Dark Days 9: One-Pot

The Dark Days' Challenge is giving some extra challenges by having theme weeks.  This week was one-pot meals.  Frankly, I like more variety and flavors on my plate, but we achieved that in this meal by having dessert and pickles with our pot.

This was our centerpiece, courtesy of 3-year-old Ben.  He must collect something on a walk, and I think the little glass dish elevates the sweet-gum balls nicely.

My dad joined us for dinner.  He liked the Bounty Rice so much, he called the next day to make sure he was getting the details right as he told Mom about it.  I was tickled.

Menu:
Bounty Rice (referred to in this previous DD post)
Pickled Beets
Dill Pickles
Cherry Cobbler
Pouring Custard

Specifically dark days ingredients, all local and where noted, organic:  organic cabbage, bell peppers, home-canned tomatoes, organic garlic, ground beef, homemade yogurt, organic raw milk cheese, organic beets, organic cucumber dills, sour cherries, organic ww pastry flour, milk, organic eggs

Non-local:  a little onion, organic brown rice, sugar, salt, the dried herbs.
Comments on the non-locals:  The last local onions disappeared from market around Christmas.  The farmers grew storage onions, but customers bought them out.  It could be seen as a good problem, but it's been happening for years.  I bet the farmers think their local onions aren't important, so they just fill in with shipped onions when theirs run out.  I told the farmers how much I wanted to depend on storage crops from them:  onions, carrots, apples, potatoes. 

Also, I have never dried my own herbs, but I think this will be the summer for taking on this new project.