I will definitely not be finishing the cookbook project I started in October of 2013. It was a fun challenge at the time, and I do still find the idea of cooking through a cookbook inspiring, but I think America’s Best Vegetable Recipes was just not the right book. For one thing, the book had sections of recipes for vegetables I can’t find locally. For another thing, the book had a whole chapter of aspics. Ultimately the project’s demise came about because I don’t enjoy cooking the way the book’s 1970 audience did. I prefer my vegetables fresher with fewer processed ingredients and an emphasis on flavor.
What I am most inspired by now is permaculture and the notion that my yard could be full of the sorts of fruits and vegetables that most want to grow in this spot. As I learn more about this way of gardening and I see more examples of people growing abundant food I am most struck by how challenging it would be to prepare and eat it all. My yard isn’t close to any kind of food production yet! The squirrels still get all of our fruit and my most daunting harvest challenge is how to use some herbs. However, it seems to me that if I want to aim for a healthy and productive garden I better start practicing how to cook and eat the produce that grows here. This means visiting farmer’s markets and eating seasonally as I continue to figure out what will grow best on my small plot of Earth.
Watch this space for more ruminations on gardening, seasonality, and what it means to eat locally. Maybe with actual photos!
This One Life 