6.30.2007
6.28.2007
The Revolution Continues...
Ok- sorry you guys. I just finished the book Plenty by the couple who invented the 100 mile diet. It was so very good. I could do nothing else but read it... Anyway, here are the two beautiful quotes I am using in my paper:
“Hebda, when he gives talks to the public, often suggests something he calls the One Bean Revolution. Everyone, he says, should plant at least a single bean in a windowsill pot. He will always recommend a bean over, say, a tree because a bean reinforces an original truth: that human beings are sustained by the natural world. The thing we call nature is not, as a tree can be, just something to look at on weekends out of the city. It is what keeps us alive. This is so basic a fact that it seems tedious to say it, and yet this understanding is not among the founding principles of civilization as we know it. There was a time, though, when we felt this knowledge every time we ate.”
“The garden is a constant reminder that our depleted global environment is linked to the gap we have constructed between our food and ourselves, but a deeper truth is rooted in paleoecology. The science bears witness to changes enormous in scale, the fact that even the continents are works in progress. It can make a person’s brief existence seem meaningless; more than that, though, it staggers the mind with the duty of care in our everyday lives. The universe seethed a million years to give us a row of cabbages, or a quail’s egg, or a broken heart.”
Right? Enough said.
“Hebda, when he gives talks to the public, often suggests something he calls the One Bean Revolution. Everyone, he says, should plant at least a single bean in a windowsill pot. He will always recommend a bean over, say, a tree because a bean reinforces an original truth: that human beings are sustained by the natural world. The thing we call nature is not, as a tree can be, just something to look at on weekends out of the city. It is what keeps us alive. This is so basic a fact that it seems tedious to say it, and yet this understanding is not among the founding principles of civilization as we know it. There was a time, though, when we felt this knowledge every time we ate.”
“The garden is a constant reminder that our depleted global environment is linked to the gap we have constructed between our food and ourselves, but a deeper truth is rooted in paleoecology. The science bears witness to changes enormous in scale, the fact that even the continents are works in progress. It can make a person’s brief existence seem meaningless; more than that, though, it staggers the mind with the duty of care in our everyday lives. The universe seethed a million years to give us a row of cabbages, or a quail’s egg, or a broken heart.”
Right? Enough said.
6.24.2007
Woo- Hoo!
So, I was the lucky hostess of our west coast contingent this weekend, and we both happily left our serious lives behind and reveled in frivolity. It was lovely, and so very summery.
There was a honky tonk!
There was shopping...
We acted like good vegetarians at a whole festival dedicated to such....
And, of course, there was food. Melissa is one of my earliest inflences of the food kind. As we cooked this weekend, we shared stories of the importance of food to each of us, and wound up with stories of the people who had brought our appreciation to new levels. I got to thank Melissa for her many lessons. We even discussed the pros and cons of naming children after lovely food items, (Kale? Olive? Ruben? Rosemary?) Anyway, pictured is a gorgeous Dashi/ Miso soup, inspired by the fresh shitakes I got at the market this week. And yes, we ate it all.... SO GOOD.
As a proud owner of the Cuisinart ICE-20, I now use any excuse to make ice cream. So, this is a apricot, peach, plum and blueberry crisp with vanilla ice cream. ( And yes, we ate it for breakfast as well.) Mmmmm Hmmm.
So, thanks for the super fun weekend, Melissa- Don't forget to send photos of Seattle!
There was a honky tonk!
There was shopping...
We acted like good vegetarians at a whole festival dedicated to such....
And, of course, there was food. Melissa is one of my earliest inflences of the food kind. As we cooked this weekend, we shared stories of the importance of food to each of us, and wound up with stories of the people who had brought our appreciation to new levels. I got to thank Melissa for her many lessons. We even discussed the pros and cons of naming children after lovely food items, (Kale? Olive? Ruben? Rosemary?) Anyway, pictured is a gorgeous Dashi/ Miso soup, inspired by the fresh shitakes I got at the market this week. And yes, we ate it all.... SO GOOD.
As a proud owner of the Cuisinart ICE-20, I now use any excuse to make ice cream. So, this is a apricot, peach, plum and blueberry crisp with vanilla ice cream. ( And yes, we ate it for breakfast as well.) Mmmmm Hmmm.
So, thanks for the super fun weekend, Melissa- Don't forget to send photos of Seattle!
6.21.2007
6.18.2007
Bonfire and a potluck?
And who's to say we can't start with a bonfire and a potluck? It seems all we need is a nice big open field, at least for starters. After a raucous weekend at Bonnaroo (whew, we actually did it) I'm feeling like starting small is a great idea. Not that we could...or should ....ever.... attempt to attain the scale of 'the roo'
The long car ride was aided by the new Kingsolver year of eating locally, check it out...
http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/
It truly is everywhere, and I think the time is nigh to jump on the growing local food bandwagon and at least start thinking about how to start, however small. I know the majority of the troupe is otherwise occupied for the 4th but Ned and I have decided to start the first of our quarterly seasonal food fest/feasts- Whatever we can find fresh and ready is on the menu, maybe grillin' a little tomato, corn, summer squash. A sort of mini bacchanalian, solsticesque and perhaps a smidge orgiastic.... at least in spirit.
You are of course all welcome, we figured why not practice now? Community anyone?
Oh and while we're being shameless, here's one for the other team!
The long car ride was aided by the new Kingsolver year of eating locally, check it out...
http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/
It truly is everywhere, and I think the time is nigh to jump on the growing local food bandwagon and at least start thinking about how to start, however small. I know the majority of the troupe is otherwise occupied for the 4th but Ned and I have decided to start the first of our quarterly seasonal food fest/feasts- Whatever we can find fresh and ready is on the menu, maybe grillin' a little tomato, corn, summer squash. A sort of mini bacchanalian, solsticesque and perhaps a smidge orgiastic.... at least in spirit.
You are of course all welcome, we figured why not practice now? Community anyone?
Oh and while we're being shameless, here's one for the other team!
6.15.2007
But in all seriousness...
But in all seriousness, I did just get invited today to a campout at a farm in Pennsylvania not far from here that is a Pagan retreat center kind of thing, and so I think orgiastic Pagan festivals are definitely the right mindset to be in. I also recently heard about someone who bought some property in WV, about 100 acres, a little west of here, and set it up as a campsite.
They have a bonfire/potluck every Saturday night and there is a bit of a community feel to it, not just straight camping. And that speaks to the idea Sallie was having about the fact that so much of our "offering" is a sense of community.
They have a bonfire/potluck every Saturday night and there is a bit of a community feel to it, not just straight camping. And that speaks to the idea Sallie was having about the fact that so much of our "offering" is a sense of community.Here's the blueprint ->
Also, a couple years ago Ted and I went to a fantastic party at a cross-country skiing property. They had the BEST Moosewood style food, a huge bonfire, old-time string bands and a real green feel. They don't have lodging but I think mostly make their money from skiing and the restaurant which is on the property. Here is the link to their cafe: http://www.whitegrass.com/cafe.html
Check it out, because that's an interesting model for us too, presumably minus the skiing.
Point is, it can be done.
Now to the subject of competitive eating.
I also think it would be a great idea to get into competitive eating, host hot dog eating contests, saurkrout, doughnut, and rib eating contests. Now just because the Japanese seem to be dominating this arena for the past decade or so doesn't mean it couldn't work here on the East Coast. I hereby submit the future of competitive rib eating:
Ok, that was a shameless ploy to show this adorable picture of Ruby eating a rib in celebration of our first business planning session that went so terribly awry for poor Ted Higson. Trying to rein us all in. Not realizing that the glory of the hobbit people HAS TO BE REALIZED. I do believe I should retire. Tomorrow I rub.
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