Good Read: Animal Vegetable Miracle

I just finished reading Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barabara Kingsolver and must admit, it's already got me changing the way I look at food. About six months ago I rekindled my relationship with the KCC Farmer's Market here on Oahu when I moved back into town. And its become a part of my Saturday morning ritual: Coffee, Farmer's Market and then home to whip up a couple of meals I can eat through the week. But back to the book...

When an old high school friend who wasn't particularly into organic food/enviromentalism/sustainability recommended it as a good read, I knew I had to pick it up. Barbara Kingsolver, of The Poisonwood Bible fame, moves her family from Arizona to a farm in rural Virginia and vows to eat locally for a year. Barbara's family's journey includes farming a few acres and raising their own chickens and turkeys, a little much for me, but the information she provides along the way about the state of the agriculture industry in the U.S. is eye-opening. I'd read about half of Fast Food Nation a handful of years back and felt constantly bombarded by information- good information, just wasn't loving the package. Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle gives you tons of insight along the way but also provides encouragement for reacquainting yourself with the kitchen. For some, the story may be a little dauting and she acknowledges it: Do many Americans have time to grow dozens of pounds of tomatoes to make homemade sauce and then can it using proper canning technique? No. But you can opt for organic tomato sauce at the store and whip up your own homemade pesto in about 5 minutes. Plus, she'll point out that your homemade pesto can be made for pennies compared to purchasing premade. I just whipped up my own pesto yesterday after my Farmer's Market trip and froze individual portions in a mini-muffin tray, mostly, I must say, inspired by this latest read.

A really inspiring read, I can say I'll increase my support of local farmers and be on the lookout for organic versions of dinner staples (spaghetti sauce, soup, etc). If you live in Hawaii/on Oahu, here are a couple of links to get you started:


Ma'o Organic Farms
Based in Waianae, Ma'o gets Hawaiian youth off the street and into the fields. They're all organic with a great mission and I buy something every Saturday from them at the KCC Farmer's Market.


KCC Farmer's Market
Hawaii's biggest Farmer's Market. I love the Hamakua Mushroom, Big Wave Tomato and Ma'o stalls.


Whole Foods
You already know about Whole Foods Kahala but they've just opened a Whole Foods Maui in Lahaina! Yes, they maybe a little pricey, but their online recipes are great, gotta check it out. Plus, they buy from local farmers and producers unlike Safeway, etc.