I think this is very true when we're talking about our relationship to food, the earth and the temporal significance of how we consume produce. Last year, I bought a butternut squash off season. I always buy winter squash locally and in season, a gastronomic rite of autumn and the coming winter. But I was having a craving for it, even though it was spring. Although I felt odd doing so, I gave in to convenience, opportunity and desire and put the product of Mexico in my cart.
I've been preparing & cooking butternut for decades and I'm familiar with the pressure required on the knife and peeler. But this unruly import was like cutting into concrete. It took me over half an hour to get it ready for the pot, and by the time I was done my hands were bright red and sore. And it didn't taste anywhere near like a locally grown squash - it was dry and almost flavorless. The color was a bit off, too. Never again will I buy out of season to satisfy cravings. I'm more than happy to bypass the butternut in July at the supermarket and wait until when it should be eaten in New England - fall & winter - and purchased from a local grower. Tragically, it's becoming easier and easier for any one of us to be lured by opportunity and abundance, and not only abandon the farm stand, but also the celebration of the seasons.
This is such a timely article for me. Thank you Gracy! I am living on my own again after staying with my parents during COVID, so I'm buying and preparing food for myself on a much smaller budget. It's been a real challenge and an exciting opportunity. It has forced me to reckon with my fear of scarcity and how that affects how much I buy. I feel scarcity even though I have always lived with food security and easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables as well as the handed-down knowledge of how to prepare and enjoy healthy, thrifty food. It is a work of introspection to recognize the tensions in how I approach food. I love the idea of being temperate with food, both in preparing/eating it and in sourcing it. This has given me a lot to think about and a helpful grounding in the values I want to reflect in my choices. I also love to eat seasonally and am already stocking up on winter squash from the farmer's market!
When it comes to temperance I think a lot about the phrase, "Just because I can doesn't mean I should." I can buy strawberries in January, but I don't, and when my children ask for them I simply say, "No, they won't taste good." Also last year for Lent I adopted the practice of putting one thing in my cart in the bin for our local food pantry. Whenever possible I didn't shop with this in mind, and some weeks it was easy (Marinara sauce was buy 2 get 1 free? I don't need three jars this week so I will donate one) but some weeks it forced me to give away something I (or my children) really would have rather kept! But it was an eye opener as to what I truly needed and how much I could afford to share, especially since grocery stores really do encourage intemperance.
I live in an area where the primary exports (apart from lumber) are all types of berries. These berries are only producing for about 2 months of the year (and that's likely why they cost so much in other areas!) but you *can't beat* the flavor (strawberries burst, blueberries pop, raspberries melt)...and it only happens in the summer. You learn never to buy berries out of season because you'll always be disappointed. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries grow in that order, in that tiny 2 month window.
It's easy to eat seasonally where we live, because there is abundance of choice Spring-late Fall; I admit I've never lived in a food desert, nor experienced a food-insecure home. I'm seeing a lot more of these non-profits that come and have volunteers pick unwanted/unused fruit from residential homes: they allow the grower to keep the amount they want, and the rest goes to food banks or shelters. I see this as a triple win-for the tree, for the grower, for the community while reducing waste. Vancouver Fruit Tree project is one of them (https://www.vancouverfruittree.com/); hopefully this idea catches on!
I think this is very true when we're talking about our relationship to food, the earth and the temporal significance of how we consume produce. Last year, I bought a butternut squash off season. I always buy winter squash locally and in season, a gastronomic rite of autumn and the coming winter. But I was having a craving for it, even though it was spring. Although I felt odd doing so, I gave in to convenience, opportunity and desire and put the product of Mexico in my cart.
I've been preparing & cooking butternut for decades and I'm familiar with the pressure required on the knife and peeler. But this unruly import was like cutting into concrete. It took me over half an hour to get it ready for the pot, and by the time I was done my hands were bright red and sore. And it didn't taste anywhere near like a locally grown squash - it was dry and almost flavorless. The color was a bit off, too. Never again will I buy out of season to satisfy cravings. I'm more than happy to bypass the butternut in July at the supermarket and wait until when it should be eaten in New England - fall & winter - and purchased from a local grower. Tragically, it's becoming easier and easier for any one of us to be lured by opportunity and abundance, and not only abandon the farm stand, but also the celebration of the seasons.
This is such a timely article for me. Thank you Gracy! I am living on my own again after staying with my parents during COVID, so I'm buying and preparing food for myself on a much smaller budget. It's been a real challenge and an exciting opportunity. It has forced me to reckon with my fear of scarcity and how that affects how much I buy. I feel scarcity even though I have always lived with food security and easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables as well as the handed-down knowledge of how to prepare and enjoy healthy, thrifty food. It is a work of introspection to recognize the tensions in how I approach food. I love the idea of being temperate with food, both in preparing/eating it and in sourcing it. This has given me a lot to think about and a helpful grounding in the values I want to reflect in my choices. I also love to eat seasonally and am already stocking up on winter squash from the farmer's market!
When it comes to temperance I think a lot about the phrase, "Just because I can doesn't mean I should." I can buy strawberries in January, but I don't, and when my children ask for them I simply say, "No, they won't taste good." Also last year for Lent I adopted the practice of putting one thing in my cart in the bin for our local food pantry. Whenever possible I didn't shop with this in mind, and some weeks it was easy (Marinara sauce was buy 2 get 1 free? I don't need three jars this week so I will donate one) but some weeks it forced me to give away something I (or my children) really would have rather kept! But it was an eye opener as to what I truly needed and how much I could afford to share, especially since grocery stores really do encourage intemperance.
I live in an area where the primary exports (apart from lumber) are all types of berries. These berries are only producing for about 2 months of the year (and that's likely why they cost so much in other areas!) but you *can't beat* the flavor (strawberries burst, blueberries pop, raspberries melt)...and it only happens in the summer. You learn never to buy berries out of season because you'll always be disappointed. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries grow in that order, in that tiny 2 month window.
It's easy to eat seasonally where we live, because there is abundance of choice Spring-late Fall; I admit I've never lived in a food desert, nor experienced a food-insecure home. I'm seeing a lot more of these non-profits that come and have volunteers pick unwanted/unused fruit from residential homes: they allow the grower to keep the amount they want, and the rest goes to food banks or shelters. I see this as a triple win-for the tree, for the grower, for the community while reducing waste. Vancouver Fruit Tree project is one of them (https://www.vancouverfruittree.com/); hopefully this idea catches on!
"Care work" is an absolutely horrific term.