When I get done with this topic, I'm sure you'll all be begging me for the excitement of guinea pig reports, but here goes. I'm working on becoming a locavore (said my friend: What? A local whore?). After reading Omnivore's Dilemma and getting halfway through Animal, Vegetable, Miracle I am convinced that choosing locally grown and made products can make a difference. Now, Ritu and I aren't entirely new to this. For three summers we have bought into an organic produce CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Each Saturday from May to October we pick up a bin of organic fruits and vegetables from our farmer's market. My mindset thus far was to see what we liked out of the bin and make use of it as I could. Often, though, things would go bad before I had a chance to use them. I always saw those vegetables as supplementary to my regular grocery shopping, but this next year I am going to try and make them the centerpiece.
I was especially taken with the point Barbara Kingsolver made about how just because we CAN get every kind of produce all year round doesn't mean we SHOULD. When you consider the preservatives added and fuel used to get my fresh asparagus from New Zealand in the middle of winter, it suddenly becomes a lot less appealing. Actually, the first locavore choice I made was a choice of omission. I was at Costco the other day and they had bags of those sweet mini peppers that, it turns out, come from Mexico. I picked them up, studied the package, and put them back. (Don't tell Emma. Those are her absolute favorite.)
I am fortunate to live in the Pacific Northwest where this movement has taken a firm root and we have a nice long growing season and a number of local companies like Bob's Red Mill, Tillamook Cheese, Alpenrose Dairy, and most importantly, Dagoba Chocolate. I started to do some research and read some web sites, but let's face it, I am a lazy, spoiled American with disposable income and I just wanted to be told what to buy. Voila! Turns out New Seasons Market has a program called Home Grown. On all the shelves and displays you can look for a tag that lets you know if a product comes from Washington, Oregon, or Northern California. (Granted, it's a far cry from growing all my own food, but it's a step in the right direction.)
I don't usually shop at New Seasons because I thought it was pretentious and overpriced and I had a run in with a wine steward there recently which reinforced all of that. But I headed out there yesterday afternoon in a driving wind and rainstorm to browse and read labels and see what I could find.
On my list, I needed ingredients for soup. The first night of Chanukah this year falls on a Tuesday. On Tuesdays we try to follow the tradition of Ritu's family and eat vegetarian. We decided to have soup and potato latkes. So, vegetarian soup and, because my mom was coming to dinner, nothing cream based. Oh, and nothing too vegetably because the kids wouldn't go near it. That left a lot of potato and corn chowders which just weren't going to fly with a big plate of latkes. I finally found the perfect choice. What else would a good Hinjew family eat for Chanukah? Miso soup, of course!
At New Seasons I found the tofu and miso paste with no problems, but I got hung up looking for doshi. I circled the store about three times because I absolutely hate asking for help (yes, I am well aware that I have issues). Finally, I approached a nice young cheerful looking fellow. I confessed that I didn't even know what doshi was but that I needed it for miso soup. He was stumped as well, but went to his encyclopedia of food and looked it up. He found me something labeled as Dulse which he felt would be the closest thing. I thanked him and added it to my cart and headed for the check out. I left the store and was ditching my cart outside the doors when I noticed a flurry of activity behind me. It was my little New Seasons best friend who had come out into the ran to look for me because he had found another product he thought would work even better. I have to say that my cynical heart was thawed the tiniest bit by all of this. I will definitely be going back there to do more shopping.
Now I'm off to make a white chocolate cream pie for tomorrow's dessert to make up for the fact that the miso soup will probably suck.
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4 comments:
So you're saying that the miso was local? I think not....or am I wrong? And what the heck is doshi? Isn't that where people practice karate? Who knew it was edible. I think I'm a little afraid to eat it. But the white chocolate pie...yummmmm.
First off....I LOVE mom.....and your friend who called you a local whore!!!!!!!!!!! Also, where I live (in Hell), when I want seasonal fruits, I go ask my neighbor, Howard Miller (I hate his kids, but babysit them often). If I want regular/seasonal veggies, I ask either Melvin Case or Elmer SomethingorOther...I kid you not! Elmer's real last name is SomethingorOther. There is a farm down the road where I can buy non-processed butter, cheese, and raw milk too. They are not Amish but close enough. Let's face it, while I do what I can, I still chose 6 C-sections over gross pushing, organic is great but technology has its perks! :)S
Dashi is the broth made from cooking the seaweed. It forms the base of the miso soup. You use kombu. I'm pretty sure dulse is just the round-eye version thereof.
Maaaaany years ago when I first became a vegetarian, Laurel's Kitchen was my only source of recipes and guidance. In that sacred tome, she suggests that by eating in season, we appreciate that much more when the new produce comes available. Now, I'm not eating storage potatoes and kale all winter, but it IS nice to be excited by the harvest.
http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/37273/
Have you read this article Janet? Alittle ambitious but interesting!!
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