A New Beginning

The first thing I noticed as I was getting out of the car for my first CSA pick up was the smell. The energizing scent of green onion and spearmint filled my nose. People were everywhere clinging to their baskets and steering their little children through the maze of tables filled with baskets of greens and vegetables. After I signed in, I filled my basket with radishes, potatoes, beat greens, spearmint, and green onions. Someone from Panera bread was setting up a table to hand out free loaves of day old bread and people were lining up around him ready to take their share.

Jaime and I allowed ourselves to walk around and just take it all in. Our senses stimulated by the smells and the colors of the farm brought to the city. There was a woman selling home made cheeses and farm fresh eggs. I was looking over what she had brought to sell, regretting my recent grocery store run, and I looked to the side to find Jaime talking with a man who called himself The Flameless Chef. He was a thin, older man with sun kissed skin. The subtle lines on his face and grit under his nails gave away the years he spent working outside.
“The idea is to eat food less than eight hours old. That way, your body is getting the maximum benefit from the vitamins and nutrients.” The excitement of converting these two new faces showed in his glistening blue eyes.
He had what he called “Rummus” which was a paste made from raw crushed sesame seed and herbs he pulled from his garden that morning. He was selling them with a sandwich bag of sprouted seed crackers seasoned from onion, garlic and Rye. It was tasty and before I knew it, Jaime was buying a hand full of things from him.

The experience was invigorating for both of us. Similar to giving to charity, our basket wasn’t very full, but knowing we were supporting a farm so they could provide a healthy alternative was worth every dollar.

That night, we grilled a couple of tuna steaks and sliced them to lay over a bed of baby greens with chopped radishes from our basket. We made a wasabi vinaigrette and drizzled it over the top. We enjoyed our salad with locally grown sweet corn I had cooked on the stove. The dinner left us feeling full and satisfied as we sat back and watched the sun set from our deck.

By Saturday, there wasn’t much left in my basket so I packed some shopping bags and headed to the Nashville Farmer’s Market. I’ve been many times before, but this time I was armed with new intention. I filled my bags with peaches from South Carolina, newly picked summer squash, lettuce greens, and broccolini.

I spent some time speaking with a farmer from Walnut Hills Farm who naturally raises grass-fed cows. I was excited by his enthusiasm for providing healthy, natural meat. He explained the different breeds of cattle and how he came to find a breed that had been raised over 600 years in the pastures of France. They grow healthy and strong in a relatively short amount of time and provide wonderful lean meat without the use of compromising steroids and antibiotics. I walked away with some frozen hamburger patties and sirloin, excited about the idea of eating red meat again with a clear conscience.
Looking back over the week, it was a good start to my new way of life. My refrigerator is stocked with fresh, pesticide-free vegetables and I’m looking forward to the challenge of putting everything together in meals to feed my family for the next few days. But most of all, I am encouraged by the people I have met this week who share in my passion for eating in an environmentally sustainable way.

The markets were filled with young families who were teaching their children about where their food comes from. I saw a mother at the Farmer’s Market who encouraged her daughter to take the bag of squash to the farmer so he can weigh and price it for her. The little girl’s eyes were wide with wonder and excitement as the farmer took the bag to place on the scale. I saw a light come on in those curious eyes and it gave me hope for our future. Because it will be through our children that our fight for a healthier way of life has a chance to live on. They are the ones who have the burden of inheriting our dying Earth, the courage to demand something more, and ultimately, the will to save us from ourselves.


Recipe for the Week: (great over fresh radishes and baby greens!)

Wasabi Vinaigrette
1 part rice vinegar
1 part lite soy sauce
Wasabi from a tube and olive oil to taste


Weekly References:

Walnut Hills Farm
Bethpage, Tennessee
http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M23158