Merry Christmas everyone!

Although not local, Christmas is a big food day for my family. Our food traditions go back to the “old country,” and it’s my sister’s holiday, not mine.

We begin with an antipasto of Italian cold cuts and cheeses, fresh cut vegetables and dip, a variety of olives, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, salad, and bread.

After a little break, we have the pasta course. In Italy, this course is called Prima. This is the course that I consider “the meal” because it is absolutely my favorite food. We have ravioli with gravy. Gravy is a red sauce made with pork braciole,  sweet sausage, and meatballs. And we had bread.

Then we open presents.

Although no one has had a hunger pang for hours, we have Segunda, the main course that no one wants but you have to eat. We typically have a roast pork with roasted vegetables. This year, I asked my sister if this course could be local if I brought the ingredients and she agreed.

She’s a fabulous cook and the meal was excellent. Here’s our local segunda:

• roasted pork roast from Rowland Farm, thanks to Butcher’s Best in Newtown.
• roasted potatoes: red from Maple Bank Farm, white and sweet from Sport Hill Farm, and purple from Daffodil Hill Growers.
• carrots and onions from Gazy Brothers Farm
• garlic and rosemary from Late Bloomers Farm
• apple sauce from Macouns we (five of us at this dinner table!) picked this Fall at Averill Farm
• Cabernet Franc from Sharpe Hill Vineyard

For dessert, we had my mom’s Christmas cookies, my sister’s cheese cake, ice cream, an Edible Arrangements fruit bouquet, and coffee beverages.

We couldn’t possibly eat another bite. Not even a wafer thin mint.

(This is Dark Days Challenge meal #3.)