Eat Locally

Barbara Kingsolver's first non-fiction book: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year Of Food Life is a great read that really made me think. It presents her disturbing research about the current state of the food industry and chronicles her family's year of eating food grown either in their own garden, in their neighborhood, or doing without it. Revolutionary concept these days and not easy, as her book describes. But she also shows it can be delicious fun. She includes favorite family recipes with most chapters. 


Turns out that eating locally is not only good for our bodies but good for our planet since it uses less fuel to get to our plate and maintains diversity. Farmer's markets are plentiful here in Italy (ours is on Wednesdays) and in most States as well. Our stalls carry the veggies and fruits picked that day by our local farmers and sold by them or their family. They sell direct, I know their name, I hug the woman who calls "Bella, Bella" as I approach. The food is fresh, I can get cooking suggestions or recipes, the food is abundant. 

Local food is different, more diverse, not just chosen for its ability to survive long distances. For example, delicate edible flowers or a tomato that looks like a little soft green pumpkin but is the yummiest, juiciest, tastiest tomato ever! The older women selling them swoon over them and get me over my American reluctance to buy tomatoes that aren't red and I buy them and then get oh, so rewarded with every caprese sandwich or salad I eat. Local food hasn't had to survive long trips from wherever during which time all its nutrients fall out. It still has its nutrients. It's food not just food cadavers. 

Do you know where your food comes from? Who has grown it? Have you been surprised or delighted by your food lately? Wouldn't you like to be?

Then, delight your senses, make your body healthier, support local farmers, save the environment and heal the planet. Eat locally grown food.


Do you have a farmers' markets in your area?

Everything Is Growing

John said to me today: "Look, we're growing things!". It's true, our balcony has healthy plants galore- hot peppers, parsley, basil, small leaf basil, rosemary, marjoram and mint (has to have its own large pot because it's such a weed!). They smell so wonderful. And that doesn't count the beautiful begonias of all colors that are thriving as well. They remind me of my mother who grew them and loved them. And the rainbow colored coleus's are just exploding. All this is a first for us (other than the community garden in Maine which was really more our daughter and her husband's doing than ours).
It happened gradually but here we are and everything is obviously very happy on our balcony which faces south (but I do find shade for my coleus plants). We harvest the herbs and peppers and use them in our cooking. (Okay, John uses them in his cooking for us. In case life wasn't already good enough, my husband is the cook in our family!) He makes pesto, roasted hot peppers in olive oil to flavor anything and everything, roasted potatoes with rosemary, garlic potatoes with rosemary, basil on and in anything with tomatoes, and all manner of sauces and flavorings with the various herbs. He even makes his own tomato sauce for pasta with our herbs and fresh tomatoes from our weekly farmer's market. Plus, we make both green and black mint tea in the sun as our summer drinks.
Wow- how did this happen? We're now in sync with the open market and have our favorite "fresh vegetables and fruits from the fields" vendors. That and the fresh bread we buy at the local store and I'm in heaven! Or at least I can see it from here...

Paese

On Wednesdays and Saturdays, our Paese (village) has an open market. It's part farmer's market and part flea market. They sell everything from fruits, vegetables, cheese to flowers, plants, herbs to clothing, shoes, handbags to all manner of household items- tablecloths, cutlery, pans, curtains, cups, bowls, coffee pots, pillows and plastic flowers. I bought a basil plant for the balcony, fresh cherries for tonight's dessert and a set of expresso cups and saucers for when we have a kitchen and company.
I met 2 of our neighbors in Paese who invited us to sit and have a caffé. We cobbled a conversation together with some Italian, some English with some translating and teaching thrown in. It worked somehow and I was warmed by their friendliness.
Taking time with neighbors and friends is very important here. Friends and neighbors stop and visit, sit and visit, eat and visit, drink and visit, work and visit. Everything takes more time as a result, even good-byes take a long time.
Schools are open 6 days a week so they can close at 1 pm each day and students can join their families for the all important mid-day meal. Business's close from 1 - 4 pm so workers can join their families as well. The structure of society supports the cultural value of sharing food and time together.
Marco, a workman, came today to install our showers. Our neighbor who knows him invited him in for caffé first. I was annoyed and wondered why she was delaying his work. Then I remembered, welcome him, spend time, share food and drink. We weren't able to do that yet so she did. He did a fabulous job then including some extra work we needed done.
Relationships matter most. Relationships take time. Sharing food strengthens relationships. It's todays lesson. It's a good lesson.