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If you’ve read Omnivore’s Dilemma and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and enjoyed them, you’re just the audience for King Corn. Not only an enjoyable documentary about two Boston boys who decide to grow an acre of corn in Iowa, but also a quirky little movie. I like quirky. But the extras really make the movie shine. Watch all of them – each a gem.
Speaking of growing stuff, I bought seeds and then my auntie sent me seeds and I have seeds from years past and OH MY GOD I think I’ll be growing stuff in the middle of the lawn this year. I’m thinking a nice bean tunnel for the kids to play in. Wouldn’t that be fun? A 9 foot long trellis tunnel with bean plants covering it? In the middle of the yard?
And also, I’m going to mend my harvesting ways this year. No more throwing whole tomatoes into ziplock bags and freezing them. Well, I’ll still do that, but less of it. I want to make my yummy tomato soup, salsa, and plain ole diced tomatoes and freeze jars that way. It’s easy to say that now, of course.
Anyway. Soon it’ll be time to plant the cannas and elephant ears in pots in the basement. Haul out the seed starting stuff, and then take out paper and pen and figure out what goes where. Oh happy day! And to live where there are seasons!
I made this recipe before I realized that this blog is related to the CSA boxes from Angelic Organics, which N and I learned about from watching The Real Dirt on Farmer John. Also, it turns out we are friends with someone who worked there awhile. It's almost like we should sign up for our own share there. These zucchini pancakes were a smash smash hit with the kids, who ate them with sour cream and applesauce, like potato pancakes would be. I barely got any, and I used up 1.5 large zukes.
And this recipe comes to me via Erin, who also gave me some eggplants from her garden! Thanks, Erin.
Tuscan Marinade (for grilling)
1/3 c olive oil
3 T lemon juice
2 tsp garlic powder
1.5 tsp dried basil
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
Use on mushrooms, eggplant, onion, squash, etc. Also can be used on chicken. Marinate in the fridge for a full 24 hours before grilling!
So, the last book club book reminded me of the movie Sliding Doors. Probably my favorite romantic comedy of all time. And rewatching it, it reminded me of John Hannah in Four Weddings and a Funeral. Which reminded me of the (unofficial) Best Use of a Poem in a Feature Length Movie. What a scene that is. What a delivery. People who dismiss all romantic comedies miss out on some quality stuff.
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
by W. H. Auden
Thanks to Kate for recommending Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex
by Mary Roach. A hysterical romp through scientific articles on sex, covering the last 150 years. Read the book, then go rent Kinsey, if you haven't seen it yet. That Kinsey, he was kooky!
But for the best book on gender, the front-runner remains Woman: An Intimate Geography by Natalie Angier. Fascinating from start to finish. We wimmenfolk, we are COMPLICATED.
OK, you know how sometimes you save a blog topic and you just add and add and add to it until it’s so huge that you don’t know what to do with it? Well, this is one of those.
A few years ago I read The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan, and raved about it like a lunatic for a few years. That book forced me to start buying only organic potatoes.
Then I read The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan. And I wanted to stop eating corn.
Then I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver. And now I’m crazed completely and plan to expand my own vegetable patch. An interesting illustration from that book is the "Vegetannual" which explains nicely why the foods in season have to come from a specific part of the plant at a specific time. She’s also online, with lots of other resources.
Find a CSA (Community-supported agriculture) program near you
Find farmer’s markets near you.
What produce is in season now, by state.
Here’s a fascinating look at which companies own different branches of the organic industry.
If you happen to live near Chicago, as I do, there is a lot of info on the Vital Information blog.
If you don’t enjoy reading and would rather watch a nice documentary, in which a somewhat wacky farmer goes from conventional to organic farming, there’s The Real Dirt on Farmer John. I hear King Corn is good, but I haven’t seen that one yet.
And lastly, the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) helps grassroots groups ensure fair prices for family farmers, safe and healthy food, and vibrant, environmentally sound rural communities. For when you are ready to take up pitchforks to change the world.
Please let me know if any of this was helpful to you! The comments section is always open.
