Is the technique or good ingredients that make tasty food? Some chefs say use the freshest ingredients possible by buying in season
produce and going for meats that are local and fresh butchered. America has gotten away from this to a degree, although we are seeing a return to using
local suppliers to save money on gas surcharges. Treehugger.com recommends going on the 100-mile diet, where you only eat food that is grown or raised
or made within 100 miles of your home. That's easier in the summer when farmers across the U.S. harvest bountiful shares of veggies. In the winter, it
may get a little dull.
But most of us still want to eat bananas for breakfast in December, oranges for snack in July and slice tomatoes for sandwiches in
October when the produce is shipped in from Latin America.
And how is that asparagus is on the menu in fine dining restaurants not just in April but throughout the year?
But I will admit, there is nothing better than a meal of tomatoes picked from my garden topped with basil that grows right next to
it, along with crab netted from a local bay. And isn't that why we look forward to the changing of the seasons – so we can cherish each part of the year
for what makes it unique. There's nothing better than devising recipes for butternut squash or pumpkins in late October when you're eating beets,
cabbage and greens. And of course, gaining that obligatory few winter pounds by eating plenty of potatoes during cold months. Or that first relief from
winter when sweet artichokes and bright green peas are making their way on the plate. So although I do rely on grocery stores for year round produce, it
is a bit diluted in the winter when it's picked under ripe and shipped hundreds of miles, I love fresh ingredients best, and I cook them less. Simple
meals tend to work better with fresh, local ingredients, while I pull out the stops with spices and techniques when nothing looks exciting in the
produce aisle. That's when I rely on spicy curries with dried chickpeas served over rice or Moroccan food with preserved lemons over couscous. And
that's when you bust out your sauces to cover up what could be an otherwise bland dinner. So I guess it takes both, or a compromise of both to make
great food year round.
