Meditations on eating locally

As spring slowly creeps in, my thoughts are turning towards farmers markets (which don't get started here till May!) making my own jam and pickle, and, most ambitiously, planting a vegetable garden.

A few books have sparked my interest in eating better. One is, of course, Joshi's Holistic Detox,I've mentioned it here before. The other is one of my favorite books I've read this year, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. I'm embarrassed to say I've never read anything by Barbara Kingsolver, obviously this will change.

This book was really inspirational to me, and I'm thrilled by the concept of eating locally. (Obviously, if I want to eat only Ontario produce, starting in March is not a good idea. Right now, the only Ontario produce available is cucumbers. Which I like, but need other vegetables to supplement.) I'm seriously considering eating local, canning and pickling and freezing over the summer to sustain myself in winter. If I do, I will blog about it, of course.

The two other food-related books in my library queue right now are In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, and Alice Waters and Chez Panisse. I saw Michael Pollan on TV about a week back, and I think his book would make a very interesting read. And of course, Alice Waters is the start of it all, isn't she? A biography would be really fascinating, I think.