Woke up a wee bit late today and made it to my farmers’ market just in time to grab what I needed for the week. The upside to arriving late to a farmers’ market is…lower prices. The farmers are beginning to pack up and want to get rid of as much produce as possible. They are looking to make deals! Sweet!
Some winter squashes are beginning to make their appearance, but by all accounts, it’s still summer in southern California. Lots of heirloom tomatoes, berries, corn and peaches. Lovely.
Eggplant for Caponata I plan to make later this week
Here’s the link to my favorite Caponata recipe–It’s incredibly easy. It just takes a bit of time to chop all the veggies. I love it paired with grilled bread and fresh mozzarella, as it’s done in this Giada recipe. Perfect!
Here are some more gorgeous pics of the farm stand produce. Hopefully it will inspire you to create something delicious and healthy this week.
Purple-speckled Dragon Tongue Beans from Weiser Family Farms.
This trendy concept is a bit difficult to define. Recently The Atlanticdevoted an entire article about the inability to officially define this increasingly popular idea. But, there does seems to be a broad consensus among experts that sustainable food/eating is a system in which farmer/animal/food/consumer/environment/ are inextricably linked. One always affects the other. For better or worse. Personally, I would like it to be for the better, and I’m sure you would too (you’re already reading this blog, aren’t you?). And honestly, it seems simple enough to put into practice. Here are some of my simple rules that not only help me think about what I buy (because we, as consumers, have an extremely powerful vote every time we make a purchase) but, also, how it feeds my body and affects the environment:
1. Shop at your local farmers’ markets. (To me, this is the most important and fundamental idea to eating responsibly and healthily.)
Summer Corn at my Weekend Farmers Market
Choose to support your local farmer. By shopping at farmers’ markets, instead of the big-box supermarket you support and contribute to independent family farms. You are making the conscious decision, through your elective buying power, to buy and eat food that is picked at its peak of ripeness (more flavor! more nutrients!). You are forced to eat seasonally—think tomatoes so juicy they burst with sweetness, tender asparagus that is just begging for a drizzle of good olive oil, winter squashes that make you think of curling up by the fire on a chilly autumn night.
Also, by putting yourself closer to the farmer you inevitably lessen the environmental impact that your food has on the world around you. Less carbon dioxide from shipping, less soil erosion, less pesticides (chances are, the farmers at your local farmers’ market are small enough that their land is diversified. Meaning, they are not a single crop operation. A larger variety of crops means less pesticides, richer soil and more nutritious produce.)
2. Try to Buy Organic Whenever Possible.
Spicy wild arugula
I say this with a caveat, however. I urge you to seek out organic, because yes, when eating organic food you are getting more nutrients and eating a product that is not laden with chemical pesticides. But, organic sodas, cakes and cookies do not count. In fact, they hardly count as food. Come on, who are you trying to fool? Choose to buy organic whole foods:
Meat (poultry, beef—preferably pastured raised, meaning they lived on a diet of grass, not corn which is difficult for cows to digest.)
Fish (try to find sustainable fish, choose wild caught—not farmed—for the most nutritional benefit. Also seek out fish that is lower on the food-chain, meaning, they’re the fish that other, bigger fish eat. So, whenever possible choose smaller fish, such as wild-caught salmon, mackerel, sardines. Even better, try to find seafood that is MSC certified, meaning the Marine Stewardship Council has given their stamp of approval.
Eggs (again pasture-raised will offer the most nutrients. Since the chickens eat a nutritious diet of grass, their diet directly affects the quality and nutrition of the egg. If you cannot find eggs from pastured chickens, then at the very least, look for organic.
Produce (fruits and vegetables without the addition of chemical pesticides which can, over time, harm the body)
*A Side Note:
Although I say try to buy organic, in truth, many small independent family farms cannot afford to be certified organic by the US government. This does not mean that they use chemical pesticides, or that their products aren’t treated with respect and care. They may still operate on a system that takes the welfare of the animal into consideration and their produce production does not utilize harmful pesticides. When buying from local farmers, talk to them, create a dialogue and learn about their products. This side note, brings me back to Rule Number 1. Whenever possible, shop at your local farmers’ market.
Gorgeous Heirloom Tomatoes at my weekend Farmers Market
3. Eat Less Meat
That’s it. This rule is pretty straightforward. By choosing to eat less meat your impact on the environment decreases. The production of animal products (meat, dairy, eggs) produces 40% more pollution than all three methods of transportation combined.
There are many other “rules” I could include, but to me, these are the most basic. But, perhaps the best “rule” I could give is the most time-honored and practical. Educate yourself. Learn about what you eat. Because meat doesn’t come in Styrofoam packages and tomatoes don’t grow in winter.
Reference:
Pollan, Michael. In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. (New York: Penguin Books, 2008).
Yes, I am a foodie. But isn’t everyone these days? What makes me think that I have stumbled upon a secret love of food only shared by the select few? Of course I haven’t. Years ago, perhaps this idea of a secret foodie club might hold some truth. Before the advent of Food Network, Ina Garten, and Jamie Oliver the term may have conjured up images of twenty-something hipsters strolling through their weekend farmers market in search of all things organic and raw, or perhaps it brought to mind snooty sophisticates who prefer their steak au poivre and their duck confit. Today however, I would argue that the word is neither and yet it is both, simultaneously. The demand for better (organic, sustainable, artisan) food has increased and supply is constantly improving. The love and appreciation of food is more prevalent now than ever before.
As Americans today, our choices are vast. We can just as easily elect to by organic grass-fed beef as we can factory farmed and processed ground chuck. Our supermarkets are stocked with items once found only online or in specialty stores. We, as consumers and eaters, can literally eat completely organic if we choose, or buy specialized products such as imported Spanish sardines in olive oil or fresh morels. This kind of access can turn anyone into a foodie—and it’s great. It has made the appreciation of food mainstream, which in turn, makes consumers more aware of what they are buying and maybe more importantly, what they are feeding their body.
Perhaps this trend toward food appreciation could someday turn into a unilateral foodie movement leading the country out of our GMO-consuming, factory-farm eating habits. Might it be possible that foodies lead the way into a more aware and conscious collective demanding good food, raised without hormones, antibiotics or toxic pesticides? I think so. Of course, this will take time, but the shift towards whole, sustainable, and artisanal food has already begun. West coast cities like San Francisco and Portland are producing some of the most exciting farm to table cooking in the country and consumers are taking notice. There’s a reason why Michael Pollan’s books (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food, et al.) appear on the New York Times bestseller list: Because, fundamentally, the general public cares about what they eat. And they’re hungry for some guidance.
As a self-professed foodie, I identify with both the organic food buyer seeking out clean and wholesome natural foods, but also with the nutritionally shameless in search of decadent pastries and rich buttercream cakes. And yes, I am aware of the dichotomy here. How can I preach on about sustainable eating, but also approve the consumption of sugary cakes and cookies? I think the answer to that question lies in a rationale that is both time-honored and valid—and it’s the most simplistic. Moderation. Our bodies do not thrive on chemically processed foods—and we know this. This information is not new. However, the pendulum of nutritionally sound eating has swung so far away from sustainable foods that it’s difficult to find our way back to the healthy middle. It should be a conscious choice to, whenever possible, seek out and eat whole, unprocessed foods. In fact, make that the goal and focus of each meal and snack. But, it’s OK to allow an indulgence every now and then, especially if it’s made with whole ingredients. Make easy swaps, such as whole-wheat flour instead of refined; use organic milk and eggs. In fact, I think it can be both, and more importantly should be both. If we are to succeed as conscientious eaters we must find balance between nutritious whole, unprocessed foods, while also allowing ourselves a little decadence, whether in the form of triple-chocolate brownies or blueberry pie. In order to build and sustain a system of eaters who choose the sustainable food lifestyle, we must also be able to reward ourselves with a little ice cream every now and then. Preferably homemade.
good table matters 