Still Smitten!

Ray and I just finished a few days away in Eastern Oregon. On our way back to Albany from Joseph, we came across a ton of cattle ranches. I have to say that seeing all these cattle grazing on grass made me very happy. Yes...I'm still a vegetarian but seeing happy cows lulling about and nibbling at the variety of sweet grasses has to make even a vegetarian happy.

I am almost finished reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma!" It's a very informative and good book. I have learned a lot about food since moving to Oregon and have become more interested in finding out where my food comes from. I wanna know where it is raised, where it is grown and how far it has to go to get to me. And, that is what is great about living here in Oregon. Take a trip! Seriously...get in your car, take a drive or get on your bike or walk and you will see where a lot of our local food is grown!

My goal over the next several months, is to find a chef that is willing to give me a few hours every day for one week. I wanna pick his or her brain about food! I wanna see where they trod, pick what they pick, forage what they forage, put on my big boots and get the whole knee deep experience! Not an original idea but if Michael Pollan can do it, so can I.

Thinking twice or several times a day about what to serve for dinner or for breakfast to our guests is part of my normal life. I want to be sure to use what I can that is local, found here in Oregon and my region. Our guests love that we take the time to be sure our eggs are from chickens raised here in our valley and they love when I take a few minutes to let them know that I got our Sourdough Raisin Walnut bread from our farmer's market on Saturday or that the kale I have tossed in butter and French salts came from the local roadside stand that actually trusts that you'll slip your money in to the little non descript slot. By the way...that still freaking amazes me.

So, watch for my story or blog that follows me tagging along with a local chef to see how a week in their food life goes. And, check out Michael's book..."The Omnivore's Dilemma!"