Oshkosh-Style Stir-Fry

As the eat local challenge is drawing to a close, we decided to throw together a stir fry made up of mostly local fare. Here's the recipe:

• 1.5 pounds sirloin steak
  
• 2 potatoes
• 1 small beet
• 2 carrots
• 2 onions
• 1 green pepper
• 1 chili pepper (not too hot)
• 2 leeks
• 1 small can water chestnuts
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
  
• 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
• Canola oil for frying
  

Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp Toasted sesame seed oil
  
• 1/4 cup Soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
• 2 cups Water
• 2 Tbsp Corn starch

Instructions:

1. Cut meat into thin slices. Slice vegetables thinly. Cut onions into wedges.
2. Heat oil in skillet or wok.
3. Fry meat while stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to separate platter, and keep warm.
   
4. Add vegetables to skillet or wok, and fry 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly.
   
5. Transfer vegetables to separate platter. Keep warm.
6. Heat sesame seed oil in skillet.
   
7. Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and water, and bring to a boil
8. Dissolve corn starch in cold water, and add to sauce while stirring.
9. Let boil for 3-5 minutes until thickened, and adjust taste as you see fit. Add more water if the sauce is too thick.
   
10. Return meat and vegetables to skillet and heat through with the sauce.
11. Serve with white or brown rice (we did basmati tonight, as the brown rice would have taken too long and the kids won't eat it).

It was a bit of an experiment with potatoes and beets in a stir-fry, but it worked out nicely. The potatoes added extra volume and a nice mellow taste, while the beets added sweetness. Our version did not havec a lot of heat. You could try add more hot peppers and more ginger, wouldn't hurt either. We also served it with home-brew beer (Fuggles IPA).
How local was it? All the vegetables were from our garden, the meat was from Cattleana (our local meat CSA), and the beer was brewed at home. The water chestnuts, the rice, and all the ingredients for the sauce were standard supermarket items, so who knows where they came from. But I think this still qualifies as a nice local meal - it certainly used some of our veggies, which is always nice.