Great Grandmothers to the Power of 42--What did they eat?

Posted by J.W.
From JoJoNinja
I was recently introduced by a friend to the concept of the Paleo Diet.  It's a fascinating idea, one that takes (or at least, attempts to take) what is consumed back as far as possible, via educated guess work.  Rather then early Industral Age, or Pre-Industrial/Medieval, which I usually discuss (which would be within the past, say 10-20 generations of human existence), fans of the Paleolithic diet argue that human beings have only been eating grain in great quantities since the advent of agriculture, and that we spent a much longer time before that in hunter-gatherer tribes.  They also point to the health of modern hunter-gatherer groups such as the Hazda people of Africa, or Native Australians...who, so long as they follow a traditional diet, are virtually free of many modern diseases such as heart disease, obesity, cancer, etc.

Being a fan of Michael Pollan's similar synopsis of the modern diet, I set out to give it a try, and found the positive and negative aspects to be more complex then I suspected:

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In Season Right Now

Posted by J.W.

FOODS IN SEASON NOW

VEGETABLES
artichoke, arugula, asparagus, corn, cucumber, fava beans, kohlrabi, peas, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, zucchini

FRUIT & NUTS
apricots, cherries, grapefruit, lemons, limes, passion fruit, pineapple, plums, strawberries

MEAT
duck, lamb

FISH & SEAFOOD
mackerel

List from Eat The Seasons, North America , a quick way to check in on what's in season, with tips on storing and preparing(not to mention recipes!).  It updates regularly.  Another great resource is How to Pick a Peach: The Search for Flavor from Farm to Table by Russ Parsons.  Check out the side links, too!


Why eat seasonal?

1) This is what our ancestors did. Up until very recently in the course of history, foods weren't available year-round, and so when a particular item was abundant, it was enjoyed and savored, rather then taken for granted. 

2) It encourages you to include both a greater volume and more diversity in the produce you consume, not to mention tasting better!  When farmers choose crops to not spoil when they're shipped long distances, flavor looses out.  

3) It's healthier; eating seasonally makes it easier to eat locally grown food, which means that chances are your food will be fresher, therefore more nutritious, and less likely to be covered in the more creepy chemicals used to keep food good until it gets to the store. 
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Blog Award...how fun is this?

Posted by J.W.
My sweet friend and fellow mama blogger Thalassa over at Musings of a Kitchen Witch nominated me for this.


Apparently, I am supposed to list seven things that readers probably wouldn't know about me, followed by five other blogs that I love.

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