First Farmer's Market!

Winter has always been my favorite season, but never have I been so excited for spring and summer to come! It has to do with cabbage and beets, but I will get to that in a minute. In the fall, my roommate and I signed up for the Boston Organics local produce box. This means that every other week, we get a box of about 8-9 different vegetables grown at local farms in the Northeast. When I signed up, inspired by Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I decided to challenge myself eat all local foods. Of course, I realize now that winter was the hardest time to do this. After eating root vegetable after root vegetable, it was easy to get frustrated and splurge on a bag of spinach or some other green vegetable. If I never see another head of cabbage or beet again, I will be quite alright! (As much as I love borscht by the fifth time I eat it, I have had enough. I even tried to make beet cupcakes and chocolate cake, just to figure out something to do with those gosh darn beets).

Making counter cultural food choices can be frustrating at times. From being questioned about being a vegetarian to being limited to root vegetables in the winter, it can be easy for me to get caught up in the difficulties of commiting to this type of lifestyle. With all that being said, my attempts at local eating have brought me far more joy than frustration. All I needed was a trip to the first farmer’s market of the season to lift my spirits. Eating a goat cheese, tomato, and caramelized onion sandwich on fresh baked focaccia bread was a reminder of just how tasty local and in season food can be.

Eating seasonally can give you a true appreciation of each vegetable. It is with great anticipation that I await the many delightful vegetables that will be in season soon. We have already started to get far more variety in our Boston Organics box. When we were lucky enough to get tomatoes this early (from an indoor greenhouse in VT), it was as thrilling as Christmas time! That first bite into a tomato tasted so light and refreshing in contrast to the heaviness of root vegetables.

I don’t claim to be an expert on local foods. I don’t insist that my way of eating is the right or only way. I still have questions about the local food movement and what choices are best for the environment. However, what I do know is that the simplicity of fresh vegetables and the connectedness to the seasons is enough reason for me to continue to choose local foods with pleasure.

If you click on the Boston Local Food Resources tab, you can find more specific links and information about where to get local foods in Boston.