Tag: passover

In addition to other life choices, I want to eat more locally. These days, a lot of people do. But I know that if I shop at a farmer’s market, I’m likely to be offered selection of expensive greens (that aren’t filling), breads and soups (where do the raw materials come from?) or meat (which I’ve all but stopped eating; no, I don’t want to see a picture of the animal you’re selling when it was alive, thanks).

There isn’t all that much that’s local and filling. I get apples, apple butter, cheese and cabbage. And sometimes lots of potatoes.

This is the United Nations International Year of the Potato (really; tons of facts there), which is worth remembering this year, when the cost of staple grains is so terribly high. Potatoes can yield more food in a given space than wheat, rice or corn. That might saves lives. And somebody grows them in southern Pennsylvania, which makes Sunday-at-market a bit more rewarding.

Passover starts tomorrow night, and I can only imagine how many potatoes will appear on Jewish tables, if only as potato starch in a sponge cake.

I recommend a blog post by Sharon, a mediation on Passover and potatoes, at Riot 4 Austerity: “The Lowly Potato and the Power of Vegeculture“.