Spring Resolutions

Like many people, I have always made ambitious New Year’s resolutions, vowing to be better, do better, and live better. And like many, by about March, I’ve sort of forgotten about my initial goals. This year however, I had an epiphany- what about making a Spring Resolution, to mark the first day of spring and all things fresh and new? So this year, on March 21st, the first day of spring, I renewed my vows to do better and eat better by starting the 100 Mile Diet. This is not a typical diet; it’s an effort to eat food that comes from within 100 miles of your home. The idea is to reconnect with your food, your local farmers, and the seasons. By supporting local, sustainable agriculture, you learn about the area around you, the great artisan products that you might be missing, and skilled craftsmen that make or grow them.
So much of our food now travels an average of 1,500 miles before ending up in our kitchens. Globalization of the food supply has a tremendous impact on the environment, our health, our communities and our taste buds. The apple that you ate with breakfast most likely came from Chile- but what about the bounty of apples growing in Hood River? Many of us do not think about them at all.
Rather than obsessing about every single detail and product that I use in the kitchen, I’m going to try the 80/20 rule- 80% of ingredients will be within the 100 mile radius, while the other 20% can be carefully selected from anywhere. As excited as I am about the Eat Local challenge, I’m not quite ready to give up my morning coffee.
For me, the Eat Local Challenge is more of a way to enjoy the harvest of each season and celebrate Oregon’s Bounty. At In Good Taste, we have an “Oregon’s Bounty” series of classes that do just that. Each class has a seasonal menu based on local ingredients from sustainable farmers and purveyors.
I look at this like a great scavenger hunt- how fun is it to research food and find the best and most interesting ingredients from around the Portland area, and then create a fantastic menu? It’s like a Mystery Basket challenge, but with a much bigger basket.

-Josie Ross