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July 15, 2009
By Cheryl McCord
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One of the most entertaining and well-researched accounts of how eating locally
can impact a family’s life is given in the book, “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle – A
Year of Food Life,” by Barbara Kingsolver. She and her family vowed to either grow
their own food or purchase it from families in their neighborhood for one year.
The challenge of eating only local food for one year, at first, seemed overwhelming
to Barbara and her family. Tropical fruits grown thousands of miles away were crossed
off of the shopping list as were soft drinks and fast foods. Such restrictions pushed
her family to explore the variety of foods that were grown in the area. They planted
their garden with greens, tomatoes, potatoes, beans and squashes. They shopped at
the local farmers market and found vegetables they had never tried before.
The local food project fostered an awareness of the seasonality of food. Watermelon
would not be on the menu in the spring months. Rhubarb was the “fruit” of April
and May until the strawberries came on in June. Tomatoes in January could only be
possible if they were canned, dried or frozen during the summer months. They learned
the get-it-while-you-can mentality. For example, when raspberries are at the farmers
market and you think you might like some, buy them without contemplation. They will
be sold out in a short while and possibly gone for the season.
Barbara and her family experimented with many new recipes based on local ingredients.
One result was a delightful, varied and nutritional cuisine for family dining. Many
of the recipes are in the book. Another outcome was a new appreciation for the role
food preparation and meals play in reinforcing family bonds. Friday Night Pizza
became a fun tradition for the family that was also shared with friends—adults,
teenagers and children alike.
I highly recommend reading “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” for its insights into the
value of local food systems, its inspiration to grow more and experience more food
in our neighborhood and for the fabulous recipes. A copy is available at the Kuna
Library and I will lend my copy to anyone who is interested.
This week at the Market: Kuna Grange Bake Sale, raspberries, early apricots, carrots,
zucchini, turnips, and cherry almond jelly.
The Market is held Saturdays from 9 am to 12 noon at Sandstone Plaza in Kuna at
the west end of Main Street. For more information, contact Cheryl McCord at 922-5113
or visit the website at
www.KunaFarmersMarket.com.
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