Grazing

Last night, on a whim, I decided to eat as local as possible. Avoid the grocery store. Forage from the yard. Well, yes, it isn't quite that easy . . . I don't have a free-range dairy cow, a walnut tree, nor a field of wheat. But I used what I had in terms of fresh produce.

As I like a little fruit on this particular salad, it took a little thinking before I realized that I actually had some amazing, freshly ripe blackberries waiting to be plucked from the "wasteland" by our driveway. To think I almost overlooked them is a shame. Despite our lack of significant rainfall in about two months, those blackberries were huge, and sweeter than I remember them ever being.

My salad greens are preparing to bolt, but still offered enough leaves for a decent sized salad.


The tomatos are just getting into the swing of things and there were more than enough for my favorite bruschetta. Though, I have to fess up that I cut more basil, while pruning back the flowers, than I could even use.

It was a treat to eat from my own garden, yet also bittersweet, as it was a reminder of how much time and energy goes into our food. How much land and how much time would it require to feast entirely from your own backyard, or is it even possible at all? It seems we have left our self-sufficiency behind us. I've heard that currently there are only 5 acres available for every person on the planet. I'm sure that number is dwindling, even as I write this. So I guess the question is, can a person sustain themselves on 5 acres of land? As a vegan it is supposed to be possible, but since vegans frequently encounter nutritional deficiencies, I have to wonder. . . .