More on the food we eat

Caryl Elzinga left a comment on my last blog--for those of you who don't read comments--on the food supply chain, principally what happens to beef before it makes it to market. She didn't say where she is, and my attempt to post a return blog and to return her email were unsuccessful, but I did look her up on the web. She and her husband run Alderspring Ranch in Idaho, and they ship grass-fed meat and poultry across the country. (Living in Idaho where population is sparse, they can't afford Joel Salatin's luxury of refusing to ship meat.) But Caryl told me about two websites that will lead you to fresh, organic meat and produce wherever you live. They are eatwild.com and localharvest.com. At eatwild, I found there is a supplier of grass-fed beef about forty miles from here--with a ten-pound minimum, they'll deliver (I'm thinking of collaborating with my neighbor). They have beef, lamb, pork, and poultry. I had less success with localharvest, only coming up with one farm in Texas--does that say something about Texas? I know we have a Farmer's Market in Fort Worth, but that may be a guarantee of freshness but not of lack of pesticides, etc. I intend to ask some questions next time I'm at Central Market--they sell organic California produce but it is three or four times the cost of regular California produce. But I'm still cogitating on all this.
Meantime, last night I went out and ate Mexican food with Jordan, Jacob, and Christian's sister, Julie. Now you know none of that is organic, and the beans reek from lard--but they are so good! And today I'm thinking, "Hmmmm--St. Patrick's Day. Corned beef and colcannon." So even though we may have pure thoughts, we don't always act on them--at least I don't.
St. Patrick's Day is Jordan's b'day, and she's asked for tacos on the porch Sunday night--her b'day request since she was four or five. This year, I'm through with those little packets of seasoning--there's a local restaurant that serves the best tacos I've ever had, garnished with really fresh greens and tomatoes, feta cheese (yep, none of that pre-packaged cheddar) and cilantro. So I called to order meat, explaining that I didn't want their tacos because they'd be stale by the time I served them. The manager understood, and when I said, "But your meat is so much better than those seasoning packets," he almost snapped, "Of course it is!" We're getting meat from Fuzzy's, and I'm serving feta, though Jordan says I have to have cheddar for traditionalists (this is always a make-your-own taco buffet). I suggested tonight that corn might be a good addition--I'd read that somewhere--and at first she was horrified, but then she said, "Yeah, try it." A local wonderful country Italian restaurant here, Nonna Tata, puts corn kernels in their green salad, and it's terrific--if a bit hard to eat. When I first mentioned corn, Jordan said, "Cooked?" I didn't tell her what a raw kernel of corn would be like!
Jordan got a splendiferous birthday present from Christian--a new Toyota Forerunner. She insisted on black (though I objected it shows dirt and is hot in the Texas summer). She said she'd always wanted black--and she has wanted a Forerunner since she first learned to drive. She's one happy camper tonight, and I'm happy for them.