Wednesday, January 09, 2008

New Year's Resolutions Begin To Be Revealed

While I very recently said I didn't want to openly state many of my New Year's Resolutions, one that I will state has been my resolution to live greener. It's not as if it's a new development for me, as it's been something I've been pushing for for a while.

As part of the attempt to live greener, TFN and I looked into buying a membership in a produce club. Essentially that means that you buy a share in an organic farm, and every week during the growing season you get a share of the produce that comes from the farm (usually something between a 1/2 and a full bushel).

Your membership keeps the farm alive, and you get fresh organic veggies every week. It's definitely something we wanted in on.

Unfortunately, Metro Detroit's nearest produce club-associated farm involves an hour drive. Driving an hour every week to pick up our vegetables would really not do anything to lessen our footprint, especially when we do have the Eastern Market 15 minutes from our house.

Oh well.

On an unrelated note, I have a tip for dining out. If you want to go to a nice restaurant, and you want extra-special service like overly-attentive servers and all sorts of little treats coming from the kitchen "compliments of the chef", then there is a simple way to get this:

1. Make friends with a chef.
2. Have your friend who is a chef move away.
3. When your friend who is a chef comes to visit, go with him to the restaurants where he is friends with their chefs.
4. Voila! Special treatment.

I am now off to make friends with even more chefs...

6 comments:

fineartist said...

Those peppers are beautiful, but not as beautiful as the yummy tomato picking them out!

I loathe when you try to do the right thing and mileage messes you up, I see you do too.

ron st.amant said...

Actually this is the one thing I miss about living in San Francisco...the neighborhood stores with produce. If we lived in Toronto proper there'd be plenty, but not where we live in the 'burbs.

When we lived in Bernal Heights in SFO there was just such a nice community feeling with the local shops in your 'neighborhood' and all the other neighborhoods had their own and it really made me feel protected somehow.

Jennifer said...

The problem is, it's a lot easier to befriend a bartender, because bartenders are kind of captive. Actually, that's not really even a problem, per se; it just doesn't help if your goal is to befriend a chef, unless, I suppose, the chef you want to befriend is tight with the bartender? I haven't explored that angle. I'm very busy trying to figure out if my new favorite chef enjoys golf. If he does, I am so pimping MrZ, no matter how indecent it might be.

The only special treatment I've ever known was in Edinburgh, at Ducks. The owner made our reservation for us. Unbelievable food & service!

forkdetroit said...

Dont give up on fresh, wholesome produce so soon. In metro detroit you have a couple of options. Of course you have the Eastern Market, open every Saturday of the year, but did you know you can purchase a share of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from a small farm and pick up your produce, each week, at the Market?

There are lots of great changes happening at the Eastern Market and the addition of a farmer that offers CSA share pick up is one of them. Check out www.ourfamilyfarmllc.com

It is not posted, but email Farmer John for more information. A standard share is $475 and a every-other-week share is $260.

They will be in Shed 2 when it re-opens this spring.

Good Luck and Eat Local!

alpharat said...

Who knew blogging would be so helpful! Thanks, fork! You have helped me solve that problem! I'll look into it today!

Angeline Rose Larimer said...

Or, one could learn how to cook, but I don't even own a f*cking garlic press.
Please come here and make friends with the chefs in my area.
As payment, I will give you all the bushels readily available.
So don't come down until August?

Could you invent a tank that runs on pony shit by then?

Thanks.