Grist for the Mill
Dear Reader,
It’s been a season of celebration for my family as we recently marked two important milestones: the high school and college graduations of my two children, Eliza and Jack, respectively. I confess it’s hard for me to believe my husband and I are now parents to two young adults ready to launch off to college and the real world!
My children have basically grown up with Edible Rhody. They were just 8 and 11 years old when the first edition of the magazine was printed—it feels like yesterday. They’ve been raised on a steady diet of farm expeditions, their mother’s harebrained food-driven detours, a home turned test kitchen and photo studio and, with each issue, the all too- busy mom on a deadline. Jack and Eliza have lugged boxes of magazines and attended events with me. Most importantly, through the years, they’ve met many of the farmers, chefs and food producers whose stories we have told on these pages.
Whether my kids are actively aware of the influence all those experiences have had on their lives, I know they’ve benefited in myriad ways from their close association with this mission-driven publication.
They’ve gained an appreciation for the unique and tight-knit food community we have here in Rhode Island. What makes me the proudest is that they’ve learned the importance of knowing where their food comes from and what it means both economically and environmentally. They have learned to appreciate how food produced locally and with care simply tastes better, too; and they understand the hard work involved, for farmer and cook, in getting that food to the table. Perhaps they’ve also learned a bit about how the conscious choices we make every day when we eat and shop help to shape a community and world we all want to live in.
One heading off to college and the other to life after college—the proverbial empty nest is coming soon. Another thing my kids value is gathering around the table for a good home-cooked meal, so that’s my ploy to keep them coming home. During the in-betweens I’ll need a steady flow of visitors to help eat up the local bounty I so love to prepare.
This issue is full of delicious recipes all geared to help inspire you to keep cooking through the high harvest season. From whole fish (see our cover story on the recently reopened TSK in Newport) to creamy herbed polenta (thank you, Moonrose Farm), to down-home beer can chicken and budget-savvy salads to go, you’ll find all the best flavors of summer right here.
In this issue you’ll get to meet farmer Teo Martinez and learn how he manages to farm in three very diverse locations. You’ll also learn about Food Tank, the international foundation dedicated to finding solutions to the world’s broken food systems. I hope it sparks a conversation on how food impacts our world’s health and economy, and how we need to get the next generation of food activists ready for that work.
I hope you enjoy this summer issue of Edible Rhody, as well as all that summer in Li’l Rhody has to offer.
