“Dallas is so agriculturally challenged!,” lamented my organic fruit and vegetable co-op hostess. The picture-perfect produce in our bi-weekly shipments is fresh from Mexico, California, or Colorado, but not from Texas. With this in mind, last weekend my sister and I set out on a lark—to prepare a delicious meal made completely with locally grown or produced foods à la Alice Waters. I suspect in crunchy circles “local” means different things to different folks. For our purposes—it means grown or produced in Texas.

After pricing Texas olive oil, we decided to be even more pragmatic and focus on locally grown or produced fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy products and not worry about using the jug o’ olive oil from Costco. Even there, we fudged some. What good would our homegrown basil pesto be without Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy? We foraged for local products at the regular haunts, Whole Foods and Central Market, and went further afield—to the Coppell Farmers Market. Burgandy Pasture Beef (Grandview), the raw milk guy (Stephenville), my kitchen garden, and my neighbor’s backyard chickens (Irving) supplied the balance of our meal.

Parmigiano-Reggiano aside, the local cheeses were impressive. From Central Market, we collected fresh mozzarella and Pure Luck goat cheese from Dripping Springs. From the raw milk guy we chose a selection of handmade cheddars from the Veldhuizens of Dublin (“made by hand, blessed by God”) and, of course, some local milk to make a lovely custard.

I admit I have not visited the Dallas Farmers Market in a year or two. Every now and again I go, hoping it will be something like the amazing public spaces found in Madison, Wisconsin, Asheville, North Carolina, or even in Meadville, the small town where I grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania. These public spaces provide a forum where farmers meet with eaters to hawk their wares face-to-face. My hometown of 15,000 people sports a local growers and producers market where you can buy a chicken for $2/pound out of the Amish gentleman’s cooler that was walking around God’s green earth earlier that day.

My sister and I decided to scout out the Coppell Farmer’s Market which purports to be a real local growers-only market. While modest in size, the Coppell Farmers Market had a rootsy quality reminiscent of Austin or Fredericksburg. Pastured meats, local cheeses, seasonal produce, even rain barrels were available. Big-name pastured meat producers like Dominion Farms and Rehoboth Ranch rubbed shoulders with local growers, including a fellow with a card table, some homemade signs, and some produce he grows on the premises of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Irving (all proceeds to benefit the church building fund). The Saturday morning we visited, business was brisk. We collected zucchini and pattypan squash, strawberries, peaches, and onions.

At the moment, our kitchen garden is overrun with basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, zucchini blossoms, and mixed greens, so all were worked into the meal. The menu we created showcases the fruits and vegetables currently available in North Texas.

In all the trekking around, my most surprising find was shitake mushrooms from Denison, Texas (available at Central Market). I had no idea. Also, I have heard rumors that buckets of zucchini blossoms are periodically available at Jimmy’s in East Dallas.

Some final thoughts on eating local in Dallas: Our project resembled food tourism more than everyday gastronomy. It would be an expensive hobby to shop for the best of local fare regularly (we spent $15 on a modest amount of produce at the Coppell market alone). However, for one interested in all aspects of food and its relation to culture—politics, history, agriculture, nutrition, feasting, and fasting—I am heartened to find that there is room in Dallas for food enthusiasts and the web of local options is growing.

Early June menu:

Appetizers:
Fresh mozzarella with basil, Texas Star and Cheddar from Veldhuizen served with sourbread toasts
Fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with fresh mozzarella
Fried zucchini

Main course:
Super-Slow-Roasted Beef with Herb Rub
Sauteed Cremini and Shitake Mushrooms with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Parsley
Gemelli with Basil Pesto
Sauteed Zucchini and Pattypan Rounds with Oregano
Mesclun with Goat Cheese and Basil Vinaigrette

Dessert:
Vanilla Custard with Fresh Sliced Strawberries

Local Picks to wet your whistle for under $10:
These wines were on the sweet side, and very drinkable.
Llano Estacado Signature Red Meritage $9.98 and Messina Hof Merlot (2007) $9.98
Rahr & Sons Ugly Pug Black Lager (Ft. Worth) $7.99/six pack