There are two elements throughout this book that we have not yet discussed: sections written by Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver, Barbara Kingsolver’s husband and eldest daughter.
Steven offers practical information and tips — from information on the Farm Bill and school lunch legislation, to one of my favorite paragraphs, “How to Impress your Wife, Using a Machine” where he describes the convenience and wonder of the bread machine, and how to use healthy substitutions and additions to your bread recipes. These sections always offer concrete resources and ways to get involved.
Camille’s sections at the end of each chapter also offer helpful, practical information in the form of recipes. She often shares a story or her perspective, and then several of their favorite family recipes. At the end of this chapter, she leaves us with a profound (yet simple) thought, “Most of us agree to put away our sandals and bikinis when the leaves start to turn, even if they’re our favorite clothes. We can learn to apply similar practicality to our foods.” She then gives us some recipes for winter vegetables and a week of what their family eats during the cold months. These parts of each chapter give us a glimpse into what local eating looks like on a daily basis for this Virginia family. Sweet Potato Quesadillas? Butternut Bean Soup? These sound delicious to me! These recipes and more are available here.
Barbara Kingsolver does note that if we are reading this in January, we should come back in six months. She reminds us that local eating is possible in January, but the time to think about that is August. Through the winter her pantry is stocked with food they blanched, canned, and stored at the end of the summer. So, until the Farmers’ Markets open back up in our area, it may be a struggle to eat locally if we have not planned to do so. Local foods are springing up in grocery stores and restaurants, so we may be able to find some local, in season options (like collard greens or sweet potatoes). However, maybe the best thing to do is to start learning what is in season, so that eating local, in-season foods becomes more natural to us, like putting away our swimsuits when the weather turns cold.
- Are you in tune with what is in season? If not, check out this helpful chart.
- Do you have any favorite winter recipes? Please share them with us below.
- Are there restaurants or grocery stores that offer local foods in your area?
