Carrot Season

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There come times when one has to face the obvious and try new fashions. “May-be” even pinstripes.

A few weeks back, I came across another vivid dispute about the traits of proper recipe creation. This one was about the availability of ingredients. Such a rewarding point of discussion. Are recipes that only use ingredients which are readily available in typical grocery stores better than the ones that use foods which can be bought only in certain stores?

Well, let’s think this through: Of course, it is very good to have the components of a dish all in one place. Saves you time. And, if you want to inspire people to try new ways, this measure is far more likely to take a catch than the one where you need more time to gather the lot. Make the transition less stressful.

But then, easy availability is not always a sign of quality, especially with food. Because some things might just not always be in the fields or on the trees where you live. On the other side, a lot of stuff is readily available in basically all grocery stores, where — to be blunt — the packaging doesn’t have much less of a nutritional value than the contents. Talking about very empty bags, nutrition-wise.

So, let’s be honest: This is really about convenience. And I have heard that term in connection with food before. Convenient are things that do not really force us to get organized. Or change our habits. Yes, making it easy basically is a good way to start getting people motivated. But eventually, the turning of things makes change necessary. No beating around the bush — or carrot greens — here.

Over time, I have met a couple of initiatives that are turning the wheel the other way. Some of them organize the fair trade of high quality foods between producers and the common customers directly. They form stable communities of demand and make a commitment of purchase, so the farmers have more security for their produce. Or, those initiatives gather a large group of customers and negotiate optimal prices for many. You call that a “carrot mob”. Both very smart moves, if you ask me.

Of course, it’s not always easy to decide, whether one wants to easily move along or march ahead. But, maybe you can do both. Like, we start with the more energetic option and slow down later? Try new places to get good food, and conveniently repeat our habits by buying there. That would work. After all, there is no merrier time to make a change than “the month that makes everything new”, as a saying about May around here goes.

Use the energy of spring.

Side Notes:

  • The official carrot season around here is about to end, by the way. Which means that, right now, the last of the carrots that were harvested in summer and autumn last year in this region are being sold at grocery stores. Imagine that. The “new” regional carrot season starts in about six weeks, in June. Which shows the true nature of those roots. You know: Rough on the outside, but tenderly honest to the core. So, maybe this is a good time to honor those vegetables that are basically available all year round, from local growers. And a big THANK YOU to all the farmers, who plant and harvest them!
  • About one hundred-and-fifty countries across the globe and on all continents are celebrating a public holiday today (May 1). With lots of food, I imagine. Go, celebrate, and share!