But not the sort of cheating you might think. Not really cheating at all, except I feel a little guilt - so I must have done something . . .
My farmer friends are all part of the Seaocast Growers Association. They sell in the Seacoast Growers markets, to whom I was exlusively faithful - until today.
After loading up at the Portsmouth market this morning, me and B headed up to York for their Saturday morning market. We had brought a cooler for the meat we got at Portsmouth, it was all very premeditated.
What I didn't expect was to fall head over heels in love with the York market, and it's all the fault of the Eat Local Challenge.
York had bread. Bread made from wheat grown in Maine. Bread - the staff of life - the basis of my entire eating life, or so it seems. I'm barely a week into my August challenge and I realize how much of last year's challenge slipped my mind. I remember the great produce, and how much vegetables I ate and how great I felt about that. And the delicious meats I found, and how I made cheese.
But I forgot about the complete and total lack of access to grains. Until the York market.
Also snagged at the York market - fresh mozzerella! So critical at the peak of tomato and basil and garlic season! As well as other amazing cheeses from Silver Moon Creamery (like a brie-like cheese with vegetable ash, a cheddar, and a havarti-like cheese)
Broccoli was a nice find, that will go into a pasta (left in the cupboard and exempted under my everything-already-in-the-house-is-fair-game-but-no-stocking-up clause) with cheese comfy kinda thing later this week.
But the thing that made me smile with simplest pleasure was seeing early early little green apples from Spiller Farm. So tart, so sweet, two of them didn't even make it into the picture.
I know I didn't really cheat, and my farmer friends will blame me not a whit for seeking out what they can't provide. But there's still that little twinge. That little feeling.
It won't stop me from packing the cooler and doing it all over again next week, though.
