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eat the sunflower.
Its going to crush me breaking this sunflower apart- but I will. On my window sill the light catches it magnificently- the flower is the size of a dinner plate, its seed rows glow like perfect magazine teeth. I want those seeds…oh, but I want that flower just the same. It is a monument to the phenomenon that is food, nature, what we understand and what we never will. When Karissa handed me a bag of goods harvested from her garden the other day, I knew I was in for a treat. The woman can grow anything, anywhere and grow it beautifully. I’m constantly telling her to enter her vegetables in State Fairs…really, the size of her zucchini are shocking- the weight of one is equivalent to that of a toddler. Her tomatoes are as sweet as candy, her chard picturesque, her cucumbers have the ability to outright embarrass those sourced elsewhere.In this particular bag I was gifted a sunflower. A fucking astonishingly handsome sunflower. In all honesty, my first thought was “I cant eat this- its too lovely!”. Then I began to think a little deeper about it…I thought about all that Karissa grows and how fantastic her produce tastes. I thought about those seeds, imagined their flavor and about roasting them, the seasonings I could introduce (allspice/cinnamon, dill, cumin/chili powder being just a few). I own an arsenal of spices- this fine sunflower had me crawling nearly completely into my cupboard to browse and evaluate. I have almost, and I say almost, come to terms with butchering my flower in order to enjoy its food. It will indeed happen…I think I just need a couple more days to say good-bye.
Posted on October 6, 2009 ()
Seattle is home.
Im a yoga teacher.
My time is spent... horseback riding, writing and reading too much.
Some of my favorite books- Welcome to the Machine (Derrick Jensen), I Know This Much Is True (Wally Lamb), East of the Mountains (David Guterson), Whores and Other Feminists (Jill Nagle), Cunt (Inga Muscio).
I am drawn to...
The Southwestern portion of the US- cacti and desolate dry sprawling earth.
Photography- pictures of people mainly, black and white.
Music- Mostly country. And anything that I can dance to.
Foods that I never tire of- blueberries, figs, squash, tempeh, radicchio, avocado, red grapes, heirloom tomatoes, tahini, olives, walnuts, asparagus, eggplant, cherries, kale, apple butter, pears, mango, mushrooms, melon, brussels sprouts, collard greens, peaches...
I abhor factory farming. To know my food is of utmost importance-where its been, how it was raised...I respect the earth and myself too much to plead ignorance. The family farm is collapsing under the weight of big business. I want to take responsibility for my food and I feel our current system fails to do that. I fully applaud those folks that are still living off the land and providing for their families. Having worked on small farms in the past and seen firsthand what sustainable farming (animal & vegetable) looks like- its apparent that our current conditions are far removed from the original respectable idea. It shows in our tasteless food, our declining health, our damaged environment.
I'm a fan of spicy foods- Indian and Thai cuisine.
My drinks- red wine, dark beer and a good gin neat.
Dessert- nice dark chocolate in small amounts, a fresh piece of fruit. I don't have much of a sweet tooth.
Coffee- good ol' fashioned drip, an espresso or an americano...always black.
Cooking, eating, interviews, road trips and photographs- I share my adventures here. I feel fortunate as hell and immensely grateful for the opportunity to visit farms, sample restaurants and meet the truly lovely folks behind it all.
Questions/comments? Email me at: cherie@cheriepicked.com
