two years old
April 28th, 2008
A slice of cake for you, dear reader, in honor of an open cupboard’s second birthday.
Two years ago today I posted an ironic ode to the high cost of organic food in the form of a silly riff on a famous poem by Robert Frost. Nothing much has changed since then. The price of rice has spawned riots and my relatives tease me for spending seven dollars on an occasional bottle of organic milk (but it’s from grassfed cows who listen to classical music and read poems by Robert Frost!). I’m still fascinated by the San Francisco local, organic food scene with its bounty of decently produced high quality food—the freshest, most beautiful, delicious vegetables and fruit it has been my pleasure to consume.
I owe the farmers’ markets my gratitude for opening up my taste buds to the earthy sweetness of heirloom tomatoes. Having eaten store-bought hothouse tomatoes back when I lived in Israel, I never much liked the fruit, except the exceptionally fresh ones I used to buy at the shuk (open market) . Similarly, bell peppers were a sort of tasteless filler in stir fries until I tried the peppers grown by Happy Quail Farms. I’ve also discovered foods that have quickly become my favorites: pimientos de padrón, stinging nettles, chocolate mint, mountain spinach. Thank the gods for all the dedicated farmers who produce such excellent food that is so much fun to eat.
I only wish that more people could enjoy the beautiful bounty of the farmers’ markets. Most of the consumers I see at the various farmers’ markets near my home tend to be middle class and upper middle class Americans. On occasion, I’ll see a poor student buy a few dollars’ worth of vegetables.
True, programs such as the Chez Panisse Foundation’s Edible Schoolyard and the People’s Grocery do a lot to bring people closer to good, sustainably raised food. But there are still so many others who simply cannot afford to eat well. In an area where average families drive two SUVs and live in half-million dollar homes, this boggles the mind.
In the coming months the gulf between those who eat well and those who cannot will swell, affecting many middle income as well as lower income people. The question is, what are we going to do about it? As “we” is usually an elected official (insert quip about political ineptitude here), let us instead ask ourselves “what am I going to do about it?” If every one of us asked ourselves that question, maybe we could get closer to an answer. Wouldn’t that be great? And what will our collective cupboard look like in another two years?
Thank you for your curiosity, and your stick-to-itiveness for coming back here even when I was slow to post. Thank you for putting up with my sometimes bumbling photos and the occasional silly lark. Thank you for spurring me on (even if you didn’t know you did). An extra special thank you to my friend Sylvia, for urging me to write about food in the first place (and to Jerry, for having such an insatiable appetite for dining out). And to my husband A for reading and eating and, when prompted, providing honest constructive criticism.
L’chaim! To another two years!
- shelly -
April 28th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Just started to educate myself about nutrition (62 is not too late!)
Happy birthday and I’ll be looking forward to reading more of your insights and information…
~ Alex
April 28th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Happy celebration.
To at LEAST two more years.
April 29th, 2008 at 6:48 am
Yum, cake!!! Congrats, Shelly!
Being pretty close (TOO close, in some cases) to the production end of things, I can honestly say the current world energy situation is driving everything food-related right now. Not all the effects are direct — a third of the corn crop is getting diverted into ethanol production, and farmers who used to grow soybeans, wheat, or other grains are also planting corn. Rice-exporting countries are facing increased domestic consumption, because other grains are getting too expensive, and thus they’re curtailing exports. Thus, the pricing pressure we’re seeing. You’ve probably heard the phrase “world food crisis” lately — for people in some countries, it’s come to that.
It’s very likely that the crowd at FAR Manor will be helping the in-laws grow a *lot* of the food we’ll be eating this year; I’m seriously considering the possibility of growing herbs as a cash crop (you’ve seen what two ounces of any fresh herb goes for in the supermarket!). Mrs. Fetched’s mom is working with a cow (you have to train a cow to stand still while you’re milking it), and I’m looking forward to seeing what fresh cream in my coffee tastes like. :-) This is the person who calls five acres a “small garden,” by the way.
Eating cheap has been an aspiration of mine for some time now, and buying unprocessed foods is certainly one way to cut back on the food bill. It’s not like preparation is all that difficult — I mean, how much time does it take to toss a chicken or roast & some whole veggies in a crockpot and turn it on? Supper’s ready when you come home. Making your own bread gives you premium bread at el-cheapo prices. Etc. Backyard gardens will probably make a comeback for the same reason.
OK, rant off. I just think lots of people have long overlooked a lot of ways they can eat better for less money. They’ll probably start paying attention very soon.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:45 am
Alex: It’s never too late! Thanks for the birthday wishes and thank you too for reading.
cookiecrumb: Thank you thank you! Glad to have you as a reader! I always enjoy your tomato ranchin’ snarks. Tell Cranky to get cracking… A and I miss his posts!
FARf: It’s sad to think that people in other parts of the world don’t have the luxury of simply cutting back.
But it sounds like FAR Manor is getting pretty close to being a self-sustaining enterprise, at least food-wise. How cool is that? I’d love to hear more about how it goes with the cow. Have you thought about getting a goat? Er, no pun intended :). Apparently they’ll eat anything… weeds, grass, your sweater. A goat might be easier to manage, just in terms of its size. I envy your access to open land and your dedication to baking your own bread. We apartment dwelling city folks are a bit more limited in that arena. And on top of my black thumb, I’m too lazy to tend a whole garden, let alone 5 acres. But A has an intuitive sense for plants. We’re thinking about growing a few things in pots, at the very least, tomatoes and maybe some chilis and/or herbs. Have you thought of making an outdoor wood-burning oven for your bread? Apparently, it’s not too hard and you can do it yourself. Not sure whether it’s more efficient than your home oven, but hey, maybe it is if you use fallen twigs and branches to run it? But the flavor of bread or pizza, hell, anything baked in a wood-burning oven is fantastic.
May 5th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Yeah, I really *have* thought about building an outdoor stove. The idea was to start with a patio out back, made with native stone (one thing Planet Georgia has no shortage of is rocks), then build a stove/counter area on the northwest corner… which would also shield the patio from prevailing winter winds and perhaps extend its use.
We’re nowhere close to being self-sustaining, especially in the grain department, but it could happen with a bit of time & luck. The in-laws have around 80 head of cattle, all pastured, which require minimal care (a roll of hay every once in a while). I’ve thought about a goat; one could clean out the kudzu without much effort but they’re a major pain to deal with (my sister-in-law has a few).