More thoughts on Food

Last Saturday, I finally finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I have really enjoyed this book. No I didn't read it, but I did listen to all 15 hours of the audiobook.

As a result of reading this book, I have started 3 new projects. I hope to continue at least 2 of them. Leila and I began Project 1 on April 1st. We planted seeds: tomato, pepper, onion, herbs, and lettuce. Leila agreed to these vegetables as a start. So now on our back porch we have about 100-120 little plants coming up. In May, we will transplant them to either planters that go on the patio and front porch or to the yard. I am most excited about the tomato plants. We have about 4 varieties from Early Girl (a hybrid) to Brandy (a large organic). There are also 3 types of salad greens.

Project 2 was making hard cider. I did it and it did not turn out great. I used juice from the grocery store along with champagne yeast. It fermented but I think I should have tried using organic apple cider--the kind that isn't clear. I think I am going to try this next.

Finally Project 3--cheese making. This Sunday we are going to try to make fresh mozzarella. From there, who knows? It might turn out well or it might be disgusting. We'll have to see.

Most of these projects are a result of the book. I want to be more involved in our food.

People have had to produce their own food for thousands of years and I want to be part of the food that I am partaking of. As a boy, my dad would force us to go out to the garden to hoe the plants. I hated it. HATED IT. I also hated picking beans. And stringing them. I did however enjoy the cucumbers, tomatoes, and watermelons.

I remember the time that my dad and I were picking the green beans. We both started on different rows. He was faster. When he was about half way up his row, I started pulling up the plants by their roots as I picked the beans. (You have to pick bean plants several times and I did not want to have to return to this job again.) When he finished picking his row, he turned around and saw what I had done. He did not punish me but he did laugh. He wasn't really happy that I had pulled up the plants but he understood. I didn't pull up any more plants on anymore rows for a long time.

I guess I wrote this entry because I wanted to somehow mark the end of reading the book. I began the book walking to school in March. I listened to it as I drove to southern Illinois. I finished it running at the gym.