Living Local in the City

After lamenting over high-priced, imported tomatoes at Whole Foods (see Animal Vegetable Miracle post), I took the day off yesterday to check out Reading Terminal Market. Iovine's Produce stand offers a lot of organic produce, but not one sign tells you where the veggies originated, in fact a sign saying "produce from all over the world", sent a shiver down my spine.
I remembered the Fair Food Farmstand, in the North-East corner of the market, and decided to press my luck and see what I could turn up.
I was surprised to even find them open, because in the past, when I've visited on a weekday, they are often closed by the time I make the trek. I was expecting crates and crates of potatoes, which they surely had, but they also had a lot of other great items that I didn't imagine to find.
Yesterday, the Fair Food Farmstand was stocked with everything I could possible want to make a delicious dinner. Albeit a bit more expensive, the local purple kale blows conventional kale out of the water. Tomatoes, you got 'em and heirloom varieties too! Lettuce, yep, an oak leaf lettuce fresh from a farm. Mushrooms, many varieties, a rainbow offering of squash, peppers, radishes, Brussels sprouts, cranberries, apples. I've already started lining up my produce picks for a very raw Thanksgiving meal, and the Fair Food Farmstand has pretty much everything I could want. Every item here is local and organic, from small farms all over Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Each item has a little sign so you know exactly what you are getting. Is it more expensive? Well, maybe. I spent 13 dollars on three very necessary items, kabocha squash, purple kale and some awesome-looking spinach. Then I went to Iovine's and spent the same amount on 4 other organic items. Maybe eating local does cost slightly more, but remember you are helping the small farming industry and not some stupid conglomerate who has no clue about tasty food.
So, just when I thought the going for local produce was getting tough, the Fair Food Farmstand saved the day. Check out your local city market for a similar stand, if it doesn't exist, press for it by contacting local farmers and co-ops into making it happen for your locality.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

I have to admit, Barbara Kingsolver was one of my favorite authors for a long time, so when her most-recent book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle was loaned to me by an Epicurean co-worker, I dove in, ravenous for what she had to offer.
The premise of the book is a hot topic in today's' green-minded culture. Eat local, eat only what you can raise yourself or what's in season, and relish the treasures of your community. Kingsolver and her clan moved to the Southern portion of the Appalachian Mountains with the goal of raising her family on the fruits of the land. She is not a vegetarian and I cringed when I read the part about her raising her own turkeys for food, but I'm also inclined to doff my hat to her; that she can raise her own food and feed her family. She is adamant about the sources of other meats, insisting on locally, grass-fed varieties, so that's all I'm going to mention about the meat-eating, but still, her approach is a noble one, ensuring that at least the animals she does consume, led a decent life eating good food too!
I haven't finished the book yet, but I am already under the influence. For years I tried to eat locally, (I think it's called macro-biotic), and with the exception of bananas or citrus fruit, managed to subsist fairly well. Today, I know a lot more than I did then.
Now, when I go to Whole Foods, because the farmer's markets have ended for the year, I scan the tags looking for locally grown food. Tomatoes, forget about it. The closest tomato I can find is shipped from Florida. Luckily I still have some growing on my back porch, but I've harvested the last few before the frost and dread life without tomatoes. Avocados? Lettuce? It all comes from California, and this is Kingsolver's main contention. We've been spoiled by luxurious produce shipped from all over the world, oblivious as to what the cost on our environment is. I spotted these lovely oranges that looked great for juicing, bu when I saw they were from South Africa, I quietly passed them by. Kingsolver, equates calories with gas mileage, and in one instance, says that eating an apple from Washington State for someone on the East Coast is similar to driving 3 hours to walk 3 miles on a treadmill. Kind of counter-productive. In a time when global warming is directly linked to issues such as these, I want to take my part in this mission and try not to eat something, just because it's exotic, looks delicious or I need it for my recipe. Chances are that that red, delicious apple, might not taste as tasty as it looks. My boyfriend thinks I'm crazy, but I put my foot down at unnecessary items that have been shipped across the ocean.
For a raw foodist like myself, it is especially difficult. We subsist on nuts, that are primarily grown in places like Thailand, and while I grapple with that issue, I must remember to choose other items that haven't travelled as far for the rest of the meal.
Right now, I'm really digging squash, all types, simply steamed and topped with my own fresh-grown parsley. You can also make a nice squash mash, with steamed squash processed with olive oil and herbs. In the northeast, pickings are slim, but this is also the time of year when home-cooked foods, like root vegetables and onions can make a great meal. Stews really benefit from local produce. Can't live without that avocado? Well neither can I, but at least if we take small steps in passing by those delicious fruits from South Africa, we are making a difference.

Product Nods

There are so many things in the world right now that make me angry that for the time being I'm going to give a couple of vegan-centric product nods that make me happy instead of analyzing the evil ways of the world.
I've long-been of the notion to purchase cruelty-free products, products that promote a like-minded consciousness and products that aren't produced and shelved by The Man. For example, I stopped shopping at Target, because I really don't need all that stuff made by poor, exploited Chinese workers, and if I do, somewhere in my neighborhood probably has something better, produced locally. I'm lucky enough to be in a central neighborhood with thriving independent delis, hardware stores, used book shops and cute, local gift stores all within walking distance.
My boyfriend recently came home with dish soap made by Ivory, aka Procter and Gamble and it got me thinking why we don't stop to read our labels more carefully. Even our neighborhood grocer stocks products that are conscious. I quickly switched out that nasty ole Ivory for some Method soap, which doesn't test on animals. I know we can all make that hasty choice and small mistakes, but if we just remind ourselves to think about the choices and take that extra minute to scan the label, then we are happier all along.
Recently I stopped into Duross and Langel on 13th St. in Philadelphia to pick up a bar of soap, instead of going to Whole Foods to get my normal glycerin bar. This store is usually a treat for me or my first stop for gifts. All the soaps are handmade using fine ingredients, they have a large selection of men's skin care and fun bath toys! While I spent more than I would have normally, I feel great about my purchase because I supported a local business that also supports veganism and I had fun doing it. This store is like a candy shop for adults. Read the labels carefully, because some items may contain goats milk, but all vegan bars are labelled vegan. They also host workshops which I would love to do, but where will I find the time? Shop away, I love their soap, and they are always stocking up with new crazy combinations. Soaps make great gifts and this stuff beats pricey Lush if you ask me. They always include free samples with every purchase, and this time, the mojito soap really gets me moving in the morning. I can't wait to try the new exfoliating bar chock-full of sesame seeds and nuts to really get my face clean and smooth. You can't get this stuff at your local grocery store.
Another place I like to check up on from time to time is Sick on Sin, a Toronto-based company that sells really cute T-shirts, pins and magnets, many vegan-centric. Check it out, they are having a sale! I ran into this girl Jen, last year at the Toronto Vegetarian Festival and purchased a witty t-shirt that supports veganism, (see above logo.) She also stocks aprons which make a great gift for that vegan chef in your life. I bought one with an anti-steak logo for mine, but you have to ask. I also love her magnets and not all have to do with vegetarianism, some are just plain cute, make great gifts for kids or teens. I recently bought my 11 year-old niece a bunch of stuff from this site and while it would have pleased me tons to be the recipient, she was all smiles! But seriously, a "flesh is for zombies" pin? Bring it on!
Lastly on my list of recent purchase, which I'm kind of embarrassed about, is a fanny-pack! Yep, in case you haven't heard the fanny pack is making a comeback. Sometimes I don't want to carry a bag and I don't want bulky pockets. No I don't look like a dorky, lost tourist. I ride my bike often and I can't think of a more convenient way to carry my crap. I bought a cute one from Jansport ($9.99) at I Goldberg. I could have gone a more eco-route and bought something made of natural fibers, but quite frankly they all look frumpy and if there's any quality I'm looking for in a fanny-pack, it is certainly not frumpiness.
Well there you go, some shopping tips for the week that won't inspire guilt. Support local shops, it'll make you feel good.