Believe it or Not–700!

Almost impossible to believe, but this will be the 700^th post on the Accidental Locavore website! When I started it in the summer of 2009, it was just me writing about the great produce I was getting from Paul, the farmer down the road. Originally it was going to be a food show that I pitched to Food Network. After being turned down three times, I thought if I built up a following through the website and blog, it might get the attention of television producers. While it hasn’t, it has given me all sorts of wonderful experiences and incredible meals! Here’s a look at seven of them:

1. The beginning: this first post is from February, which really reflects when the website and blog were created. The post was actually written months before.
2. The all-time most popular: You’ve seen this post about proper farmers’ market etiquette before. It got over 700 (do you think there’s a theme here?) comments on Huffington Post.
3. The most commented on: As everyone who knows me knows, I loathe beets! See what some of the other most-hated vegetables are in the comments on this post (and feel free to add your own most-despised).
4. The seven recipes I make the most: Since they’re made often (and are all really easy) I almost never refer to the recipes any more, but if you want to give them a try…mayo, yogurt, pasta puttanesca, albondigas, Indian chicken, tabouli and grilled Caesar salad are the top seven.
5. The kitchen utensils I use the most: Almost every day the great silicon scrapers and covers from GIR get used. I’m always appreciative of their great design and functionality, but when are they going to make attractive kitchen sponges?
6. The meals: I don’t know that I could pick a best or worst (well, maybe the one last week, but I’m not dignifying it by writing about it — yes, that bad!), but there were some memorable ones, like our last dinner in Croatia, the amazing salami John brought to our pig roast and always some that I wish I could replicate like the perfect steak au poivre they made for my birthday at Victor Hugo in Nice.
7. The end: Of the farm that started it all. Thankfully, Paul is back on his feet and making a lot of money creating organic gardens. He’s using his family’s property (what’s not been sold and developed) to grow crops for Sparrow’s Nest, a local charity providing meals to caregivers of cancer patients.

While I’m not sure there will be another 700, there’s still a lot of food to be cooked and eaten! But now it’s your turn…what was your favorite piece and what would you like to see more of?