Thursday 1 March 2012

Half baked

My favourite part of getting a cold is the point in your recovery when your appetite returns.


Having starved the cold, nearly drowned in soup kept afloat only by loaves of bread, and forced down enough fruit to sink the man from Del Monte, here's the chance to get my taste buds salivating again.


The body naturally seems to want its greens. Deep, rich and earthy. The dark side of your 5-a-day. 


Yesterday I potted my first lot of peas, casting my dreamy mind back to last years juicy pearls, and their undoubted health kick.


I realised that I was planting to the direct demands of my body, not my eyes, and that my perception of/desire for healthy food is already changing (not that the chippy should worry just yet, one step and all that). But I have noticed this approach in the food I buy too. Where I buy it from, what I buy, what I cook. I'm definitely being more proactive, but it does involve a bit of critical thinking.


Bombarded with nutritional claim and counter claim, I find myself unconsciously retreating to what I trust is good for me. And that seems to be the raw unprocessed freshly pulled crop. If only I had a farm...


Then, the other day I saw this:




Are you taking the beanz?! That's like taking tons of raw potato, trucking them to the factory, cleaning them with what I hope is water, chopping them up, cooking them in industrial vats, deep frying them in gallons of oil, freezing them, shipping them and claiming if all you do is then char them in the oven they're good for you. Oh, wait a minute... (note, I'm speculating on general knowledge that this is how chips are made). "It's all good". Really?


So for now, I'll continue to eat my chips and beans as if they're bad for me, and nurture my peas in the hope of true vegetable redemption.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Spring has sprung and the seed packets are calling, what else will you be growing?

The Hapless Kitchen Gardener

My photo
Bristol
I only feel hapless because some people make it look easy to grow 10 ft marrows or a banquet of greens whereas my courgettes got nabbed by killer slugs and I only got one raspberry. So tips and stories from people less hapless than I are more than welcome. As a disclaimer though, none of my comments should be taken as expert advice on which you can rely! © Unless stated otherwise, and with the exception of guest content where that guest retains copyright, all photos and posts are the copyright of Tom Carpen and may not be used without permission.