North Country is a culinary desert. Sad as it may be, some of the most fertile soil in the US is wasted to most unworthy production. That said, we have some incredible farmers doing beautiful things with the land. Great cheese makers, wonderful potato and corn farmers. Even veggie farmers and fruit growers. But they are far and few. The majority of the land it seems is wasted. Upstate NY is NO California. But how I wish it was. But wishes do not make for reality. We make our peace as soon as we get home to enjoy the mediocrity of food around here. One has to pick ones battles. We are grateful for amazing corn, great berries, amazing apples, great melons, good cheese (we have a few amazing cheesmakers doing incredible work) and great cider. For these we hardly ever look too far. Seasons here are all present but sumer is shortest and winter the harshest and longest. It does not make for happy vegetable or fruit farming. The challenges are many. That people have forgotten how to farm the old way and to live and eat as our great grandfathers might have - has added insult to injury, salt to the wounds. Farmstands are abundant in the summer. One can find much squash, tons of corn, potatoes, and some other veggies. Not much for choice, but enough if one can use their imagination and cull from their travels. If you are lucky enough to have a garden - sky is the limit. Especially if you can plan ahead, indoors, and plant outside after last frost. The soil can compete with the best and defeat them hollow. Alluvial and deeply rich. Throw a seed and it flourishes. This past year brought Curtis into our lives and our farmstead. Both Curtis and I are magnets for bigots and haters. Both look like men who are far from lily white and also far from boring and dull. Easy to be picked on and easy to find in a crowd. Curtis could give up hope and leave this area - but he has chosen to enjoy the animals and the people he has found with welcome smiles. His garden is sacred and precious. Fertile and productive. Even with blight and way too much rain, he has blessed us with endless magic in form of gifts of the garden. We are indebted to him for making the garden an oasis in what is mostly a desert. Tonight our dinner was garden-fresh and simple to boot. Salad with mixed greens and tossed with roasted squash, onions and freshly dug potatoes. On the side we had caprese toasts. Mozzarella, jammy and very old Balsamic from Modena and deliciously green and tasty EVOO from Lucini with garden basil and heirloom tomatoes (I chose an orange and red one). Life cannot be more beautiful when lived with such utter simplicity. We dream that someday such beautiful simplicity can be accessible to all. Especially in the rugged region where we make home. As the economy continues to look up - maybe the powers that be and the community at large - can help the least fortunate and bring back some of the old ways our way. That would make us even happier as we enjoy such beautiful food. We will feel less guilty that a neighbor goes hungry or is struggling to find acceptable some chemical ridden food that they know is not good - but is the only thing they can find in a pantry or easy to prepare when struggling to live on a budget. Life is not fair. Especially unfair when one lives around such beautiful surroundings. Some might find it romantic to think that beautiful landscapes can alone cleanse, heal and nourish the mind, body and soul - but I know hunger and poverty have no beautiful face - no matter how much we fool ourselves into thinking so. Thank you Curtis! And of course - we thank our stars every day, for the blessings bestowed on us. We fight to change the plight of others, knowing well that tomorrow, a tough life could stare us on the face too.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 01:33:50 +0000
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