Thanks to the farmers market, tonight we had blue potatoes again, purple green beans, and grass fed beef. And thanks to my neighborhood Trader Joes, we drank Fetzer's Cabernet and discovered it is is an "earth friendly wine."
Where to begin?
Yes, this was all a very earth friendly, local-economy (save the wine) based meal. However, let me burst any bubbles right now: lest you imagine the five of us sitting down to a tablecloth and smart dinner conversation, please picture Aidan coming home late from football practice, the girls and I eating by ourselves, Sophie with no utensils and popping the bean part out of her purple-turned-green bean pod into my face, and the wine already half gone by the time the meat appeared because it had been one of those days as a parent.
I had been interested in grass fed beef for quite some time (more on that later). And at the market, the kids are drawn to the tent with the cowboys standing in front (www.mountain-beef.com). So this past weekend, beef was on the top of our list. It's a family here in Washington that raise their cattle the old fashion way, roaming the land, and they sell 1/4 sides of beef every October. Supposedly that would be about 100lbs. and fill an entire top portion of a normal freezer. I was curious about how it tasted and eager to support a local family who raises their animals in a humane way with a value of caring for the land. I've been daunted by the price of organic beef and recently skeptical of what that label even means. This meat is $3.20/lb and it was good!
The purple beans and potatoes are just so fun for the kids and I have to say, worshipful. I am amazed at the variety of foods that were created for us to enjoy and I want to partake in keeping them alive. Buying them supported a local farming couple, educated my children, and diversified our nutrition and palate.
And the wine... we like them bold. Cabernet is our favorite this year and I can tell a good one. Unfortunately, we can't afford a good one and we often settle for Trader Joe's 3-buck-chuck. To tell you the truth, it stinks. But, when we have a special meal we splurge on Fetzer's $5.99 Cab. It's pretty good for the price and I'm even more excited after scoping out their website and seeing all the cool things they're doing to be good stewards of their farming practices.
All this to say, every meal can be a practice in caring for creation and bringing the Creator to your table. Am I a purist? No. I'm too human to be a purist. Am I enjoying this journey of discovering, playing, and celebrating the bounty? Hmm...
2 comments:
I'm glad to hear that about Fetzer. I usually pick that when I splurge up from my usual Carlo Rossi's table wine. In fact, there is an open bottle on my counter right now too!
Beth, I think you are fab. Have I told you that lately? :-) Thanks for writing.
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