let me get right to it. i love vegetables.
that thing that happens--among the soil and the sun and the seasons and the human hands--that is why i cook, to somehow be as much a part as i can of that conversation. our relationship as a species with sustenance offered from the earth has been one of both heartbreaking tenderness and incredible greed. and yet: we are learning again to cultivate with the intelligence of our heart. it's bigger (it really is) than our desire for more.
to that end, i've decided to emphasize plant-based recipes on groove food. i've no agenda to reform meat-eaters into tofu-guzzlers (please don't do that) or to billy club you with celery root or moral messages. the truth is, i get over-the-moon excited about preparing colorful things and telling their stories. it's why i started this space. okay. full disclosure: did you know fewer than 3% of americans consume the (measly) USDA-recommended three or more servings of vegetables a day? statistics make me very sad, but especially that one. if my blog had a slogan, it would be "3% and growing!"
perhaps one of the most politically powerful (and joy-inducing) things we can do at this point is cook for ourselves. when we cook, we no longer allow some massive corporation to control our food. each ingredient matters. in addition to this, i am of the mind that preparing fresh fruits and vegetables is not tiresome, but sensual. the shapes, textures, smells, even the gentle drum of a cleaver meeting cumbersome melon, is an invitation to the present moment.
in an effort to back all these beliefs with action and live like i really mean it, i am going to try my damnedest to get you, beautiful cleaver-wielders, a recipe every week.
as always, i hope to inspire you. somehow. to eat one more colorful thing a day. to throw on the new justin timberlake album, brush off your cutting board, and make salads like disco kings and queens. to invite your wee ones to help you in the most loving room of any home--the kitchen. to have a cookfest. invite me.
yours, in pursuit of freshness,
lmw
notes
* the 3% statistic comes courtesy of the US department of health & human services
* michael pollan's interview in the winter 2013 issue of lucky peach definitely inspired bits & pieces of this post. i would be remiss not to mention it.