The Direction of Intention

A silver lining to the cyclospora, eColi, salmonella…currently running amok in our nation’s-now-unregulated-and-oversight-free food supply, we’re buying our produce from local farms. Not at the local farmer’s market but directly from the farm. It’s something we’ve talked about doing for years and the daily dose of recalls finally gave us the shove we needed to buy-and-eat local.

In addition to the obvious health benefits, I can safely say that I am learning anew how food is supposed to taste. What I thought was a tasty tomato, arriving on the grocery store shelf after a two week journey from the field, cannot compare to the tomato picked this morning, still sporting the sun and dirt from the field just-over-there. We’ve eaten more tomatoes in the past two weeks than in the past several months. And then there are the sweet peppers. And the cucumbers and zucchini. I’ve learned about Brussels sprout toppers and Delicata squash. Later this week I am planning to stuff and bake a Poblano pepper, something I would not have considered had I not been utterly captivated by the basket of gorgeous peppers.

And then there is Cheri and Chloe. The farmer and her niece. We now know the people growing the food we are eating and we like them. They are generous and kind. And funny. They are proud of the food they grow. They protect it and, therefore, they are protecting me. They welcome all of our questions and meet our curiosity with recipes. Holding aloft what I thought was a tiny squash, Cheri pulled a small knife from her pocket and sliced it, proclaiming, “That’s the best cucumber you’ll ever eat.” And it was.

There’s something more. The people shopping to the stand actually talk to each other. Easily. They tell stories. They offer recommendations. They do not pretend that they do not hear or see you. I find that intensely nourishing.

Climbing back into the truck with our sack of fingerling potatoes, squash, cucumbers, eggplant and peppers – our third trip to the farm in less than two weeks – flush with laughter and advice from the farmer and people-no-longer-strangers, we looked at each other and asked, “What took us so long?”

read Kerri’s blogpost about THE FARM STAND

likesharesupportcommentthankyou!

Filed under: Gratitude, Two Artists Tuesday, Uncategorized | Tagged: artistry, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, eat local, farm, farm stand, food, fresh vegetables, generosity, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, nourishment, story, studio melange, the melange |