Turning a New Leaf

It's been a while since I've posted here. I've not forgotten this little blog, nor have I completely lost the desire to write and share about food, but little things like, oh, having a baby and living life have gotten in the way. (Yes, I had my baby back in May--a little Mother's Day gift! His name is Alex, and he's adorable.) I realized this week that I also lost focus too. This blog started out as a way to document my food life in France as well as how and what I was learning to cook. When I returned to the United States, that purpose disappeared.

I would like to come back to this place (if you'll have me!) again, but with a different focus in mind. I'm still working through this, but since returning from France, we have moved more and more toward local and organic foods whenever possible. (For an article I wrote for Fake Food Free as a guest post about this cultural move back to the States, go here.) Surprisingly, my little town in Kentucky is alive with local farmers who sell anything from veggies to honey to beef to lamb, at least during the summer. There's also an organic co-op about 45 minutes away that supports local farmers. The local Kroger has expanded its organic section, even if it's not very local, and we just found out that a butcher shop that focuses on natural meat is opening up nearby. We've been shopping more and more at these places, and I'd like to share my journey here.

Carl, the farmer in charge of our CSA shares six months
out of the year, from Rolling Fork Farm

We're just a normal family (now of four!) who is trying to eat deliberately. Does that mean that I'm giving up my occasional Coke? No. It means that I'll cut back a little, but also keep an eye on all of that other high fructose corn syrup in our foods (and try to sneak Mexican Coke--made with sugar-- whenever possible!) Does it mean that we won't buy imported foods? No. It means that whenever we can, we'll buy locally or organically, but we love our cultural foods too much to cut out the imports completely. What I'd like to show here is that a normal family can cook and eat responsibly without breaking the bank...and, oh, enjoy their food as well!**


**Just a couple of days ago we ran into the realities of supporting local farming. We received an email from our CSA farm (a certified organic farm) apologizing for the low levels of produce we're going to be receiving until the fall crop comes in because of very hot, very wet weather here in central Kentucky. We won't be receiving as much as we're used to, but I feel like this type of problem is even more reason to support local farming. It's also interesting because it makes me think more about what the "farms" that supply chain grocery stores have to do to make their produce grow in such adverse conditions. I'd rather cut back or repeat veggies than eat whatever it is that's put on the produce or in the ground to make that stuff grow!

And Carl, if you are reading this, we appreciate all you do to bring us fresh, healthy veggies every week!

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