I discover the carrot

I discover the carrot

Since we were kids, The Wife and I purchased bags of carrots sold at Dominick’s or Jewel, usually three or so one-pound bags for about a buck, which seemed a good deal, but now I see I was hardly conscious of what I bought or ate though I always did eat a lot of carrots. I knew the plastic bags with thin orange lines were designed to beguile me into thinking the contents more lively than they actually were, and yet I believed them good enough…but perhaps they were not.

Last Saturday, after a week with Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, I found myself intrigued by the thought of consuming a taproot not petroleum-fed and ferried from thousands of miles away. I bought a pound and half from Sandhill, vendors at the Oak Park Farmer’s Market, for $2.75 – much more by a lot than what I usually spend on carrots.

Was it worth it?

Well, the carrots, most amazingly, were soft to the touch, almost bendable though not quite, and with an inner strength, actual existences, still living things of the earth and not manufactured components of a diet. Biting into one, unshaven and uncut as though pulled cleanly from a field, I was gladly surprised to see moisture beading up on the severed xylem and phloem, each bite yielding a deep sweetness and long-lasting mineral aftertaste that I found quite appealing.

The price is high...but then again, at The Vic last Friday for the Dresden Dolls concert, I paid about 11 dollars for a double shot of Dewar’s. Perhaps one should be more careful in the husbanding of one’s appetites.

So, yes, it was.

Hammond

Two weeks ago I bought some heirloom carrots, of varying colors, including red, yellow, and orange. Tossed them in a pot roast and they were so much better than the usuall carrots I buy. Well worth the extra money.

David: Aside from carrots, Pollan's book, which I read over the Summer, haunts me everytime I shop for food. You may agree or disagree (I agree more than disagree), but he undeniably makes you think about the food you buy in new ways. You might also enjoy the letter dialogue Pollan had with the CEO of Whole Foods, which can be found on the Whole Foods Web Site.

Jonah

Sir Hat, welcome aboard the quest.

As I have been wont to say, there is no easier way to eat better than by eating local. I hope (and trust) you will enjoy your fall CSA, and I look forward to hearing of more items you re-discover.

PS
For those interested in a fall CSA, see here

Jonah wrote: You may agree or disagree (I agree more than disagree), but he undeniably makes you think about the food you buy in new ways.

Previously, I had regarded corn with almost Mayan reverence – a golden symbol of sun-lit health and the Midwest – but after reading Pollan’s insights into the post-WW II maize build-up by the military-industrial food chain, I feel funny gnawing a cob from anyplace other than a small farmer (and sometimes then). The extra money is well worth it – anything to avoid the feeling that I’m being fattened up, like a corn-fed steer, for the slaughter.

VI, I spoke with Farmer Vicki yesterday – eager to get my first box. Thanks for turning me on to Genesis Growers.

David “Thank God I’m a Country Boy (though not really)” Hammond