So it has been a couple weeks since I have made a post... alot has happened in the past weeks that have limited my time to be able to discuss "local" eating politics. Its summer and the skies have slowly turned from grey to blue...the gardens are now bustling with new growth, however they certainly seem a bit behind schedule compared to years prior. All I can say is that it is a good thing that we have so many talented local farmers...
Speaking of local farmers.... last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting one of these food havens. I took a 65 mile round trip bicycle ride up to New Leaf Farm in Durham. I got to see first hand how well maintained and pristine this farm really is. I have been eating New Leafs mesculin mix and herb selections for a couple years now and was very happy to finally get a tour of the farm. The hoop houses containing the tomatoes were the highlight for me... I even got to munch on my first sungold and cherry tomato of the season....
Anyway it is now day 90 of our local eating project and I have to come clean on a few new guidelines that have entered our diet. First I should say that we are still keeping our cupboards stocked with 100% Maine grown products and still eat completely local meals 95% of the time...however I have learned not to turn down offers of free food and meals prepared by friends and relatives or the occasional restaurant excursion that tend to happen on nights were my world just becomes to hectic to cook a nourishing dinner made from scratch. I realized that the most important part of "eating local" to me was and is the ability to keep my money away from all the large food conglomerates... The simple act of handing my hard earned money over to a farmer who actually grew the food that I am consuming gives me a pleasure that can never be full filled by shopping at whole foods or eating out at a restaurant. On the few occasions we have ordered out in the recent weeks I have definitely found myself poking at my plate sighing at the commercial farm sources that Im sure delivered half the ingredients in my dish...
Stay tuned for more local recipes as the summer rolls along...
Speaking of local farmers.... last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting one of these food havens. I took a 65 mile round trip bicycle ride up to New Leaf Farm in Durham. I got to see first hand how well maintained and pristine this farm really is. I have been eating New Leafs mesculin mix and herb selections for a couple years now and was very happy to finally get a tour of the farm. The hoop houses containing the tomatoes were the highlight for me... I even got to munch on my first sungold and cherry tomato of the season....
Anyway it is now day 90 of our local eating project and I have to come clean on a few new guidelines that have entered our diet. First I should say that we are still keeping our cupboards stocked with 100% Maine grown products and still eat completely local meals 95% of the time...however I have learned not to turn down offers of free food and meals prepared by friends and relatives or the occasional restaurant excursion that tend to happen on nights were my world just becomes to hectic to cook a nourishing dinner made from scratch. I realized that the most important part of "eating local" to me was and is the ability to keep my money away from all the large food conglomerates... The simple act of handing my hard earned money over to a farmer who actually grew the food that I am consuming gives me a pleasure that can never be full filled by shopping at whole foods or eating out at a restaurant. On the few occasions we have ordered out in the recent weeks I have definitely found myself poking at my plate sighing at the commercial farm sources that Im sure delivered half the ingredients in my dish...
Stay tuned for more local recipes as the summer rolls along...
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