WHERE I SHOULD BE

While I was cooking at the last market one of the guys I work with at my other job made a comment that really struck a cord with me.  He said that it was nice to see me cooking again and that I was doing what I should be doing.  I had to smile to myself because I was having a great time and very much agreed with him.  I got out of the chef trade for many reasons.  All of the reasons I got out of it for I am able to keep in check with my new venture.  One of the biggest problems with the food world in my opinion is the way that the food gets to your plate.  They're really are to many stops between the farm and the table.  And because of that maybe we are all missing out on the excitement of the seasons and what each can bring to our table.  I remember being a kid and wanting a watermelon or corn in December and not being able to get it.  Summer ended up being my favorite time of year because I could have corn on the cob and cantaloupe.  Now I can have that any time of the year.  I have to ask myself a question when I see those things on the table or on a menu out of season. Was it really worth it for someone to spent the extra money on shipping this to me? And if it costs more to ship something from Chile than it does to drive it up the road from a local farm why is the foreign products cheaper?  Cooking at a farmers market helps me not have to worry about any of that because when I run out of veg or salad all I have to do is walk a few feet and get some more.  That even takes some of the stress out of shopping too!