My local farmers market (until recently) was at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. It is a huge market where there is an overwhelming abundance of fresh, lovely, lively, organic food available year round. When Paul and I embarked on this experiment, I wondered if indeed we had actually set up enough of a challenge for ourselves. I thought the food choices and recipes might not be dramatically different from my current lifestyle.
Okay, now let’s talk delusion. What I did not consider is that although I buy organic food, the choices I was making were not necessarily seasonal, nor carbon-wise (i.e. the food traveled quite a distance to reach my local food supplier). I also realized I had been sleepwalking through my food shopping in a disconnected way from the natural rhythms and cycles of nature. For example, if you ask me when artichokes are in season, my grandmother could tell you but I can’t. I simply let what is available at the market direct me to my next meal. This can work on a week by week basis, but is a bit happenstance if you are attempting to plan for a future event.
With these three dimensions in mind: 1) organic 2) seasonal and 3) local, within a 100 mile-radius, I embarked on Step One of The Plan.
The first resource I found did not even require leaving my desk. Four seasonality charts at the CUESA website (Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture) document what is anticipated to be in harvest and available during each month of the year. I made a copy of the charts and highlighted the relevant crops that should be organic, seasonal, and local during April (when we kitchen test) and May (the actual performance).
The next tool I stumbled upon at the Ecology Center booth during a visit to the Berkeley Farmers market. Along with a plethora of other very useful free information, I found for sale an aesthetically pleasing Local Foods Wheel for the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a colorful visual aid that identifies what is in season throughout the year.
With these two tools in hand, I am now off to plot out a list of local ingredients.
Websites:
http://www.cuesa.org/seasonality/charts/vegetable.php
http://www.localfoodswheel.com
Okay, now let’s talk delusion. What I did not consider is that although I buy organic food, the choices I was making were not necessarily seasonal, nor carbon-wise (i.e. the food traveled quite a distance to reach my local food supplier). I also realized I had been sleepwalking through my food shopping in a disconnected way from the natural rhythms and cycles of nature. For example, if you ask me when artichokes are in season, my grandmother could tell you but I can’t. I simply let what is available at the market direct me to my next meal. This can work on a week by week basis, but is a bit happenstance if you are attempting to plan for a future event.
With these three dimensions in mind: 1) organic 2) seasonal and 3) local, within a 100 mile-radius, I embarked on Step One of The Plan.
The first resource I found did not even require leaving my desk. Four seasonality charts at the CUESA website (Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture) document what is anticipated to be in harvest and available during each month of the year. I made a copy of the charts and highlighted the relevant crops that should be organic, seasonal, and local during April (when we kitchen test) and May (the actual performance).
The next tool I stumbled upon at the Ecology Center booth during a visit to the Berkeley Farmers market. Along with a plethora of other very useful free information, I found for sale an aesthetically pleasing Local Foods Wheel for the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a colorful visual aid that identifies what is in season throughout the year.
With these two tools in hand, I am now off to plot out a list of local ingredients.
Websites:
http://www.cuesa.org/seasonality/charts/vegetable.php
http://www.localfoodswheel.com
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