Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you are all in good health during this celebration of the conclusion of the harvest season! Coincidentally, I've been doing a bit of reading on what goes into the production and distribution of food from farms to the dinner table. It's truly amazing what we take for granted and how far removed most of us are from the source of our food by the time we put the fork to our lips. If anyone is interested, the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Potvin is a great way to procrastinate when you're supposed to be writing a research paper.Potvin describes the "perfect meal" as one where he was able to eat in full consciousness everything he consumed - he hunted, gathered and grew everything he ate while at the same time enjoying the company of his fellow foragers. A far cry from most North Americans that are happy to eat at the end of the industrial food chain without a care or concern for how the food got to their plate. Furthermore, many of us are eating while we're working, studying, driving and eating with family and friends is left for special occasions.
Admittedly, convenience often takes precedence in my own food shopping, cooking and eating rituals. Balancing grad school and work isn't conducive to catching your own fish or making your own bread on a regular basis! Even if I did get out there, I wouldn't have the faintest clue what to do with a fishing rod anyway. However, in efforts to get closer to our food source, Tim and I planted our first vegetable garden this year! While our thumbs aren't entirely green yet, we were delighted with the bounty that sprouted up in our little 10 foot by 4 foot plot of dirt. We succeeded in growing tomatoes, zucchini (which Tim loves), cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, carrots and even a few miniature pumpkins (see the photo with Otis). We'll be eating home grown carrots, cucumber and locally grown beans and potatoes for our Thanksgiving dinner. I feel so fortunate that we can put nutritious and delicious food on the table, share it with each other and have a warm place to eat.
Wishing you all good fortune and nourishment for your body, mind and soul this fall!
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