07-22-2010, 08:25 PM
Some really meaty conversation here! (oh I went there ;P)
I honestly wonder if we aren't all getting more and more of an internal 'nudge' towards vegetarian diets? I wonder this because I, someone who can make a meal of nothing but meat from the grill, have been slowly shifting towards more and more vegetables, really without much thought going into it until recently. It looks like others here are experiencing the same? My girlfriend and I work at the local farmers markets a few days a week, and we end up taking home a lot of vegetables that I've been learning to cook in different ways, with some truly mouthwatering results.
Some mentioned earlier the prices of whole foods being so much higher, and I wanted to share some info. Organic stores like Whole Foods, or Co-ops do carry good local foods, and usually have a fairly large selection, but of course the price can be a real curbstomp to the wallet. Did you know you can get a lot of those same foods, sometimes the exact same crops, for much cheaper by cutting out the middle man? If you have never been to a local farmer's market, it is a great experience, and not just in that you come away with naturally DELICIOUS foods. The atmosphere tends to be very friendly, very communal. Suddenly you can put a face with that ear of corn you're buying. You know that that person spent their time, sweat, and energy to plant it, tend it, and harvest it. The taste of real farm-raised, as opposed to factory farm-raised, produce is amazing. I have never been a fan of squash, but after eating some from a local farmer I seriously cannot get enough! I think many Americans grow up with a dislike for vegetables because they only eat the stuff you get in the grocery store or Walmart, which is usually not very good: skimpy, tasteless, uncared for. Love really does make it taste better! If you live in a larger city, you may be blessed with more of an open-air market where you can find TONS of delicious, and sometimes unusual foods.
Further, if you've never tried gardening, a lot of people are pleasantly surprised the first time they do it. I'm not even necessarily talking about squaring off your backyard if you have one. My gf and I have a good sized garden on the front porch of a studio apartment, all in plastic bins. Some vegetables will almost grow themselves, and all you need to do is water them, and of course LOVE them. No pesticides are needed because the containers keep out the "bad" bugs. Even having something as simple as an herb garden can make a huge difference in your meals if you like or love to cook. Being able to add fresh garlic chives, rosemary, and basil to pasta with a homemade tomato-cream sauce...that's a perfect meal my friends! Sorry if that got off on a little tanget, I think you can probably tell I'm passionate about it!
I'm thinking I might embark on this little vegetarian adventure and see where it takes me! But tomorrow, because I've got some fresh tomatoes waiting to go on some BLTs! Cheers! L/L!
I honestly wonder if we aren't all getting more and more of an internal 'nudge' towards vegetarian diets? I wonder this because I, someone who can make a meal of nothing but meat from the grill, have been slowly shifting towards more and more vegetables, really without much thought going into it until recently. It looks like others here are experiencing the same? My girlfriend and I work at the local farmers markets a few days a week, and we end up taking home a lot of vegetables that I've been learning to cook in different ways, with some truly mouthwatering results.
Some mentioned earlier the prices of whole foods being so much higher, and I wanted to share some info. Organic stores like Whole Foods, or Co-ops do carry good local foods, and usually have a fairly large selection, but of course the price can be a real curbstomp to the wallet. Did you know you can get a lot of those same foods, sometimes the exact same crops, for much cheaper by cutting out the middle man? If you have never been to a local farmer's market, it is a great experience, and not just in that you come away with naturally DELICIOUS foods. The atmosphere tends to be very friendly, very communal. Suddenly you can put a face with that ear of corn you're buying. You know that that person spent their time, sweat, and energy to plant it, tend it, and harvest it. The taste of real farm-raised, as opposed to factory farm-raised, produce is amazing. I have never been a fan of squash, but after eating some from a local farmer I seriously cannot get enough! I think many Americans grow up with a dislike for vegetables because they only eat the stuff you get in the grocery store or Walmart, which is usually not very good: skimpy, tasteless, uncared for. Love really does make it taste better! If you live in a larger city, you may be blessed with more of an open-air market where you can find TONS of delicious, and sometimes unusual foods.
Further, if you've never tried gardening, a lot of people are pleasantly surprised the first time they do it. I'm not even necessarily talking about squaring off your backyard if you have one. My gf and I have a good sized garden on the front porch of a studio apartment, all in plastic bins. Some vegetables will almost grow themselves, and all you need to do is water them, and of course LOVE them. No pesticides are needed because the containers keep out the "bad" bugs. Even having something as simple as an herb garden can make a huge difference in your meals if you like or love to cook. Being able to add fresh garlic chives, rosemary, and basil to pasta with a homemade tomato-cream sauce...that's a perfect meal my friends! Sorry if that got off on a little tanget, I think you can probably tell I'm passionate about it!
I'm thinking I might embark on this little vegetarian adventure and see where it takes me! But tomorrow, because I've got some fresh tomatoes waiting to go on some BLTs! Cheers! L/L!