The end of the August Eat Local Challenge

What fun this month to participate in the August Eat Local Challenge, which I heard about through Jen at the weblog life begins at 30. Our family set our bar low -- promising only to eat more local food than usual, and to learn some new recipes with local food that would be worthy to serve guests. The Eat Local Challenge provided this city boy with much enjoyment, education about our food and its origins, and grist for much reflection over the coming year.

This afternoon, I took the kids to Waltham Fields Community Farm (which, as I mentioned previously, is where my family has a community supported agriculture share). We had a great time, picked up our allotment at the main food table, picked still more food and a bouquet of floors in the field, met farmers and other customers who we are getting to know by name. Any of you readers who are real farmers or real cooks can have a laugh at my expense, but I am disproportionately proud of our meal this evening: fresh corn on the cob (from the farm), brown rice (not local) and black beans (not local), topped with a salsa of onions (probably not local) and fresh tomatoes, garlic, corn, cilantro, and hot peppers (all from the farm), with watermelon for first dessert (from the farm), followed by ice cream for second dessert (probably not local). The kids dived in and consumed it all.

Eating local is partly about learning awareness of what food is in season. And for a teacher coming to grips with the end of summer, this week's seasonal treat was a shocker! (Hurrying back to my class preparation...)