On the verge of scurvy!

I suck at being “green”. I try. We try. But when it comes down to it, we suck.

One area I try every year to be good about is being a locavore. I love the concept and it makes sense. Support your local industry, eat food that is produced and grown near you and minimize the CO2 footprint of bringing your food to you. Great idea!

Except that nothing grows here in the winter!

Winter leaves us with apples (stored under nitrogen, which is fine, as a scientist I have no problem with this), potatoes and onions. And if I were a Top Chef contestant I am sure I could come up with loads of delicious combinations of these three ingrediants.

But about this time of year each year, we have had our fill of apples. Except Skadi, she could eat apples at every meal.

And then you buy the box of Cuties which are most definitely not produced around here, but the lure of citrus is irresistible in December. And mandarin oranges definitely do NOT grow anywhere near Washington State.

Then my son starts complaining. “I want fruit mom, I want blueberries.”

I am lucky to have a son that loves fresh fruit so much. I know many people who complain that their kids won’t eat fresh fruit. I am sure that it comes partly with growing up in Washington state, because as a kid, my fresh fruit consisted of Red Delicious apples, oranges and strawberries on occasion in Wyoming. Here in Washington States once cherry season hits in June it is an endless smorgasbord and we historically have eaten fruit salad as a side dish at nearly every meal on up through apple and pear season in the fall.

So that my kids don’t waste away to pale little scurvy ridden children I ran to Costco this past weekend.

And I loaded up.

We have kiwi from Italy, we have blackberries from South America, we have blueberries from Australia, we have artisan lettuce heads from who knows where. Or correction, we had blueberries. We don’t anymore.

Then the piece de resistance arrived – a case, big case too, of red Rio Grande grapefruit direct from the Southern tip of Texas.

Carbon foot print be damned. We need our produce.