In my family, we take turns with holidays. Mine is Thanksgiving. Christmas belongs to my sister (she has children).

Our tradition includes the seven fish on Christmas Eve and multiple courses of our favorites on Christmas Day. Those courses are: the antipasto of Italian cheeses and cold cut meats, the primo course of fresh ravioli and “red gravy” with meatballs, sausage, and pork bracciole, the segundo course which is always a pork roast with roasted root vegetables, and dolce (dessert) with homemade cookies, homemade cheese cake, and ice cream.

My sister isn’t into local food like I am but we began a new tradition last year where I bring all the local ingredients for the segundo course and she cooks it while I play sous chef.

With the flurry of kitchen activity, I forgot to take out the camera, but the neat thing about a tradition is that you can point to last year’s picture and it’s nearly identical.

The pork was absolutely delicious—moist and succulent. Kudos to the folks at Cabbage Hill Farm and a special thanks to Steve, literally the best butcher.

Sources (this year’s)

• pork roast from Butcher’s Best Market (from a Berkshire pig from Cabbage Hill Farm in Mount Kisco, NY)
• white potatoes from Maple Bank Farm
• sweet potatoes and onions from Sport Hill Farm
• carrots from Riverbank Farm
• garlic, thyme, parsley, rosemary from my own garden
• apple sauce made from Macouns we picked this Fall at Averill Farm

The wine was a Cabernet Franc from Sharpe Hill Vineyard (a family favorite and another tradition).

My contribution to dessert included vanilla, raspberry, and campfire ice cream from Ferris Acres Creamery.

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This is my week #5 meal for the 2011-2012 Dark Days Eat Local Challenge.

Note: These challenge posts will be recapped with the other Mid-Atlantic region participants every two weeks, over at Not Dabbling In Normal by Emily of Tanglewood Farm.