A day in the life of a local food junkie

This morning I got up, added water to the pot of chicken parts from the chicken we ate the night before, a handful of veggies (spring onions, carrot, cabbage, celery) and a bit of seasoning and started the pot boiling to make stock. The kids had boxed cereal for breakfast. It is one habit I seem unable to change. I had oatmeal, still not local but a bit less processed. I also boiled a few eggs and put my husband’s lunch together. The time was 6:45 am when Big J walked out the door and I sat down to eat my own food. Buying locally and eating less processed foods is a what we do. I make bits of food in the in between moments. The stock finished before lunch and it is sitting in the fridge waiting to be decanted into containers for the freezer. We visit farms, plant seeds outside, go for walks and try to avoid the tv.

Just before ten, after E had her morning nap and the rest of us were dressed, we headed out to return books to the library and stop at Brad’s Produce for our weekly share. Driving up I was thrilled to see the sign that strawberries had arrived on the spring time scene. The children were excited, too, and keeping their hands out of the strawberry baskets while I procured rhubarb and more spinach was nearly impossible. We dug into the bright, sweet berries on the drive back home stopping to share a few with a neighbor and spread the word that, ‘Strawberries are here!’ In the next 1-2 weeks they will be available at Brad’s Produce for pick your own.

I am planning this year to pick enough to freeze some whole and make several batches of strawberry freezer jam. I guess it is time to install those pantry cabinets so we have room for the jars and other supplies as well as the food once it is preserved. I also plan to make at least one strawberry pie, the way my mom makes it with a glaze, not cooked; strawberry short cake and a big batch of strawberry ice cream. It is so fun to revel in food and to just enjoy the taste, texture and abundance that each season brings.

We ate lunch outside after swinging and looking for frogs in the backyard and then I was finally able finish the book, The Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food. I can’t say it was my favorite book. The author, Ben Hewitt, had some interesting points to make. The descriptions of the main players in the town of Hardwick were endearing but I found the text to be redundant. I was looking for a, ‘how to create a local food system’ and what I got was a bit less. The article Building a Healthy Food System in Rural America in the July/August issue of Eating Well Magazine offered about the same amount of information in a fraction text. It is worth reading.

Now on to other tasks of the day which I hope will include a stop up to Sunny Hill farm for dill and a few other plants and eggs.