By Caitlin Coe
My absolute favorite thing to do on Saturday mornings is toodle through our local farmer's market. First off, there's a great air about the place: the wonderful, green aromas brought in by all of the newly harvested veggies and fruits is pretty intoxicating. Finding the perfect bunch of grapes, deeply green and entirely non-woody asparagus stalks, and a basket of bright red-orange-yellow apples is like a winning a tasty little scavenger hunt. Getting to chat with the farmers about how the season is looking and when they picked their goods, as opposed to flagging someone down at the grocery store to find out when they unloaded the truck that week—talk about keeping it real! But beyond the scents and sights, there's a rare sense of camaraderie among complete strangers, all gathered in a kind of celebration of something very simple—really good, well-tended, fresh food. Which is exactly what drew Myra Goodman, the author of Food to Live By and founder of Earthbound Farms, into the lifestyle she's enjoying—that of the old-fashioned farmer with modern ideals. And she's a pretty terrific cook, too.
Remember the first time you found a bag of freshly washed salad greens at your grocery store and thought, "Well, duh! This is brilliant!"? Yeah, that was Goodman's idea. Starting from her entirely un-farmer-like upbringing in Manhattan to her current rural spread in Carmel Valley, California, Goodman has made a quest of bringing fantastic organic goods to the forefront of the American palate. And yes, there's a key word there: "organic." A current buzzword among foodies and health nuts alike, the true definition of "organic" sometimes gets lost as a marketing tool, or just brings to mind all things vegetarian. So here's the deal: when you eat an organic food, you're eating something produced without toxic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. It's that simple, and that good for you.
When you cook with organic foods, they bring a layer of earthy, lively taste to the meals, which you just can't replace—for a classic example, try Goodman's Curried Chicken Salad (see, told you it wasn't all about the vegetarian dishes!). You'll put those lovely grapes you found to surprisingly good use, in addition to crispy celery, flat-leaf parsley, and freshly ground spices. Goodman's Blond Chicken Stock is a key staple, and will turn you off the canned stuff for good—not only is it rich in depth of flavor, it's a great use for all those chicken leftovers you're not allowed to feed the dog. In Food to Live By, you can also find fantastic side dishes for all of those veggies you don't necessarily need but just can't pass up at the market, such as Yukon Gold "Risotto" with Winter Greens. You get creamy cheesy risotto—a perfect comfort food—without the rice, and finally a dish to feature that gorgeous Swiss chard that you haven't been able to find a home for.
Then there's dessert. The smell alone from Goodman's Fresh Peach Pie will do you in, but the amazing summery taste will finish you. Now, you'll likely have to wait until summer again to make this treat—when you're cooking with locally grown organic goodies, seasons actually mean something (a concept I had to get used to when I moved from the West Coast to the Midwest). Availability instills patience and planning, which makes treats like peaches, plums, and melons all the more delectable—you anticipate them, enjoy them while you can, and move on to the next harvest. In Myra Goodman's Food to Live By, you'll find a perfect recipe for all seasons. And for the impatient among us, there's always the bag of great organic greens in your fridge—thanks to Goodman, too.
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