Food challenge--Day 1

So, we sort of kicked off our local food challenge with dinner last night. So exciting! For dinner we had a grass-fed hen that I'd bought from Meadowbreeze Farm, roasted with local green beans, carrots, onion, and garlic. I will say, this was easily the best chicken I've ever roasted. I tossed the veggies into the pan and set the bird on top and then poured over a glaze that I'd made with butter, garlic, salt, and maple syrup. I cooked it at 350 covered for about an hour and then uncovered it and cooked it for another hour, and then we had to leave the house to pick up Paul, so I let it rest in the hot oven while covered for about half an hour. When I cut into it, the meat was literally falling off the bone. I really wish I'd taken a picture, because it was gorgeous (if I do say so myself). But we were in a hurry to eat, so we just carved it, set it on the table, and then went to town on it, the veggies, and the Amish dinner rolls I'd bought last Saturday at the farmers' market.
Meadowbreeze is an Amish farm in Lancaster, PA that takes orders and delivers to customers in this and other areas. I'm so happy to have them. I just place my order online for raw milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, beef, chicken, pork, homemade bread, and many other items, and then it's delivered to a nearby host home, and we pick it up there every other week. Neighboring farms work together to provide produce, even with a CSA option. It's wonderful to have produce during the middle of the week (though I wish it were every week, instead of every other), because I'm finding it difficult to hold onto fresh produce for the duration until the next farmers' market.
I've finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and I'm so happy to have read that book. I've learned a lot about how to implement some of these great ideas--mostly the "thinking ahead" part. I'm working with some friends on nailing down a date to do some canning together so that we can all still eat local during the winter time. I'd like to start with tomatoes and peaches and then see what happens from there. This book has also reinforced my "loose" commitment to not eating conventionally raised meat or dairy/eggs from those sources.

Meal Plan, Week 1 (short week):
Tuesday: Roast chicken with green beans, carrots, onions, garlic; Amish dinner rolls
Wednesday: Chicken salad (with leftover chicken) with carrots, walnuts, and homemade honey mustard; green side salad with feta
Thursday: Meat loaf; mashed potatoes; green salad
Friday: Homemade pizza with mozzarella, tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini
Saturday: Cookout, TBD