [10] Borealis Aroostook Wheat bread toasted then whirred in the food processor. Fried in [11] Butterworks Farm sunflower oil. I purchased the crabs at the [12] Old Mill Fish Market in Portsmouth, where the staff is very helpful and doesn’t mind endless questions about how-to and where-from.

Roasted stuffed poblanos with refried beans. Beans (beans!) from Meadow’s Mirth farm (Portsmouth Farmers’ Market). Onion, garlic, and chile peppers for the beans from [13] New Roots farm (Portsmouth Farmers’ Market). The poblanos (Barker’s Farm, Portsmouth FM) were roasted till black, then peeled and stuffed with ground lamb (Chestnut Lamb co-op, Portsmouth FM) seasoned with garlic and onion and coriander from the back-deck cilantro that got out of hand. The stuffed poblanos went into a small baking pan along with some cooked yellow tomatoes (New Roots farm, PFM) and [14] Silvery Moon cheddar ([15] York Farmers’ Market) and the whole thing was baked just until the cheese was melted. yum.