100th Post | I Will Be A Hummingbird

My 100th Post! So I have posted lots of recipes featuring fresh, seasonal produce that will fuel your body in a good way (even though some of the recipes are a bit luxurious). Really, there are only a few more months until I have completed a whole year documenting what I cook. At first, I thought the blog was a cute idea, "Oh Tiny Tables - it's a cooking for two blog!".  It was something just to kind of fidget around with.  I also like the idea of showing off some of my cooking skills. I mean come on, I aint too shabby! At the heart, this blog is still all about feeding two people with fresh seasonal foods. However, I have truly become an advocate for eating a planet friendly diet. To me, this blog is a lens into the great greener community.

Lately, I have become very fascinated with the process of growing fresh foods. I watch documentaries, read books, and even apply for jobs that will further my knowledge on the topic. I feel that eating fresh foods that are almost meatless is my small step in healing the planet. After watching the film, Dirt -The Movie, I am even more convinced that my small choices are helping. Here is a clip from the movie that really touched me (not to mention... super cute).



Are you doing the best you can? How?

Hi, my name is Mandy. I am a food advocate!

I previously wrote a post about my disappointment with Grow Alabama and how I was looking for new options. I recently canceled my subscription to Grow Alabama and am just receiving the last few boxes. Let me tell you, the box I am getting this week has ONE item from Alabama in it - iceberg lettuce. PATHETIC! It also had cucumbers and cherry tomatoes! I haven't had one parsnip yet this season. I plan to talk more about neglected winter foods soon enough - stay tuned. I like to think that the items not coming from Alabama (mostly North Carolina this week) are from small farmers as well, but I am just not sure. Ever since the avocado, my trust has been completely broken. I constantly analyze my produce and wonder "Are you from California?" Most of the produce I receive in the summer seems kind of dirty like it was "just picked", but this produce has been perfectly cleaned and pruned.  Like that, it makes me think they are just ordering off a food truck like a restaurant does.

For those of you interested, I receive(d) the medium sized box (Silver Share). When I bought it, the share was $118 and some change (that included my delivery fee). However, the price has gone up since then. Yes, it's convenient. No, it's not organic (they won't even say they are pesticide free). Yes, it's a good cause. No, I would not recommend it for any true local sustainable food advocate. I am all about growing pains and I know that they need the financial support (and demand) now to get Alabama farmers to grow winter produce  - but something about the company doesn't taste right. Maybe I just need a little more Alabama dirt in my system and I haven't been getting enough for months now.

Okay, now that we're done with that. Let me talk about some options I found. Sadly, no one has winter produce. So the only thing I can tell you is to grow your own, put up a lot of surplus, and support the few farmers that sell their wares sporadically at Pepper Place. I am even thinking about creating a make shift root cellar (who am I?!).

Jones Valley Urban Farm - I love their general mission, but man oh man - these guys can't send back an e-mail. I contacted the person in charge (via e-mail) twice about starting a CSA with them. First e-mail was sent days before Christmas. Second was sent at the end on January after I saw on their website "Hurry and contact XXX. Shares are filling up!". I am not sure if they just don't want my money - but I won't be getting a CSA from them this year. I will, however, stop by after work and check out their produce stand. They usually put out a few things for sale.

Snow's Bend Farm - This is who is now going to provide my CSA. A small sustainable farm in the Tuscaloosa area (gotta support West Alabamians!). I had heard from Amanda Storey that they had a waiting list. I am not sure if the fates realized my desperation, but I managed to get a share this season with no problems. I am pretty excited to be getting all my produce from one farm. I know that my money will directly help a local farmer. I've cut out the middle man by about 99% (it would only be 100% if I decided to grow my own food). My friend Summer is going to split the share with me and we'll alternate weeks. This will help me reduce my food waste (cause I never could seem to keep up with my Grow Alabama box - especially in the summer), reduce the general cost, and give Summer and I another reason to talk about food. You guys will hear more about Snow's Bend once the share starts later this spring.

Pepper Place Market - One of the reasons I wanted to find someone to share the box with was so that I could go to Pepper Place and really do some shopping. Before, I would go maybe two or three times a summer. Mainly to enjoy some delicious strawberry cake. I can visit the market on my off weeks and splurge on some really good honey, cheeses, and - of course - produce!

All in all, I am really happy with my decision to leave Grow Alabama. I am really grateful to them for everything I have learned. I have gained all my current cooking skills using their produce. However, for the principles that I stand for I need to be able to completely trust my produce. And sorry, Grow Alabama, you are just too two-faced for me. So, I don't see it going anywhere for us. We're done. Best of luck to you!

What are you doing to support your local food system? Please share in the comments section!

I want to be a Home Economics teacher...

... but a really cool one that doesn't make you tote around a sack of flour and pretend it's a baby!

I just finished reading an article at the NY Times by Mark Bittman. He is a big name in the food world. I currently have his book Kitchen Express checked out from the library. I really fell in love with him when I watched him on Spain... On the Road Again. It was this great show where Mario Batali toured Spain with Bittman, actress Gweneth Paltrow, and this too cute for words Spanish actress. It comes on PBS and I actually stalk there website hoping it will rerun again soon!

Back to me wanting to be a home economics teacher. If you've talked to my friends, you'll know that I have wanted to be a lot of things. And who is to say that I can't do them all in one lifetime? I am eating a ton of vegetables... so hopefully I've added lots of years to my life. So in this article, Bittman is discussing things that need to change to heal our food system. In case you haven't heard... it's broken. Completely! Watch any food documentary and you'll leave wanting to never eat sausage again - not because of what's in it, but because the way the animals are raised, killed, and processed . It's also horrific for the workers!

One of the points that he talks about made me sit up straight and say "YES! That is what I want to do!" Read on my friends...

Encourage and subsidize home cooking. (Someday soon, I’ll write about my idea for a new Civilian Cooking Corps.) When people cook their own food, they make better choices. When families eat together, they’re more stable. We should provide food education for children (a new form of home ec, anyone?), cooking classes for anyone who wants them and even cooking assistance for those unable to cook for themselves.

I so want to be a home ec teacher. I want to teach kids how to make real budgets, cook real food, and learn real skills that will benefit them their whole lives. This is part of the reason I have this blog. I am teaching you all that cooking with fresh foods is only as hard as you make it. Once you realize that all you need is a good knife (and truly... that is the secret to cooking) - then you'll realize that cooking isn't so bad after all.

Please go and read the whole article. It's apparently the first in his series on food issues.