It’s so true - it seems like the media is looking for a new angle for local food, and this is unfortunately what they’ve landed on. I don’t personally see how having someone plant a garden in your backyard is any “lazier” than joining a CSA where someone farms on your behalf. Whatever method gets people eating local is a good thing.

A contributor on The Jew & The Carrot actually wrote a funny post that bashes the locavore backlash. I thought folks on Culinate might find it amusing:

http://jcarrot.org/loco-for-locavore-bashing-the-local-backlash/

Great minds think alike! The Jew & The Carrot also just posted a cookbook roundup today - ours is a collection of “revolutionary cookbooks” (ones that taught us to cook and changed the way we thought about food and ourselves). It includes the Splendid Grain :)

http://jcarrot.org/revolutionary-cookbooks/

This is great :) A farmer friend of mine (who farmed in Santa Cruz and recently moved to Seattle) told me that she wanted to start a business to help Seattle-folks start backyard gardens. She said so many people want to start gardens but don’t b/c they don’t know how. Seemed pretty genius to me!

Another man I know DID take the plunge and ripped up his lawn to start a lawn farm. He’s writing about his experience at The Jew & The Carrot - it’s equally funny and inspiring! I thought you might like to read it:

http://jcarrot.org/farming-your-lawn/

Thanks for this great post Deborah! I particularly loved dreaming up other ways to “green” desert. There’s zucchini bread, of course...and I wonder what sugar snap pea ice cream would taste like? I have a feeling it might be really good!

Leah
The Jew & The Carrot

This sounds absolutely amazing! I love the way spring fruits pair perfectly with ginger.

Leah
The Jew & The Carrot

I’m so glad to see my favorite “unsung hero” of the vegetable getting some time in the spotlight! It’s the best part of vegetable soup, a wonderful cradle for almond butter or vegetable cream cheese, and deliciously satisfying just sprinkled with sea salt!

Leah
The Jew & The Carrot

Great post! It was so funny to read this on Culinate today b/c my boyfriend and I JUST went on a foraging tour yesterday with foraging guru, “Wild Man Steve Brill” (who did, indeed get arrested for foraging). We picked all sorts of yummy things - the best were wild bay leaves and field garlic, which we used in a pasta dish that night.

Check it out here - and keep on foraging!

http://jcarrot.org/foraging-is-the-new-local/

I love (love) ginger cookies - though I also tend to favor chewy rather than cakey or crispy. Maybe I’ll be converted when I try these :)

One tip for die hard ginger lovers - try adding a hit (about 2 tablespoons) of freshly grated ginger or diced up crystalized ginger to the batter. Yum!

Leah
The Jew & The Carrot

I’ll admit that I’m still at the point in my life (mid-20s) where I pick out wines by their intriguing labels! But more recently, my friends and I started a wine-tasting club, so I’m slowly starting to understand the subtleties of really good wine, like the glass your husband brought you.

I actually wrote a related article on The Jew & The Carrot blog, about starting a wine club - I thought some readers might find it useful:

http://jcarrot.org/wine-club-for-dummies/

On a separate note, my copy of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone well worn - looking forward to your next book!

I really appreciated this article and your honesty about balancing ideals with daily realities. I have a somewhat off-topic question, however. I’ve been seeing the word “mama” used a lot lately - in this post (and your website) and on other blogs. It seems to be evolving as a popular alternative to mom and mommy - at least amongst women self identifying themselves as mothers. Do you know why this is/when it started to happen? Sorry - random question, but it has fascinated me, and I thought you could possibly shed some light.

Leah,
Editor, The Jew & The Carrot blog

I love that I now have a name for something I do all the time! I especially like to make COFP when I’m flying somewhere and will be away for a while. I actually wrote an “ode to bad airplane food” that thanks it for being gross enough to inspire great COFP:

http://jcarrot.org/why-i-love-bad-airplane-food/

On another note, I’m also a big fan of white beans -as a vegetarian, they pack a huge protein punch (there’s Michael Pollan’s nutritionism talking) and add great texture to the pasta (there’s my stomach talking) :)

What a great story idea - although I would never say that making things from scratch is more convenient than convenience foods, I often find they’re not THAT much harder or more time consuming, and they are so much more satisfying.

Speaking of bizarre convenience foods, check out the pre-shmeared frozen bagel (shudder) over at The Jew & The Carrot blog:

http://jcarrot.org/the-death-of-the-bagel/

I’m not a farmer or gardener, but I appreciated this article because it’s the same thing I go through in the kitchen. The food I make from cookbook recipes generally tastes great - but it never looks quite as good as it does in the glossy and highly food-styled photo.

Leah
Editor, The Jew & The Carrot
http://www.jcarrot.org

I LOVE G.U.S. (Grown up Soda) - I know I’m just a sucker for the packaging and concept more than anything, but that’s okay with me.

FYI - Pepsi just came out with a new natural soda, Pepsi Raw. Go figure:
http://jcarrot.org/pepsi-in-the-raw/

Leah
Editor, The Jew & The Carrot
http://www.jcarrot.org

I like to add a squeeze of lemon or glug of red wine vinegar to kale right before it’s done cooking - it adds a sunny burst of flavor.
Kale is also a fantastic addition to an omelet - use it just the same way that you would spinach.

Leah
Editor, The Jew & The Carrot
http://www.jcarrot.org

Thanks for this great article, Catherine - I’m attracted to any food process that falls in the “ancient” category. As Michael Pollan says, if it has stood the test of time, common sense can tell you it’s probably a good for you.

Sandor Ellix Katz (auothr of “Wild Fermentation”) is an expert on traditional fermentation and other “ancient” food preparation methods - we interviewed him recently at The Jew & The Carrot blog. If you’re interested, you can check it out here:

http://jcarrot.org/meet-sandorkraut-and-win-his-book/