Yesterday was like a breath of spring. No rain, very warm and deliciously sunny. Today we are back to winter.
Be that as it may, the weather yesterday drew me out of kitchen and hovel to begin work on the Polytunnel, aka hoophouse, aka greenhouse.
Read more about it and track the progress of my DIY project here.
The most obvious question is, however, why is a chef building a greenhouse–what has this construction project got to do with food? Leave that stuff to the gardeners. . . .
Well, true in one respect. However, this is more than weekend warrior machismo or being happily diverted in a project. This is about control. Control of what we eat and how it is produced, and when. I want garden greens now. I want my family, friends and clients to have the best. I also want to cut out the middle man, the expense of travel and the need to rely on others for basic things. Moreover, what I want to eat and play with isn’t always available to me in my area. Besides this, I’m a bit mad in case you haven’t figured that out yet.
The seed orders have arrived and as the shell of the polytunnel takes shape I am already seeing the potential chillies, eggplants, and tomatoes. Oh, I can buy these anywhere throughout the year. I can go to a Farmer’s Market in season and pick them up at their peak. But I can also grow and experiment with exactly what I want, how I want it and capture it at its best. The challenge of peak variety and peak flavor. Besides I’m not just speaking about an isolated concept, I’m selling a lifestyle. One which more of us should aspire to. Perhaps not back to the land, but at least achieving a greater knowledge of where our food comes from, the things which can effect its flavor and the pride in ownership–"hey, I grew this" or "hey, I’ve never tasted something so fresh".
So I hope you’ll check out the project, subscribe to The Gastrocast Podcast, watch the blog via RSS and come with me as we take this journey in 2006.
