Today was a fleeting glimpse of what summer in Seattle is like. With temperatures in the 70's and bright blue skies, you couldn't ask for a better day. But summer in Seattle isn't just about the weather. A big part of it is the new produce that starts to show up at farmer's markets. For me, I know summer is here when there fresh strawberries, cherries, and tomatoes start showing up. Now I know you can get these items year round at your local megamart, but I'm talking about fresh, local grown produce. Items that are picked at their peak, ready to be eaten. Not the stuff you find at the grocery store that was picked who knows how long ago and shipped out here from far flung parts of the world.
Do you know what a tomato tastes like? Well, go to your local farmers market and pick yourself up a locally grown heirloom that was just harvested. Take a bit into it and you'll be shocked, and pleased, at how amazing they taste compared to the bland mushy stuff you get at the grocer. This is my experience when I taste my first tomato of the season after a winter of the other kind. Earlier today, we made a trip to the farmer's market and got a brandywine and a green heirloom tomato. We served it very simply with a balsamic vinagrette to make sure we didn't overpower it. The tomatoes were sweet and juicy and almost melted in your mouth. I remember when I was little I used to love to eat the tomatoes we grew (or got from a farmer's roadside stand) like an apple. You could definitely do that with these.
I'm very finicky when it comes to strawberries. I hate it when they're crunchy and dry with that white hull. So when we sampled some strawberries at the farmer's market today and they were red throughout I knew we had to get them. What's the difference? The white hull means that it was picked before it was ready so it wouldn't spoil before it got to where it was going. When there isn't any red, that means it was picked at it's peak of ripeness and you'll be rewarded with a juicy and sweet treat. You have to eat them quick, which shouldn't be a problem, because they'll spoil in a couple of days. A couple of years ago I went to a strawberry farm and picked my own. I got a little overzealous and picked way more than I could possibly eat before they went bad. To remedy the situation I made a big batch of strawberry ice cream. I must say, that was some good ice cream.
I think the highlight of my trip the farmer's market was meeting and talking to Eiko of Skagit River Ranch located in Sedro Woolley, WA. They raise grass fed cows, pigs, and pastured chickens. We talked a bit about Michael Pollan and all the good he's doing just by bringing up the issues of where are food comes from these days. We also discussed how different industrial food tastes when you compare it to what comes out of small organic farms. You know, when a tomato tastes like a tomato. Talking about it made me remember the local farmers market we used to go to when I was a kid and the dairy farm we would frequent to get ice cream. I remember how much I would enjoy walking around and checking out all the cows on the dairy farm and then going home with a half gallon of ice cream under my arm. After talking with her for a while I looked through what they had left (that's what I get for going there late in the day) and left with a brisket and some pork rib tips. Before I went I promised to come by the farm one saturday to see how the animals are raised and pick up some more stuff.
Which brings me to my project for this summer. I decided a little while ago that I'm going to try to get to know where my food comes from. This is why I asked Eiko about visiting Skagit River Ranch and promised that I would come by. But that's only the first step, next I want to connect with some other farms to see how they grow their food. I'm planning on joining Boistfort Valley Farm's CSA but I wanted to meet and talk to them a little before I joined. Unfortunately I couldn't track them down at the market today but I don't think that will stop me from signing up. If anybody knows of any other farms that you like that welcome visitors please let me know.
When I was talking to my friend on IM about this while I was working on my show he said, "You're crazy about your food source." I wouldn't go so far as saying I'm crazy about it, but I'm beginning to understand how important it is to know where your food is coming from and what is really in it. I'm getting older now and becoming more cognizant of my body, some pretty nasty injuries will do that to you. So what is more important when it comes to taking care of your body than the food you put into it?