Eating has always been my favorite sport. At a rough guess, 90 percent of my discretionary spending, in fat seasons and lean, goes to improving the quality of my dining experience. I started cooking seriously at the age of 11. My mother was a single parent and worked as an elementary school teacher. She spent at least one evening a week preparing a big batch of food for our family; meat sauce one week, turkey vegetable soup another.
She used emptied-out milk cartons for storage. After thorough rinsing in very hot water, these would be filled with the result of her evening’s effort, the tops folded down and sealed with freezer tape. The resulting block-shaped packages would be labeled with the date and the name of what was inside and stacked into the freezer, providing the family with quick meals to heat up on those days when there wasn’t time to cook a full meal.
By the time I was in fourth grade, I was responsible for at least one supper a week. My love of eating and my curiosity merged with my tactile senses and need to be busy. Cooking was a wonderful way to feel like a contributor, and there is instant feedback from those who taste the results of culinary experiments.
When I was in my twenties I discovered vegetarian cuisines. I still remember the broccoli quiche that revolutionized my thinking about green food. What a shock it was to me to learn that cooked vegetables could have crunch!
In the late 1970s I was hired to be the cook for a family of four (eventually five), their household staff, and frequent guests. The casual family meals and elegant dinners-for-twelve gave me ample opportunity to try new things and refine old recipes. My boss’s desire to eat healthfully combined with his children’s typical expectations of cheesy, sweet and fattening foods combined to challenge my skills. Professional training, paid for by my supportive employer, gave me a wonderful understanding of the chemistry and magic of cooking.
When our family came to Maine a decade later, we lived the rural, low-income lifestyle of many young families in the region. We were fortunate to be surrounded by farms and producers of good food, and by a community of options for locating and purchasing the raw ingredients for a tasty life-style. That situation has only improved as omnivores everywhere learn more about the value of locally provided sustenance. The membership of Good Tern Natural Foods, along with early pioneers of the Community Supported Agriculture movement, have been at the forefront of this wonderful transition. This winter may provide us with challenges to our pocketbooks and our outlook on life. By purchasing locally produced components for our meals we keep money in local circulation. By eating healthful meals we maintain our physical well being and reduce medical expenses. And by inviting others to our table we share the delights of flavor, laughter and love. Have a winter of blessings, of tiny sparkling lights and warm glows, of sharing and finding the goodness that is here, so close to home. |
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The Herbalist Is In at Good Tern Natural Foods |
The Herbalist Is In at Good Tern Natural Foods, Thursday March 27th
Herbalist Deb Soule from Avena Botanicals will be at the Good Tern Co-Op &
Cafe at 750 Main St. in Rockland, Thursday March 27th from 1 to 1:45pm, to
answer your brief herbal and health-related questions. Free and open to the
public. FMI: 594-8822. |
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