Peasant Fare

Welcome to the Peasant Fare blog. This is where Martha reports on her project of producing a local, seasonal, everyday cuisine that is good to eat, good for you, ethical, and ecologically sound. It’s close to the ground, directly linked to my gardens and those of my friends.

As part of a larger project of sustainable living, I’m looking to feed myself and another dozen or so people with food that has a very small ecological footprint, considering not just how and where it is grown but also how it is prepared, packaged, and transported. If you’d like to be one of those people, or if you’d like to start worm composting or meet us at a local farmer’s market, please write to me.

We grow as much of our diet as we can, but we also work to make good decisions about what we buy and where to get it. We’re also concerned about the quality of our soil and keeping compostables out of the landfill, so we urge people to try composting their kitchen scraps with worms.

We look at all the consequences of producing and eating the food, not just price. That’s a tall order, and we try to be reasonable. I don’t want to use food as an excuse to be controlling and self-righteous. Food is sensual, social, nurturing, comforting, entertaining, and more. It’s as central to our culture as language and art.

So that’s what this is about. I’ve shopped, cooked, and gardened in Baltimore, Richmond, Norfolk, Roanoke, Bethlehem, Pa., Brooklyn, Queens, and Clover, Virginia. Now I’m back in Richmond.