August 29. In three days i’ll start my 10-mile diet. 80% of my food from Tricia Beckner’s farm (or my backyard). 10% within 10 miles of my home, 10% exotics (from beyond my 10-mile circle of eating. I actually started to feel a little desperation. Will I have enough? Visions of steamed kale and zukes and boiled tiny potatos danced in my head. But in fact, the last few days I’ve gotten my 20% non-Tricia lined up and I’m excited.
Yesterday, driving to set up Britt and Eric’s wedding feast tables, I passed the Long Family Farm. A little sign said “Beef sale today 10-2”. I swung in past the younger brothers and sisters of the meat the Long Family was selling in vacuum sealed pouches. For once I wasn’t looking at food with the idea of what’s the biggest bargain. I was looking at meat raised by the people in front of me. Joking about the size of their pumpkins and zucchini and about how grass fed beef is so healthy it turns back the clock. I came home with 8 pounds of beef, which should last a month alternating with some local chickens and even a goat leg.
The day before I wandered into our grocery store which we call by it’s name – the Star Store – to see if there was any local honey on the shelves. Sure enough, there was some from hives in Freeland, well within my 10-miles. Necessity number two handled.
Then there is milk. It is actually so illegal here to even give away raw milk that I’m just going to put it that I’m getting a half gallon a week from milking someone’s Bessie. That will do for milk, butter, farmer cheese and yogurt. Along with the eggs I’ll be getting from Tricia, the milk will turn my mountains of zukes and greens and beans and tomatos into fritattas and who wouldn’t be happy living on that?
I still haven’t found any cider turned vinegar rather than hooch so for the nonce lemons/limes are in my list of exotics along with salt (and a couple of spices like cinnamon and curry), caffeine and oil.