Here goes nothin'

So, this little project of ours has been on a back burner for me as I try to eat through the food that currently resides in my kitchen. I've decided that if it's food that otherwise would go to waste, I'll eat it even if it isn't local (buddies, food prepared for me by others) and like someone else already mentioned, I am also considering locally produced foods as local but trying to limit those if there's an acceptable, affordable local substitute. That way I can still have Bergin walnuts and Peace coffee and such.

The produce in my garden isn't quite up yet, but we have been eating some spinach and other green leafy things. Here are some things I'm looking forward to eating straight from my yard: broccoli, tomatoes, peas, beans, carrots, beets, radishes, peppers, potatoes, squash, and a variety of herbs.

I also have the benefit of living blocks from Seward Cafe, where you have to work to get food that isn't 80% local, and also that dreaded competitor of ours, Seward Co-op. This way, I can eat local without using fossil fuels (bus or car) since I'm not quite a real biker like some of our comrades. I also haven't been to my neighborhood's farmer's market yet, but I've heard the Midtown farmer's market is quite wonderful.

I think, for me, this will be an exercise in awareness. Rather than choosing the cheapest option or whatever I'm craving, I hope to come out of this project with an appreciation for where my food comes from, and also an increased ability to make the most of the food I have through planning and creativity.

Some favorite local foods in my kitchen at this very moment: Thousand Hills Grass-fed beef hot dogs (I don't normally eat much meat, but they called out to me), Montchevre goat cheese from Wisconsin, and cute little yellow tomatoes, also from Wisconsin.