Good Food is Everybody's Business
It’s only recently that I started to become enthusiastic about Brussels sprouts (and for the longest time I thought it was “Brussel” sprout). They’re up there with Lima beans on the list of vegetables people tend to despise. I had to find out if they were really so bad – how could they be, when they look so adorable?
Kate had never before encountered a parsnip until the week they suddenly appeared at the food co-op. Parsnips can be counted among the roots and tubers – they’re closely related to carrots, no surprise considering their appearance. They’re woodier though, with a distinct earthy flavor. And she makes “fries” out of them!
This being my first time cooking with fresh plums (or any plums for that matter), and also my first time canning such a large quantity of jam, I conducted a new experiment with each batch. I wanted to see what tasted the best, and also what was the easiest method of converting raw fruit into jam. Peeled or not? Diced or mashed?
I’m from a generation that grew up with a meat-and-potatoes mindset. The good news is that variety is making a comeback. People are learning all about heirloom tomatoes, local berries, and new varieties of beets and squash – at farmers markets, in restaurants, and at home. We are seeking out the wallflowers and asking them to dance.
What to do with 15 pounds of “pick it yourself” tomatoes? Kate goes on a canning spree, and you can too!
Today I’m here to glorify the food phenomenon we know as salad: that combination of greens and vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds that’s savory and sweet and bitter with all different textures thrown in, and topped with any type of sauce from thick and creamy to a simple oil and vinegar.
Someday I hope to have my own chickens, but until then I’m satisfied with knowing my eggs come from happy hens. And although I may not know them personally, sometimes now when I crack an egg I’ll send out a silent thanks to the animal it came from.
In the supermarket a variety of fruits and vegetables are available year-round, but this is more a reflection of our world economy than our ability to grow these foods locally. In Montana it’s the time for rhubarb, wild mushrooms, and salad greens, root vegetables, herbs, and a few tomatoes. Now is the best time to save by celebrating the seasonal.
