Sunday, November 6, 2011

Gratitude - Day Five

I'm thankful that it's so, so easy to eat local here. I promised no rants for a while, so I will not go on and on about the value of eating locally. If you are interested, check out Mark Bittman's recent column in the New York Times.

Annnnyway, I am pretty happy about the fact that I am now managing to get just about all of our produce, eggs, and poultry from local sources. I would feel all virtuous about this, but it's really requires so little sacrifice that I don't feel like it even counts. Plus,  I really do enjoy my weekly trips to the farmers' market.  Even in November, the market is overflowing with colorful produce.



 






I started trying to eat locally out of a concern for the environment, but the added bonus is I feel like I have a much greater appreciation of the seasons. I took full advantage of summer's tomatoes and cucumbers, and those light, salad-ready foods were perfect for late night dinners after a long day at the beach. Now that the temperatures are dropping and the days are getting shorter, I'm excited for heartier fare like butternut squash risotto followed by apple crisp. When asparagus shows up at the market again, I'll know that it's time to dig out the tank tops and start preparing for bikini season again.

There's actually a great app for keeping track of what's in season. Locavore is a free app that uses your current location to pull up a list of what's in season in your area, how much longer it will be in season, and what's coming in season next. According to Locavore, I have two more months to enjoy dates, but will only be able to enjoy local okra for another two weeks (I've never actually had okra, but - good to know). It can also tell you where to find a farmers' market nearby. Good times.


 Added seasonal bonus - I got to break out my rain boots today, and with actual golden leaves on the ground, it felt like the perfect fall day.


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