cookbook sampler
I n my view good vegetarian
This means that
cooking is not about reinventing
they have had to
the wheel-the world is already
be harvested or
full of wonderful vegetable
picked early and
dishes that I look to for my in-
before they have
spiration. My ethos is to choose
had a chance to
quality ingredients, understand
ripen as nature
the classic fl avor combinations,
intended. The
and introduce a twist or two to
ripening process
keep things modern and inter-
is then stopped
esting. You may be passionate
in its tracks by
about the source of your food
refrigerated
for ethical or health reasons, or
transport and
you may just want the freshest
other forms of
and best produce because you
hightechnology
enjoy eating well. These days
food storage. Not
the provenance of what we eat
surprisingly, by
is relevant to everyone and is a
the time you put
highly topical and hotly debated
the “fresh” fruit
issue. It may seem as if it’s only
and vegetables
recently that we have become
in your shopping
so interested in where our food
cart they are often
comes from but for some people
lacking in fl avor
it has been a concern for a
and can be a big
Ross Dobson’s Market Vegetarian
long time. In parts of the United
disappointment.
States the resurgence in fresh
Market researchers have estab-
daily harvested squash blossoms
food shopping options, such as
lished that modern consumers like
at the Campo dei Fiori in Rome
farmers’ markets, began in the
to see the word “fresh” on food
and squeaky fresh corn-on-the-
early 1970s, but it has really only
packaging so it’s a term that’s
cob at an Amish stall in Union
been in the last decade that this
often used but rarely true. “Fresh”
Square in New York City. True,
movement has gained momen-
shelled peas in a plastic tray and
these are unique and famous
tum in other developed coun-
covered in plastic wrap are al-
marketplaces, and for most of
tries. There is now a widespread
ready well past their prime-fresh in
us they are a long way from
desire to know where our
this case simply means not frozen.
home, but they are essentially
food originates from and many
You probably won’t even see the
no different to your local markets.
chefs and food writers, myself
word fresh used to describe pro-
Whether in the heart of a massive
included, are only too happy to
duce on sale at your local farmers’
metropolis or the parking lot of
champion the cause.
market; it would be both preaching
your local school, they all share
Today’s globalized food to the converted and superfl uous-
the same philosophy and purpose.
market ensures that most of
of course what’s on sale there is
They are a direct link between the
our food can be bought all
fresh!
grower and the buyer and a place
year round but the obvious
We may think of the concept
where only one degree of separa-
of a farmers’ market as being
tion exists between you and the
problem with buying fruit and
a relatively new thing but in
origin of your food. The stalls at
vegetables during the months many countries around the
your food market are more often
when they do not grow locally
world the fresh food markets
than not manned by the growers
is that they have, inevitably,
have been a way of life for cen-
themselves and they become the
had to travel a consider-
turies. I’ve been lucky enough
guarantors of the provenance of
to see baskets of just-picked,
the food you buy there. The week-
able distance to reach the
exotic herbs on display at the Aw
end is often the only time that they
shelves of your local grocer. Taw Kaw markets in Bangkok,
are not in the fi elds or
Photo by Richard Jung
organicshoppermag.com 17
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