Have you noticed lately that all that beautiful produce on the grocery shelves seems to spoil the day after you get it home? Didn’t it used to last at least a few days longer?
Blame it on Covid… Blame it on Climate Change… Blame it on forest fires and drought in California… Whatever seems to be the problem, go ahead, point that finger.
BUT it’s really simple: as soon as produce is picked or cut, it’s dead. Fini. Kaput. Already on its way to final decomposition. Put that lettuce on a truck from California to the middle of Montana and you’ve added 10 days or so. Factor in fewer trucks (and drivers) and it can stretch even longer. How much “life” can it have left?
Our solution is to buy from local farm stands and the farmers markets, and to plant a garden so we can revel in the abundance a Montana summer can deliver.
Admitted, we have a short growing season, but this year it has been intense.
In our garden, we’ve got basil! Five varieties and plenty of each. The tomatoes and peppers are the best we’ve ever seen. And while we’re not exactly swimming in salad greens, the variety is amazing.
Don’t fight it! Grow your own or buy from a farmer. At least you aren’t at the mercy of the industrial food complex during the summer growing season.
Gardening, sharing, and eating are subversive acts! Do your part.
Next year plant that Victory Garden.
Our latest “subversive act?” Salads that included:
Red leaf lettuce
Green leaf lettuce
Curly endive
Arugula
Nasturtium flowers
Baby green beans
Tiny green pea leaves and tendrils
Cherry tomatoes (red and orange)
Basil – common green, purple, and Thai
Parsley
Garlic chive buds
Take that, Safeway!