This is the last week of the Dark Days Eat Local Challenge meals.

First, there was beef tenderloin from Stuarts Family Farm and broccoli from Waldingfield Farm (courtesy of the freezer).

Then there were ribeyes from Stuarts Family Farm, with potatoes from Riverbank Farm and sauteéd fresh spinach from Starlite Farm.

But the best was the macaroni and meatball meal. I’d been meaning to make a local version of my Sunday meatballs and gravy since the challenge began, and finally, I did.

I made the meatballs using ground beef from Stuarts Family Farm dried parsley and basil from my garden, and eggs from Four Mile River Farm. I did use Progresso bread crumbs and imported Parmigiano Reggiano (mea culpa). I’ll save trying to reformulate the breadcrumbs with local ingredients for another challenge.

I made the gravy using my home canned tomatoes (originally plums from Don Taylor’s farm), paste I made from reconstituting dried tomatoes (originally from Waldingfield Farm), pork chops and sweet sausages from Ox Hollow Farm, thyme from my garden, and the meatballs.

The salad was from a red leaf lettuce bouquet from Two Guys from Woodbridge. The bread was from Wave Hill Breads (where else). Ziti were thanks to the folks at Barilla. And the wine was from Vista Riposa from McLaughlin Vineyards.

And the nephew is local too.