As a little girl, I heard that farmers' dinner is our lunch and their supper is our dinner. I grew up in a little town with agricultural connections that still didn't prompt the use of the word "supper" in my family. Then when my husband and I were dating I met his grandfather who had always had a couple acres of fruit trees and vegetables. Sure enough, dinner was supper. When I finished college my family of 4 began house hunting. We found a delightful neighborhood of postwar era brick homes. One evening when my two little boys needed to wash their hands in one of these old bathrooms, I turned to my husband and said, "This is the kind of home where children wash up for supper." Something nostalgic and idealistic clicked in me that said kids should get dirty playing and then clean up to honor the effort and time put into a meal. That meal time--20 or 30 minutes or more sitting and discussing our lives--is more than just a fill-up station. Supper (or dinner or whatever you call it in your home) is a tradition that connects food and families across generations. The other day one of the Community Garden's founders shared a story. He said that when he was a young boy his whole family sat down to dinner on a summer evening. On the table were several kinds of vegetables and a pot roast. After enjoying their meal, the family got up to clear the dishes only to find that no one had touched the meat. That memory has stuck with him for more than half a century. Why? I found out the satisfaction last summer of eating 5 different homegrown vegetables in a meal. And now I've put my foot down that the kids try every vegetable at the table. Last week my 3-year old wouldn't touch her "su-keeny." My husband said, "Would you like a big scoop or a little scoop?" She chose the little and exclaimed "I like su-keeny!" She ate 3 more helpings.
We have been enjoying fava beans, the first squash and tomatoes, beets, etc. We need your help as often as you can give an hour or so. And if you haven't already learned why your own fresh veggies bless your family's dinner, come find out with us.
