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As I've been putting together menus for our household for the week, my mind has been wandering back through history and thinking about how many of our eating habits have changed. Look in your fridge and freezer. What do you see? How many foods were grown in a distant location from your home? How many foods do you eat each day that simply can't be harvested in the week you consume them?
I have a ripe avocado sitting on my kitchen counter right now. Two weekends ago we enjoyed wild blueberries harvested on the opposite coast of our country. And tonight I made a Mexican bean soup that contained corn. All of these foods had to travel from some far away location to my kitchen
Around the Centennial of our country, meal planning was vastly different from today. There were no 24-hour supermarkets or pinterest boards for inspiration and recipe links. In summer, you likely walked out to the garden to see what could be used in the coming few days. On the Fourth of July in 1876, a celebration may have included a picnic in the town square or on the grass in front of the church. Depending where in the US you lived, you might have brought cold chicken, new potatoes in their jackets, and pie made with ingredients from your own garden. The community may have put together something for entertainment, a recitation of the Declaration of Independence, and a barrel of lemonade. Alternatively, if you lived in a city, there may have been a parade along with patriotic readings and recitations. If you were celebrating in your home, your meal may have included garden-fresh green peas, lettuce leaves, and if you lived where the soil warms quickly in spring, your corn may have been ready to harvest for eating green.
Even at the highest government levels of the time, seasonal eating held true. I recently came across the menu from the White House in 1887 for the Fourth of July. Under President Hayes, the White House residents and their honored guests dined perhaps more luxuriantly than common citizens, but the local and seasonal emphasis remained. Here's what was served for the main meal at the White House that year for the Fourth:
The produce on the menu, the new potatoes, the green peas, the cucumbers, and the strawberries, would have all been ready to harvest by the Fourth of July in that year. [The White House Cookbook .ⓒ 1887 on Internet Archive]
When I survey my own vegetable and fruit garden in early July, I feel a deep connection to the farmers and gardeners of years' past. I, too, head out to the garden to see what can be used in our meals. And when I decided on my Fourth of July menu plan, what was ready in my garden significantly influenced the final plan.
When we plan our meals around what is seasonal, not only do we save money, but we also practice a timeless form of stewardship, with an emphasis on sustainability, health, and responsible resource management. Eating locally and seasonally reduces transportation emissions, minimizes preservative use (with fewer wax coatings or artificial ripening agents), and delivers a higher nutritional value and flavor. It's a win, win, win all around.
Wishing you all a lovely Fourth of July. Enjoy the good food and good company!
Lili, I totally agree with your sentiment on eating locally and seasonally. If you have not read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver I highly recommend it. She and her family spent a year eating locally and in season and it’s a wonderful insight into how our food is produced, the effect on the environment of mass transportation of food, and coming together as a family to enjoy the pleasure of growing, cooking, and eating. Plus recipes! Have a Happy Fourth. Annie
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