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Sustainable Solutions #4, January
No Bathing Suits in January, No Strawberries Either
Greetings fellow eaters. A few thoughts I had on winter eating...
There is an intrinsic seasonality to childhood. I was listening to my daughter the other day as she talked about the first snowfall of the season. It was an early one&mdash closer to Turkey day than December 21. And this left my four year-old clearly perplexed. "So it's Winter now, right?" she asked me. "No, it's still Fall," I replied. No manner of dates and equinox could turn her around. To her, the seasons are very clear. Snow equals winter. In the summer we will return to the beach. Spring brings the egg hunt and Fall means Halloween. The leap to seasonal-eating, then, is just a short hop(scotch) away.
Perhaps that is why I have no problem deterring her from the anemic looking melons and white-shouldered strawberries on offer all winter long. It's not that she doesn't love these fruits &mdash she's been known to wood chip through a pint of berries before we can finish our rounds at the farmers' market. But when she asks for the imported fruit and I tell her "No, they're out of season," she just nods with the same understanding as if I'd told her she can't swim in the lake because it's covered with ice. She no more expects to don her bathing suit in January than I would voluntarily fill out my tax returns in this month. There is no arguing back and forth. To her summer fruit is a summer treat just like swimming in the local watering hole when the temperature rises.
I've tried to parlay this grasp of the seasons into an understanding of time &mdash how the days roll into weeks then months and years. But the numbers are too theoretical for her young mind, which measures five minutes as "a super long time" and calculates extended periods simply as "my whole life." So I was a little surprised by the accuracy of her latest observation.
She bit into her first blood orange of the winter. They are a real passion of hers, due in part no doubt to the gory inference of the fruit's name. The juice ran down her arms and shirt. "MMMmm" she murmured and then lisped to me, "I haven't had these in, like, a WHOLE year." And I said yes, actually, that's just about right.
If you live in the warmer climes, winter may not be that much of a hurdle. But for many of us, this season can be a bit of a dry patch in the fresh eating department. Hang tough fellow eaters! Our farmers are busily leafing through seed catalogues and getting ready to set their first seedlings under the grow lights (one of my favorite farmers confirms this).
In the meantime, there's plenty of good eating to be had. Winter is full of great flavor. While potatoes, turnips, and rutabagas may not be as immediately seductive as strawberries, they have their own appeal. In the chilly frost of mid-winter the root vegetables taste just right &mdash full of comfort and warmth. Two things that neither a berry nor a bikini can offer.
Tips for Winter Goodness:
Dried fruit is always in season. Perk up long cooking braises by tossing in a handful. For some good combinations try lamb stewed with prunes and duck braised with dried cherries.
Lettuces are looking sad at best around now but cabbages bring a bright, crunchy note to the plate. Shredded heads draped with creamy blue cheese dressing, sesame vinaigrette, or just oil and red wine vinegar make a quick and yummy slaw.
You may not think of it but fish are seasonal, too. Wild salmon is pretty much gone until the mercury rises, Chesapeake Bay blue crabs are out until early summer. Check with your monger to get the freshest catch, particularly this time of year.
Ranchers who raise animals on pasture may not be bringing fresh meat to market in the winter months, but they may very well have full freezers. Now might be a good time to stock your own cooler with roasts and other slow cooking meats. Log onto eatwellguide.com to find a source for sustainably produced meats.
If you're lucky enough to live near an all year market like the Union Square Greenmarket in NYC, take advantage of it. What better way to spend a wintery afternoon than cooking up something slow and savory and full of honest local things!
Keep it real,
Sherri
ps &mdash There can't be good food without good farmers. There's a wonderful blog out there supporting those growers and producers who work for a more delicious, sustainable future. Please take a moment to vote for Tana Butler's Small Farms blog at:
http://www.accidentalhedonist.com
Sustainable Solutions may be reproduced in whole or in part by contacting sherri@sherribrooksvinton.com
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