food notions

In my personal quest to eat in a conscious way, that is healthy for me and the planet, I have slowly redesigned my relationship to food. Oh anyway, I'm trying. I try to eat less quantity, healthier, less refined foods, be more in control of what I eat and where it comes from. I try to eat seasonal food, local in origin, organic when possible, with a mind to the carbon footprint I leave in my wake. Yes, I still like to go out for chinese food, or a steak. I still use cinnamon and spices not grown around here. And yes, I don't go out to eat as often, and when I do, I really look at how my food is prepared and served. It is as much about a frame of reference than any one specific action. Small actions, big changes... I hope.

Maybe our current collective fiscal woes are a good thing. It may force us to move in a wiser and healthier direction. We need to get off of a diet based on oil and resolarize our agricultural system. Our poor ravaged planet can no longer sustain our greed, overuse and abuse of her fragile eco-system. By limiting our impact in small ways, we can keep our planet viable for our children and their children.

I am not by nature, or nurture, a vegetarian. But... I now limit my consumption of meats, thereby reducing my carbon footprint. I am making more dishes with legumes and grains. This isn't always easy, as I was raised on meat and vegetables at every meal.... and I really like that diet. Liking something doesn't make it the best course of action, so number of years ago, I set out to redesign my meals.

Today my meals have more carbohydrates than before, but whole grains and beans. I try and follow the seasons with my recipes, so that salads are summer fare and soups are on the table more often in winter. I even try to include more fruits (I like fruit, just can't seem to eat them much as I still react to them as sugar). I once heard that if we ate meat only four days a week it would save an immense amount of carbon from our atmosphere. So I try to aim for that, or eat less meat in my meals to spread that amount over more days.

I try and purchase only foods that are grown or produced within a 150 mile radius of my home here in west michigan... or simply grow them myself (or shop at the farmers market). That is relatively easy here in west michigan. We are lucky to live in an area of diverse crops and have an ever increasing number of artisan growers and producers in the area. Organics is on the rise and folks really support local farmers at the market and through CSA involvement programs. When I grew up here, this never would have happened. The change is fabulous!

I grow my foods intensively in small raised beds (each is 3'x3') and use no chemical insecticides or fertilizers on them. I started with four in ground and three rolling beds, when I moved back here, two years ago. This year the garden grew by the addition of 6 more beds on wheels in an upper cement patio area. The wheels lets me move them around as I need to and makes cleaning much easier. I just put them all to bed for the winter with a fresh layer of grass clippings and a heavy rubber cover on each to keep weeds and critters from taking up residence.

I don't have a very big yard, so I only grow those items that make fiscal and freshness sense to me...tomatoes, basil, onions, garlic, herbs, salad greens, chard, spinach, carrots, parsnip, fennel bulbs, various squash vines and a small amount of beans and peas. Still, I have an overabundance of food and try to share the larger percentage with friends and neighbors.

I do compost my food scraps and grass clippings and add that to the beds. It isn't really enough, so I will have to look into organic additions next year.

I often make my own bread, using a no knead method popularized by Jim Lahey from Sullivan Street Bakery in New York. It brings the cost of a fresh loaf of bread down to fifteen cents or so. Yes, I know, it all takes time. That's the genius of his recipe....it is unattended time.... just a little planning is required. And the flavor is amazing! OK, I will include the recipe as I currently use it and also link to the New York Times who first brought it to my attention. For my loaves, I use store bought flour, but sometimes, I grind my own from wheat berries. It all depends on how busy my days are. Like I said, make small changes. You don't have to be a fanatic.

Pasta too is easy, and inexpensive, to make, in all its varying forms. I hope to include many dishes in the future. Food that is handmade shouldn't be considered inconvenient. It is just as easy to make good food as reach for a package. Remember to ask yourself, is it about "better" or just about "profit", when looking at a product. We are smart people and as we regain our instincts, we will do much better as a species and as ones who share the gift of this amazing planet.

This new style of eating doesn't make meals boring or less visually interesting. Quite the contrary. Throwing ourselves out of our old food ruts takes time and consciousness-raising. A new diet based on content not quantity can be freeing and extends the limits of our cuisine to the boundaries of imagination.

I know.....I'm rambling....I plan to share my thoughts from time to time and include books I am reading.... and authors I respect, like Barbara Kingsolver, Sara Miles, Michael Pollen... so thanks for listening. Let me know what you think. I'd be interested to know.