Thinking about food...

Next week is Thanksgiving, and here in Scotland a few of us expatriate Americans are getting together and celebrating...and inviting our whole class to join us. So far about 15 people have RSVP'ed. The themes of our Thanksgiving dinner are: authentic American (which seems to excite the students that have never experienced Thanksgiving before), and sustainable. Sustainable? How so? Well, for starters we've ordered a free-range turkey from a nearby farm. Factory farming of meat is bad for the environment and just plain cruel to animals. We're also going to be making side dishes with as many local and/or organic ingredients as we can find. Local food...in Scotland...in November? Yep. Even though North-to-South Edinburgh is about halfway between Boston and the Arctic Circle (we're about as far north as Labrador, Canada) it is warm enough to provide local food much of the year (more about that in a future post). Aaron and I do most of our food shopping every Saturday at the Edinburgh Farmers Market (pictures to come). Here's a list of the things we've bought recently from the market:

Vegetables:

• celery
• potatoes
• sweet potatoes
• mushrooms
• tomatoes
• cucumbers
• carrots
• onions
• garlic
• lettuce
• radishes
• kale
• spinach
• brussel sprouts
• cauliflower
• turnips
• parsnips
• beets
• leeks

Fruits:

• raspberries
• strawberries
• apples
• jam
  

Dairy:

• cream
• butter
• cheese (lots of cheese!)
• eggs

Miscellaneous:

• honey
• oats
• barley
• bread, bagels, rolls, pretzels, etc.
• porridge bars (the best damn granola bars ever. Of course they have 450 calories per bar...but its worth it.)

They also have lots of meats and beer, which we will be trying eventually...
I'm very passionate about the importance of eating locally. Why is it important? Among other reasons:

1. It reduces the amount of fossil fuels burned to transport your food (by a lot actually; food on average travels over 2000 miles to get to you!)
2. It is healthier (less processed food is good for you; so is fresher food)
3. It supports smaller local farmers (who really do need the support. 70% of the food you eat is produced by 7% of the farmers in America. Small farmers can't compete, and are leaving the farming business in droves -- sad but true)
   

Plus, I really do love going to the farmers market. Buying food from about 8 different farmers feels a bit like a shopping spree (though its no more expensive than shopping at the supermarket), the food is delicious, and you get to chat with the sellers (many of whom recognize us now -- its so nice!)

Want more ideas for eating better (better for you and better for the environment)? Check out this article.

And I'll report back on our Thanksgiving adventure next week! Gobble gobble.