Delicious Nature

This weekend I went with Michael and his boys to Harriman State Park for a short hike (a 5 mile loop following the Appalachian Trail to lemon squeeze and then turning back on a trail marked by a red triangle marker). The forest was still wet from Hurricane Irene though the sun was shining and the air was warm.

While the men dragged to keep up the rear, the boys complaining along the way, I walked ahead for some peace and quiet. Being outside after the rain you observe so much beauty and productive life and so many smells and colors. I wanted to share some of my favorite observations with you.

I have loved being outdoors for as long as I can remember. I was very lucky to grow up surrounded by Nature and to have a mother that loved being outdoors and active as much as I do now. As a baby, my mom and gram would take me in the stroller down to the end of the paved road. As I got older and my mom had more babies, I walked alongside the stroller and enjoyed searching for wildflowers to decorate the dining table.We would catch and identify insects and climb trees. Later, my sisters and I packed picnics and rode our bikes down to the fields and ate along the streams.

You may wonder, "What does this have to do with culinary school (the topic of this blog)?" .... Here is my short list.
1) I think that we all need to realize the intimate connections between Nature, Nature's cycles, and our food supplies.
2) When I see all of this productive life, I wonder why kids are fed and trained to eat (and enjoy) an endless stream of processed foods.
3) Similarly, I wonder why many, even high end, restaurants prefer to serve "food" that is so manipulated that the base ingredients are unrecognizable.
4) I am inspired by Nature to create meals that are fresh, beautiful, and delicious.

I know that I am not alone in these thoughts, concerns, or philosophies, though I do know that it is a continuous uphill battle with two thirteen year old boys who are not my own.

When Michael and I traveled this summer to Montana, we were lucky to stumble upon a classic western town called Livingston. We had a delicious dinner at the 2nd St Bistro (http://www.secondstreetbistro.com). At the bottom of the menu, they printed their philosophy: "Don't eat anything that your great grandmother wouldn't have recognized as food". I agree.