Very soon now the chives and the fresh eggs from my chickens will meet up in a delicious omelet getting about as fresh as one can get. I can wait because . . .
I know just how delicious they will taste. There is a dilemma I face at this time of year and it involves choosing to wait for my own fresh strawberries that are a solid two months away from the first sunwarmed bite. Or do I again succumb to the visual displays of fresh, red berries and pretty green asparagus that the stores taunt us with, knowing that the flavor just won't compare? It is almost too easy to justify since they are sitting there anyway and someone has to buy them. Right? But . . .
There is a lot to be said for waiting for anything, including seasonal food. We have lost the anticipation of waiting for the taste of that first berry, stalk of asparagus, and juicy peach. I can't tell you the delight in being the one who gets the first, fresh from the garden, strawberry in May. We become quite devious and selfish when the plants are ready to bear their first delights. We take sneaky trips out to see if the fruit we have spied has ripened so we can be the first to eat it. And in the last golden days of fall, it is every man for himself. I have no qualms about gobbling the last of the golden rasberries with no thought of sharing.
So in answer to my own question-this year I will anticipate and wait. Once upon a time this was the norm. It comes down to the fact that just because we can, doesn't mean we should.
There is a plethora of sites and information out there about local eating, gardening, local foods, etc. Container gardening means you can grow something just about anywhere. Local farmers markets abound everywhere and quite often they are speedier at local produce than me, so I will buy from them as well.
Today I'm finally ordering my garden seeds. One of the companies I will order from is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds - www.rareseeds.com They are family-run, non GMO, non-hybrid and their catalog is a visual feast.
For reading about adventures in local eating try:
"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver
"Plenty:Eating Locally on the 100 Mile Diet" Alisa Smith & J.B. Mackinnon
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