Friday, April 12, 2013

Favourite Things Friday



I'm going to preface this post by saying it isn't a joke. It's not April 1st and I'm not pulling your leg. Seriously. And I think this is going to sound like I'm standing on a soap box today and trying to convert people and I'm truly not. 

At the beginning of the year I vowed not to make any resolutions. But I did make a decision to try to cook more meals using fresh, seasonal produce and to increase my fruit and vegie intake. You may find this surprising if you've been hanging out round here for a while because I think my apathy towards vegetables has been fairly well documented. 

Then I started to explore why I don't really love vegetables and the conclusion I came to was that most fruit and vegetables are pretty tasteless and bland. I havent had a peach in years that tastes like the peaches we had as kids (which incidentally was the last time I was really happy about eating vegetables) And then I started worrying about pesticides and insecticides from mass produced stuff and about all the stuff I've been putting in my mouth that's been kept in storage for months before it gets to my fridge. And then I started worrying about all the battery hens that live their miserable lives in cages so I can have eggs that aren't all that good anyway so I can save a couple of bucks and I seriously started to hate myself. 

So after I had freaked myself right out about contributing to the downfall of the poor chooks and had gotten really mad about the supermarkets selling us cruddy quality fruit and vegetables and making us pay top dollar I went in search of a small local greengrocer who sources as locally as possible (thinking about my carbon foot print here), who didn't use excess packaging if possible and who had a range of organic offerings too. 

And I found one about 10 minutes from my house and his prices are really good too. And this places  has signs up on all the produce telling you exactly where things come from. 



Not only are we eating a ton more fruit (I hadn't had an empty fruit bowl at the end of the week ever and often threw out questionable stuff at the end of the week ) but I'm buying things that I wouldn't have bought before like organic free range smoked dry cured bacon and the most awesome eggs I've ever tasted. That must be because they come from happy hens.


Doesn't that fruit bowl look fabulous? Those peaches are the last of the season so there wont be any more till next Summer which is exactly how it should be.  And those pears are new season pears and they are so delicious and juicy. I even bought some funky new fangled variety of potatoes last week because they are meant to be great for making your own gnocchi. 

So my favourite thing this week is discovering a new found like for eating healthy fresh stuff and looking up new recipes for vegetables. Seriously. Little Miss Sunshine - you can come and stay knowing you'll be fed green stuff while you're here. 



25 comments:

Kate said...

I love farmers market fruit. And we get eggs from a friend of a neighbor, fresh from the farm. They are amazing. And free!

Kirsten said...

So right! There is nothing better in the world than fresh fruit and we get ours at a local market every saturday...fresh and tasting great

Diane-crewe said...

we have a weekly farmers market that I always shop at xx no more expensive and MUCH better tasting than the supermarkets xx carry on xx

Marti said...

Good for you! I wish I could find a market like that. But I agree with you that produce doesn't taste as good any more. I think that's why I gripe and complain about the garden every year, but I keep planting one. This year we bought a cow too, or half a cow, and it hasn't been pumped full of stuff.

Kirsten's Cooking said...

I am so proud of you!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Dianne Neale said...

How great to find it just up the road. Heaven only knows what crap is on the fruit and veg here!

Paulette said...

Yay, good for you! I can't wait until it's garden season here again. Fresh, locally grown food is the best.

Katy Cameron said...

What I would really love is to live somewhere where there was a Provencal style market I could do my fruit and veg shopping at. Even in the tiny villages they have a weekly market where local producers sell fabulous fruit and veg fresh from the land, then there are the amazing cheese makers and olive oil producers and.. I could go on, but I don't want you (or me) drooling all over the keyboard

Unknown said...

I must say that I think veggies here in Canada taste good! Having said that, there are times of year when we get imported foods that do not taste that good either.I keep my tomatoes out because they do taste better than in the fridge. Also keep apples away from other fruits as they give of gas...not your kind, or mine, but gas that makes fruit rot faster...

Anonymous said...

Yeah for you! does this mean you r giving up Oreos?!

Jennifer said...

We have a local greengrocer (who has to shops, one on each side of town) and his produce is always good - and prices are cheaper than at Colesworths!

Jennifer said...

We have a local greengrocer (who has to shops, one on each side of town) and his produce is always good - and prices are cheaper than at Colesworths!

Sue SA said...

Sorry that was me re Oreo comment, trying to drive the iPad and play UNO at the same time! glad you are now getting your 5 veggies and 2 fruits a day, hope it gives you lots of quilting mojo!

Brenda said...

I wish I could get eggs from Kangaroo Island! We do have two young peach trees and the peaches are to DIE for, I can't wait for peach season around here. We also have raspberry bushes and grow a tomato or two - they are so much better than the store. I like your idea of a fruit stand though, I may check it out this summer.

Michelle Ridgway said...

Yes,yes,yes!!!! Couldn't agree more. I mean who wants to eat bananas gas ripened in the truck on the way to the supermarket... not I. Good for you Shay. I also think it is nice to look forward to seasonal fruits. Why do we insist on having everything right NOW at the expense of quality.
I'll climb down now..lol

Kate said...

I'm totally jealous. We have to go to the "big" city to get fresh, organic fruits and veggies. Glad that you found someplace close and reasonable.

Karen said...

Oh so lucky you are! That would potentially make me happy to grocery shop :)

Mistea said...

I was wondering where all the fresh fruit went.
Enjoy yours.

thea said...

hmmm. We usually just buy ours at the grocery store and cardboard is what most of it tastes like. Sometimes we get good strawberries, but I haven't had a decent peach in years. I'll have to try the farmer's market ..

Canadian Abroad said...

I'n still trying to wrap my head around you eating fruit and veg. Marg may have coloured my perception of your diet slightly. I buy my eggs right from my egg lady and you can see her chickens running around their huge enclosure with whacking big smiles on their faces. And the yolks are sooooooo yellow/orange. I miss the road side fruit and veg stalls the farmers had in Canada in southern Ontario. Just whatever they grew straight off the plant and to the stall in a flash. So very, very good.

Kelli Fannin Quilts said...

There's nothing better than fruits and veggies from the farmer's market! :)

Rachel said...

LOVE it! Even the photo looks tastier, LOL.

AnnieO said...

I've been thinking about more and local veggies myself. There are three Farmers' markets a week here plus numerous fruit/produce stands alongside the farms. It does bug me when I go to the supermarket and produce that is grown in Mexico or Canada or even other states is shipped here for sale when local stuff is grown all around! Good for you for making the effort, and enjoying the change. My favorite new salad is spring mix, carrot matchsticks and pain braised asparagus plus asian dressing.

Marg said...

I think I'm going to have a heart attack. Glad I was sitting down while reading this.
I'm speechless, happy, but speechless.

Elizabeth said...

My issue with fruit and veggies is consistent good taste as well. This spring & summer, I'm going to make an effort to go to the local farmer's markets b/c I love good fruit and veggies when I can get them.

Good for you for finding a solution and supporting local growers.

xo -E