“It is a shame to be caught up in something that does not make you tremble with joy.”
That quote is from legendary culinary queen, Julia Childs, but the thing I love most about it is that applies to so many aspects of my life. It’s a personal mantra of sorts, from farm-fresh food to outdoor adventure to family and friends. Yes, life should be all about trembling with joy!
I don’t advertise on this blog, but I do advocate healthy living and a huge part of that is a focus on nutrient-dense foods. Because I have celiac disease and want to avoid the pit-falls that often accompany autoimmune conditions, I choose high-quality, organic foods and steer clear of the vitality-zapping junk that makes up the Standard American Diet (very SAD indeed).
Those of you who have been following this blog know I support my farmer friends at Grant Family Farms. I thrive on their organic fruits, veggies and pastured eggs and as a nutrition therapist, I know exactly why. It’s my medicine (lucky me). Nothing like fresh garlic scapes sautéed with summer squash, served with wild rice and a few ounces of wild-caught salmon for a dose of healing flavor. Or fresh, omega-rich eggs that look and taste much better then their store-bought counterparts. There’s no comparison.
So, while I don’t advertise on my blog, I won’t hesitate to encourage you to jump on the “eat healthy and eat local” bandwagon. For those of you in Colorado, please check out Grant Farms as they’re now delivering to the mountain communities. Yippee! From Dillon to Winter Park to Steamboat Springs to Leadville, Fairplay and Buena Vista – Grant Farms will bring organic goodies right to a drop-off location near you. For more information and to sign up, check here.
Okay, so I have ulterior motives. It’s about that tremble with joy thing I started with. Every Tuesday during the 26-week harvest season, I’m inspired by what I find in my big red CSA delivery box. Inspired to play with my food, strengthen my body and nourish my spirit. Food can do that, especially when you know it has been grown with love right up the road from you.
Bottom line? I want my local farmers to be successful! I actually need them to be successful. My health depends on it.
Go forth and hug a farmer – then tremble with joy!
Melissa
Tags: community supported agriculture, Grant Family Farms, seasonal produce
Melissa,
I think to tremble with joy is essential…. like I did today after the thunder and lightening and rain. I stood in the middle of my garden and breathed in the fresh green scent and felt truly humbled by nature…. and of course the fact that I’d managed to strim the long grass at the edges and along the path only moments before the storm struck…. thus avoiding a bolt of lightening and almost certain death by strimming 🙂
I’ve been full of energy today for some reason… could it be the juiced spinach? The green of the resulting brew was incredible… I made it to put into another dish but had some left over so added it to my home made chicken stock and it was really delicious plus no need to blend.
Here’s to farmers everywhere and good health mixed in with plenty of joyous tremblings 🙂
Cid
Cid,
I love your “truly humbled by nature” comment! Yes, very well put and on many occasions I feel the same way. Is “strimming” a British term? I think I know what you mean, but it wasn’t in my handy Mac dictionary.
Juiced spinach? Very good and I’m sure there were multiple reasons for your heightened energy yesterday (aside from a potential bolt of lightening). Although electricity in the air makes for zippy molecules.
🙂
I love your salutation! You definitely have a gift with words, Cid.
I’m definitely in support of “trembling with joy” as a mantra. And I think it’s a great direction in which to focus our energies.
We’ll be taking our first trip to the farmer’s market this weekend, and I’m stoked about supporting at least one of our favorite local farms there. Looking forward to the joy! And the health!
Melissa - I had not heard the “tremble with joy” quote before. I am going to write it on a piece of paper and post it on our fridge. I love it and it is so true. How can we really feel alive without joy in our lives?
Good for you for advertising a local farm. We need to support our local farmers who provide us with all of our lovely food. I don’t get a CSA box, but we do shop at our farmer’s market and local co-op to support our farmers.
I love this season. Our garden is just bursting with greens and onions right now. The strawberries are growing like mad, and our fruit trees are full and lush. Isn’t life good?!
-Ali 🙂
Melissa,
A strimmer is an electrical device for trimming lawn edges etc. If it were up to me I’d do away with my English lawn altogether and have a radically different garden space. I like big sculptural plants and trees… speaking of which my angelica plants are already huge and in flower, they are a statement herb for sure. Today we have a bright blue sky and warm, still air…. tomorrow who knows, could be hail and snow 🙂 Hopefully the sun is shining for you.
Cid
I had not heard that Julia quote before either, but I love it! I’m saving it to my favorite quotes file right now. I’m all about joy, but I’ve been fixating on something annoying that my dear son did this weekend so the timing of this is great, Melissa. Back to the trembling with joy … Hubby and I were outside on the porch grilling burgers and enjoying the smell after the rain and watching our many birds. So many different kinds of joy. 😉
Bravo to you for supporting your CSA! I’ll be doing a presentation on gluten issues at our new local farmer’s market at the end of June for the community awareness day. I’ve decided to make and sell my gf treats all for the Great American Bake Sale event with the funds going to end childhood hunger.
Lo,
I couldn’t agree more! Hope you filled your baskets with all kinds of fresh finds at the farmer’s market! I have another week or so before my wonderful Grant Farms farmers start delivering my CSA box. Yippee!
Ali,
I love your blog, I love your “take” on things and what I know of you I really like, but I’m flat-out jealous of your garden! You should see mine. Oh my gosh, it is sooo sad. My dog dug it up twice, bunnies are raiding it and I just can’t seem to get it going strong. I’ll keep at it though. Whew, good thing I have REAL farmers for back-up!
Cid,
I don’t know how I got so behind in my responding (well, actually, I do). I see that these comments were made a good week ago. Hopefully you still have blue skies and warm air! Thanks for the strimmer lesson. I had never heard that term. We call them weed-whackers.
🙂
Angelica plant? I had to look that up as well. Geez, I’m learning so much from you Brits!
Shirley,
I’m late to the party with the responses, so hopefully whatever your dear son did is a thing of the past. Trembling with joy is definitely better than trembling with annoyance.
🙂
Good for you for participating in the Great American Bakesale! You’re such a generous person — I’ll have to check into that. Thanks for the inspiration.