When I first thought about making this big change – from shopping at the supermarket to shopping and eating local, I was perhaps a bit rash. As I looked around my cupboard and saw row after row of store-bought items, I realized that the life I knew could not be sustained on the life I had aimed for. Getting 75% of my food from local sources is possibly feasible, but, to be honest, it’s more work than I’ve got in me. I mean, butter, milk and cheese – I don’t believe we have anyplace nearby making those items. Also, flour and sugars – I use 2 lbs of brown sugar a month. (Less in the summer, as I don’t bake as often. Baking is one of the great joys of my life. It soothes me when I’ve had a long and trying day, it gives my nervous hands something to do, and, let’s face it – the world smells better with cookies in the oven.)
As my last diary asked – How Did I Get Here from There? – I realized the answer: small steps and no great leaps. And so now I offer a revision to my original plan: The only meat I will consume will have been sustainably raised, in open pasture, without antibiotics or hormones. Trader Joe’s has a great selection of chicken that fits this bill, and they carry the Niman Ranch brand of pork, which uses heirloom breeds and also practices sustainability (plus, they’re a Northern California operation, which means they’re mostly local). Beef can be bought at Whole Foods, which no longer has any meat that hasn’t been ethically raised. I’ll also switch to them for my seafood needs, which are, admittedly, few and far between. But at least I know that they’re proponents of responsible fishing. For produce, well, that’s easy. I will now purchase all of my produce from the local farmer’s market. Wait – did I say all? I mean most. I mean 95%. There will be the occasional mango, pineapple, or other exotic purchased at the supermarket. Limes and lemons are staples in my pantry, and so they will be bought as well, but only sometimes from the farmer’s market; only when I can. I’ll still buy cereal and the occasional bag of chips, and can of beans. I think that, just as I became more thoughtful about my HFCS consumption, so I can become more thoughtful of my meat and produce consumption.
Also, my vermi-composting project is on hold, at least for a month, if not two. In the meanwhile, I’m recycling my food scraps and other green waste in the city-provided recycling bin, and letting them turn it into compost.
So, that’s my revision. It’s important to me that this be as workable as possible for someone working for a living and living a life, while making a conscious effort to support my local farmers and to try to become a hobbyist myself.
And now that that’s done, let’s look at the week past:
At the Market
I began on Thursday, which has become the reset button of my week. For some it’s Friday, for some Monday or Sunday, but for me, Thursday is shopping day, the day of menus made and vegetable bin drawers checked. I first stopped off at Whole Foods, where I bought 6 slices of applewood smoked bacon, a ½ lb of beef for stir fry, and a 2 lb top sirloin steak, that has been since butchered down into more manageable proportions. I also bought two mangos (for mango salsa) and a peach from a local farm that is alleged to be the best in the area (it was okay, but the yellow peaches from the farmer’s market were far better). I spent about $35 on the meat, $3 on the mangos, and $1.50 on the peach. (Oh, and bottle of organic hard apple cider, which was, I must say, absolutely fantastic.)
When I got home, I headed out to the farmer’s market. After nine months of shopping at the grocery store, and only occasional forays out to the winter farmer’s market, I have to say this: The smell and the sight of the farmer’s market almost brought me to my knees. The first thing I smelled were strawberries, and under that, a current of peaches and plums, tangy and sweet. Fresh corn was already out (although it was a little early, and a little starchy) and everywhere were samples of this and that, just waiting to be tasted.
I bought a half flat of strawberries (only $6!!), two pints of blueberries, a few zucchini that were small and round and looked like grenades. I bought 3 yellow peaches and three black plums. I think they’re calling them pluots now, but when I was kid, they were still plums. I bought a trio of red onions that were fat and glossy, with a sizeable amount of stalk still attached. I bought sugar snap peas, some rhubarb, four ears of yellow and white corn, and some early bell peppers that were glossy and firm and looked delicious. I also bought some basil pesto, some green olive pesto (omg! Best thing ever!) and a pound of homemade pasta to go with them. Oh – and a bag of crimini mushrooms, which are making their way into everything. And I almost forgot – a pound of cherries that are dark and tart-sweet. Heaven.
On the stove:
This week I had a bounty of flavors, so I’m using them.
Thursday: Fresh pasta with basil and olive pesto, with some mushrooms, peppers and zucchini thrown in for good measure. Peaches for dessert.
Friday: Grilled steaks, oven roasted potatoes (organics bought at Trader Joes) and fresh roasted corn on the cob.
Saturday: Hamburgers (organic, grass-fed from Costco, buns from Trader Joes) with onions and mushrooms mixed in and Tater Tots (my husband loves them – back off).
Sunday: Turkey sandwiches. The only thing from the farmer’s market on these was the tomato. The lettuce, turkey, cheese, bread and sprouts were all bought at Trader Joes.
Monday: Grilled chicken with mango salsa and white rice, roasted corn and cabbage slaw. (using up the rest of the cabbage from last week, plus the left over corn from this week.)
Tuesday: Pancakes with fresh blueberries, bacon and eggs. (Pancakes from Trader Joe’s mix – making them from scratch means I end up wasting buttermilk. Organic, free-range eggs from Costco.)
Wednesday: Peppered Steak stir fry: Using the beef from Whole Foods, peppers and onions from the farmer’s market. Rice from Trader Joes.
In the Garden:
The cherry tomatoes have all grown six inches in the last week. I’ve spied little cucumbers forming on the lemon and pickling cukes, and have seen the flower buds forming on the squash. The beans are reaching out their leafy tendrils (one is hugging a brandywine tomato plant as we speak), the tomatoes are flowering their hearts out, and the peppers have lots of flowers and one bell pepper that is doubling in size each day. Oh, and I also found a new bean sprouting up. It’s in a good spot so I’m not going to bother pruning it back. I’m interested to see how much it will grow, given its very late start in the world.
That’s it for me this week. Happy eating, everyone.