Breaking The Rules
With our farm kids reaching middle school age, we have come to the realization that we need to get away from the farm for some “adventuring” no matter how long our to-do list. We seek to experience more of what northern Wisconsin has to offer and keep our sanity. So this week, after Tuesday farmers markets we took off and headed north. We dined at a farm-to-table restaurant, swam in a great lake, rock hunted and napped on the beach, visited bookstores and cooked over the campfire. It was relaxing family time at its finest.
New Red Potatoes
Mixed Beans
Rainbow Carrots
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Onions
Garlic Bulb
Red Oakleaf Lettuce
Mixed Tomatoes
Parsley
Beets (larges only)
Kohlrabi (larges only)
One of the books we picked up on our adventure is titled “Food Rules, An Eaters Manual” by Michael Pollan. It is not Pollan’s first book on the matter of eating but it the condensed version of all of his suggestions, which is great, because we don’t have much time for reading these days. Faced with a hammock and an evening far away from the farm, the book was read from cover to cover and conversations about our eating habits ensued. This book is like an advertisement for being in a CSA program! #16: Buy your snacks at the farmer’s market. #22: Eat mostly plants, especially leaves. #25: Eat your colors. #30: Eat well-grown food from healthy soil. #44: Pay more, eat less. Seek quality over quantity. While we feel pretty good about our comprehension of the “rules,” our conclusion is that we know how to eat right, but perhaps break a few too many of these rules. Even vegetable farmers who have basically unlimited access to the ideal diet, could be eating better. Sigh.
With this knowledge in hand, and one more ice cream stand on the drive home, we set our goals a little higher from here forward. The bounty from the field is nearing its greatest variety. We actually had to choose what not to put in the shares this week! It’s time to buckle down and max out our veggie consumption. Eat carrots, beans and cukes for lunch or snacks. Spend some time in the kitchen and savor the flavors. #51: Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it. But also, don’t stress about enjoying the times when we break the rules. Afterall, #60: There is nothing wrong with special occasion foods, as long as every day is not a special occasion.
Growing for you,
