Good from far, but far from good |
Great, right? The one hitch: the strawberries had very little flavor. (Sorry, Hiroko.)
I couldn't help but contrast them with some strawberries I had purchased earlier in the day, the kind of big, mass market agri-business strawberry that we usually assume are bred for easy packing and shipment around the country.
I actually taste good! |
They were succulent.
I love the Green Market. But I would never assume that just because a Union Square farmer sells something I'm obliged to buy it.
One of my favorite vendors offered this ready-for-compost kabocha for sale.
Choose the kabocha - but not one of these |
On several occasions I've sucker-bought grainy, sudsy, and flavorless watermelons because of the farmer's sworn attestation about their deliciousness. (Memo to self: No whole watermelons! No whole watermelons!) Eventually the lesson sunk in.
Likewise, I suggest that customers ignore the apples being sold in the summer. You know that these apples are about 8 months old, right? And it's not as if there aren't alluring alternatives in the summer.
We are not apples (photo taken last year) |
Too wordy for an embroidery sampler but true all the same:
Just because something is being sold - even under the umbrella of virtue that is the Green Market - does not mean you have to buy it.
So try a blueberry before you buy a pint; buy one peach before you buy a peck. And understand that while there may be many compelling reasons to buy directly from a farmer - good stewardship of the land; better labor conditions for workers; a human connection with the grower and seller; support of the local economy; minimization of wasteful travel; better variety of produce; typically low or no dependence upon chemical fertilizers and herbicides; etc. -- taste isn't always one of them.
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