Hello from Tennessee!

Well, I finally made it! Technically, I made it here a few weeks ago, but this is my first chance to write. So here I am, back in Tennessee, living in my hometown... with my parents... without a job. Wow. That's sort of depressing! You'd think that without a job I would have tons of free time to bake and cook all sorts of delicious things. I have made a few yummy meals, but mostly I've been enjoying being spoiled by my mom's homecooking and eating more fast food in the past two weeks than I had in two years in Boston : )
Fortunately, I have made a few discoveries in the local food scene. The Nashville Scene had several articles about farm to table eating and some great chefs who use local ingredients, so once I have a job I know where I'll be heading to eat! It also seems I just missed the Tomato Art Festival in East Nashville, which is very disappointing. East Nashville is a very interesting area; Rob and I have briefly explored the Five Points area (including the Boston seafood restaurant Batter'd and Fried) and I can't wait to check out The Turnip Truck to start buying local produce.
Here is a recipe I made a few weeks ago for a lunch at church. The first time I made it was at Whole Foods and it was equally successful this time. It's very simple and very easy to spice up. Here's the basic recipe with a few ideas for seasoning!

Sauteed Apples, Leeks and Mushrooms
2-3 leeks trimmed, washed and thinly sliced
3-4 apples peeled, cored and cubed
1 lb. mushrooms rinsed and chopped
salt
pepper
olive oil
butter (optional)

Heat two tablespoons of oil (or one each of butter and oil) in a large saucepan with high sides. The leek, apple and mushroom slices should be roughy the same size to ensure even cooking. First add the leeks, season with salt and pepper, and stir occasionally. When the leeks are soft but not browned (about 5 minutes), add the apples. Season, stir and repeat with the mushrooms. The apples will take approximately 4 minutes to cook and the mushrooms 2-3 minutes.
* The first time I cooked this, I used this recipe exactly. The second time, I didn't use butter and I added a few teaspoons of chopped thyme at the end. I think adding rosemary or carraway seeds could be equally delicious. This dish is easily adaptable; you can use one apple, one leek and a handful of mushrooms to make a small serving or double, triple, even quadruple the amount to feed a big crowd for the holidays. The butter adds a great flavor but is not necessary if you wish to keep the dish vegan. Give it a try and see what flavor combinations you'd like to try with it!

First Blog: Welcome and Dinner Party

So, I guess this is my first blog post! I promise to try to keep the self-indulgent blathering to a minimum and instead focus on interesting recipes I’m trying, as well as commenting on articles from other publications (newspapers, blogs, etc.) on the food industry and sustainable food movement. A couple of things I hope to incorporate weekly are 1) an in season recipe (look for a garlic scape recipe coming soon!) and 2) another blog I consider interesting and check in on consistently.
For those you have stumbled upon this blog, I suppose I should tell you a little about myself. My name is Jessica and I am origianlly from middle Tennessee. I’ve lived in Boston for almost two years, where I met my wonderful boyfriend Rob. We live not too far from where he grew up, in Dorchester. I love food and love that Boston has introduced me to the ideas of sustainability and local eating, as well as the issues we are facing with Big Food. Hopefully, this can be my little part of combatting it.
So, on to the first recipe! This past Sunday, Rob and I hosted 12 of our friends for a dinner party. One of our guests, Erin, started a supper club a few months ago, and it was our turn to host. It was fun (and a little stressful) to make so much food and one of my favorite items was the roasted vegetables with a lemon-basil mustard vinaigrette. Very light and summer-y, and tons of leftovers! (look for those recipes soon)

Roasted Summer Vegetables with Lemon-Basil Mustard Vinaigrette
Vegetables:
Summer Squash
Zucchini
Bell peppers (I choose orange for a great color contrast, but you could use any color)

Vinaigrette:
1 tsp. mustard (I used Coleman’s for a bit of heat, but any good mustard will do)
juice of half a lemon
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
5-6 Tbsp. olive oil*
handful of basil leaves, chopped
Salt
Pepper

Wash the vegetables and slice to even thickness. Toss with a little olive oil and roast at 400° until tender. Meanwhile, whisk mustard, lemon juice and vinegar to combine. Then, still whisking, slowly pour in oil. Whisk vigorously to combine then season and add basil. Pour over vegetables and garnish with lemon wedges and basil leaves.
* For the olive oil, I used half regular olive oil and half citrus infused olive oil. I had some Blood Orange olive oil from O Olive Oil on hand and it added a nice citrus-y tang, but is by no means necessary! Use whatever you have.