Food Ruminations

You know that our food supply is all screwed up. It's one of the reasons I love the CSA so much - six months out of the year, I don't have to buy produce at the supermarket.

Apparently, Obama agrees. Here's a snip from an interview with him:

As president, I would implement USDA policies that promote local and regional food systems, including assisting states to develop programs aimed at community supported farms. I also support a national farm-to-school program and am pleased that the Farm Bill provides more than $1 billion to expand healthy snacks in our schools.

I hope he means it.

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It's funny, last year I was totally into cataloging the vegetables every week, even though it became a little like a millstone (make the list, make the post, oh no!). The past few weeks, I've stood in my kitchen after the CSA pick-up, wondering what was missing. Some little OCD part of my brain wanted to make that list before putting the stuff in the fridge. So I've been scribbling the list on an index card and sticking it to the refrigerator. It's helping me keep track of what's come in, and when.

Old habits die hard.

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I was tickled to see that Jennifer (Ponderosa) was posting her own lists - I feel off the hook, blogosphere-wise. This week her CSA delivery included "1 caterpillar".

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I had to make something for the potluck supper at the graduation the other night, so I checked my index cards and decided to make a cole slaw. The CSA had sent out a recipe for an asian turnip slaw; I, of course, couldn't find that recipe and anyway it had peanut butter in it (a no-no at the peanut-free daycare center). So I invented.

2 carrots, grated
2 scallions, thinly sliced
6 japanese turnips, julienned with the mandoline
1 small arrowhead cabbage, shredded
a handful of parley, minced

honey
soy sauce
champagne vinegar (because that's what there was)
vegetable oil
jarred grated ginger
ground pepper

I can't give proportions for the dressing because I kept adding a bit of this and a smidge of that until it tasted right - but there was about a tablespoon of honey and the same of ginger, and about a third of a cup of soy and vinegar and oil. And it definitely needed a couple of hours in the fridge for the vegetables to wilt and amalgamate. It was good - and a good way to address the abundance of those lovely japanese turnips.