don’t grow on the land at Primo, I get from local growers right here in Rockland. So many local or regional farmers are producing gorgeous organic produce, artisanal cheeses, spices and herbs, nuts and seeds—and not just in Maine. Some of my favorites include York Hill Farm in New Sharon, Maine, for artisanal cheeses; Wild Asparagus Farm in Whitefield for Maine wildflower honey; Watershed Farm in Ap-pleton, Maine, for organic vegetables; Peacemeal Farm in Dix-mont, also for organic vegetables; Spear Farm in Warren for To the Market and in the Garden
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vegetables; and Anson Mills in Columbia, South Carolina, for organic grains like their fabulous polenta and wonderful farro.
Chances are there are lots of local producers with fresh organic food right where you live.
Farmers’ markets, natural food co-ops, and even roadside produce stands are great places to shop. Many areas have a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. You sign up, then every week throughout the growing season, you get to pick up a big sack of fresh produce grown and freshly picked by the farmers in your own community. You’ll get to eat seasonally the easy way, with all the very freshest and ripest produce handed to you. You’ll eat more fruits and vegetables, you’ll feel better, and you’ll be connected to your community in a very meaningful way.
Browsing the farmers’ market is fun, too. Visit with the growers and ask questions about the work they do, why they grow the crops they grow, how the weather is influencing this week’s or month’s or season’s harvest. You never know what you might learn about why this batch of berries tastes better than the last, about the person who made the bread, or about why someone specializes in making a particular kind of cheese.
Go to the farmers’ market regularly so that the farmers and other artisanal producers get to know you. They might even start setting aside the best of what they’ve got just for you because they recognize that you truly appreciate the very best and freshest food. They also appreciate what you know. Tell them of things you remember from your childhood, a kind of special tomato or apple or bread, and see if they can help you find these items. Getting to know the people who grow the food you eat is a wonderful way to get more connected with your food and community.
Wouldn’t you rather wander through the open air looking at freshly picked produce than push a cart through the fluorescent Mediterranean Women Stay Slim, Too
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light of a megasupermarket? I know I would. Making weekly farmers’ market visits a priority helps you schedule in some relaxing Mediterranean-style leisure time. It also gives you a great opportunity to get more variety in your diet. If you make it a point to try something new every time you visit the farmers’
market, you will meet more people, try more things, train your palette to be even more discerning, and experience more of the adventure that eating should be.
I know this might sound like a lot of work, and it is surely faster to rush to the grocery store once a week, buy whatever you need, and be done with it. But taking the time to follow your food, choose it with care, and relish the sensual pleasures of touching and tasting as you decide what deserves to grace your dinner table—this embraces the spirit of eating in the Mediterranean.
Once you get home with your bundle of fresh food, the real fun starts: devising ways to serve this food in the tastiest ways possible. Sometimes, simple is best—thick, juicy slices of peaches or melons, tangy vine-ripened tomatoes topped with a sprinkle of salt and some fresh basil, salad greens just picked and drizzled with olive oil. But you can do a lot more with the fresh produce you find growing all around you. Here are some of my favorite recipes to inspire you.
MANDOLINES
A mandoline is a French cooking tool that makes slicing vegetables and fruits practically effortless. Buy a
Bryan Cohen
William H. Weber
The Destined Queen
Harper James
David Poulter
Kasey Michaels
Jaye Wells
Clair de Lune
Rachel Caine
Griff Rhys Jones