The bike tour is over, the crew has said their goodbyes, and we're all headed our separate ways for the winter season. However, we still have great pictures and ideas to share from beyond the road...
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| Bike Tour 2014 Crew |
Eating Local
The holidays are synonymous with the beginning of winter here in the northern hemisphere. Regardless of whether you enjoy this season in the warm southern sun or under a white layer of snow, there are sure to be holiday feasts featuring dishes of crops that have origins here in the Americas. The following winter crops are not only easier to find at farmers markets this time of year, but also were cultivated and domesticated from their wild cousins thousands of years ago in North and South America.
Potatoes
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| No matter how you enjoy them--mashed, fried, baked--these deliciously filling and versatile tubers are a popular side on many plates. |
Potatoes got their start as a domestic crop in the highlands of the Andes. The diversity, high amount of starch, and durability of this crop made it a staple in people's diet there centuries before potatoes were brought to Ireland. Today, thousands of varieties exist throughout the world, though it is believed the highest diversity is still in the terraced farms of the Andes. However, potato biodiversity is plummeting worldwide as monoculture production of just a few species becomes the norm: look for unique heirloom varieties when you shop!
Our final meal at Travis's house in Highland Park featured potatoes in a root vegetable medley that was seasoned to perfection, all donated to us by New Frontiers Market in San Luis Obispo.
Squash
Starting around Halloween and well into winter, squashes -- pumpkin, acorn, butternut, you name it-- take pride of place in many homes. Each kind offers a unique range of colors and flavors, and can be turned into anything from delicious pie to savory soup contained within the gourd itself. Their current range is testament to the large geographical footprint where squashes were domesticated. Some, such as pumpkins, were originally cultivated in northern Mexico and the southern United States, while others like the fig leaf gourd began their relationship with humans as far south as Argentina. Try a new recipe this holiday season with one that's local to your area!
Maize/Corn
This is perhaps one of the most famous American domestics, and is featured prominently in many stories and historical accounts of interactions between Native Americans and European settlers. While in many places the harvest for this crop is earlier in the year, its ability to be stored whole or in flour or meal form has made this crop what it is today. The ancestor to this crop, according to archeologists, was located in Central Mexico and from there was traded across North and South America. Now we use everything from sweetcorn, corn meal, feed corn, and corn syrup in our diets.
So however you spend your holidays, take some time to enjoy these native food crops by finding a local provider near you and supporting local farmers and agriculture:
Source of information about crop domestication:
1491 (Second Edition): New Revelations of the Americas.
Charles C. Mann
--Ann
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