I want to have the discipline to have a farm, but I know myself well enough to know that the focus and dedication even a little kitchen garden requires is more than I am currently able to commit to. And my husband categorically refuses to own chickens, and what's a farm without chickens?
I do, however, enjoy reading about other people's explorations in the agricultural arts as well as the local food movement. While fulfilling one of my pre-requisite classes for midwifery school 4 years ago, I read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Our classwork also included keeping a food diary and performing a nutritional analysis with the use of this antiquated but relatively thorough computer program. I was hooked. The way food is put together, both molecularily and the creation of processed food (and the crap that goes into that food in the name of 'palatability') fascinated me. The difference in nutritional value of organic vs. conventional food was amazing. I could actually FEEL the difference in my energy-level and my alertness as I made choices that supported local, organic, sustainable food. This is also the moment where my love of kale really began to take hold.
Then, a couple years ago I read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and was awed and inspired to reclaim my place in the local food chain. Shortly after reading that book, I began having my organic, local fruits and vegetables delivered to me by Dandelion Organic and supplementing with trips to the local farmer's market and the occasional 'treat' of illicit, exotic bananas and out-of-season strawberries from the community food co-op. I did my best to support local industry with my dollar(s), and really embraced making EVERYTHING from scratch, including bread and yogurt and the occasional ball of fresh 'churned' butter.
Then school and family beckoned and my focus on that aspect of my life waned to a dim memory. I even cancelled the Dandelion Delivery because I couldn't seem to keep up with preparing and eating all that fresh local food and my family seemed to have little inspiration to figure out how to prepare foreign items like sunchokes, and tended towards the frozen tater tots for ease and familiarity. I did, however, keep up with the morning kale smoothie ritual.
Now, with all the available time and energy afforded my in the wake of my son's exodus, I am tentatively renewing that spark and passion for local, sustainable food. My dear friends lent me the book Plenty by Alisa Smith & JB MacKinnon out of Vancouver, BC. I started casually reading it on my daily bus ride to and from work, and then this week-end, became increasingly drawn into their story of attempting to eat ONLY food that was sourced within 100 miles of their home (with very few exceptions). This seems to be just the inspiration my smoldering love affair needed to fan the flames of true passion.
In spite of the fact that it's just my husband, the cat and me in our drafty little house, I am once again inspired to cook. And not just cook to fill our bellies and fuel us for whatever projects we turn our attention to, but to really involve myself in the creativity and inspiration that go into preparing a meal. I don't know as this renewed passion will fare so well for my waistline, but I expect that once the immediate novelty of it wears off, I will be able to settle into creating truly nourishing meals that are both creative and tasty without taxing the stretch in my wardrobe. It will also help to inspire my husband's and my commitment to have 'singles suppers' in our home monthly, inviting all our single friends who otherwise tend prepare and eat their meals alone.
So what's a girl to do with 5lbs of red cabbage? Our dinner guests will soon find out!
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