BLUEBERRIES!

There aren't many reasons I would get up at 5:15 on a Saturday morning, but picking blueberries at a local farm that uses organic practices is definitely one of them. My roommate took me to this place just after Independence Day, which was my first time blueberry picking, and now I think I am addicted. I picked almost 10 pounds this morning and when the cashier told me there should be berries through the end of August I think I decided I need to go back for more. Can I just say that I think blueberries are perfect? You can eat them fresh or freeze them (which they handle quite well) and they are absolutely packed with antioxidants. In fact, blueberries are the most antioxidant rich food you can find. All that and they taste great too!

Sure, you can buy them already picked at a good price (though not as good as picking yourself), but I personally think there is something about actually going to the farm and picking the berries that takes it from "getting blueberries" to an "experience," kind of like the difference between listening to a Renee Fleming CD in your car and hearing her live at a world class venue. Supporting local farmers, connecting with your food, knowing what you eat and why you are eating is not only a healthier way to live, but I believe also makes life richer. Why be content to look at photos of Jasper Johns prints in a book when you can see them in person at your local art museum? I understand that not everyone is into great contemporary American art (though they should be), but food touches all of us. I cannot fathom why anyone would be satisfied to eat processed food from a cardboard box when instead they could enjoy roasted fresh Carolina eggplant with pasta, or just a bowl of fresh local blueberries.

Going vegetarian has made me think about what I eat in an entirely different way than I had all my life. There is something so intensely satisfying about planning the food for my day and knowing that it is good for me and so delicious that I cannot wait to eat it. I admit that I am a foodie. I enjoy shopping at Whole Foods just as much as I do Banana Republic. My heartbeat quickens when I have a few extra dollars in my budget and I get to decide whether to pick up a red mango or a couple of golden kiwi. So here's what's going on in Darcy's food world today: For breakfast I had a banana and 1/2 cup of homemade granola made with rolled oats, flax seeds, and raw sunflower seeds. Lunch will be a large salad of romaine, spinach, carrot, red pepper, gala apple and homemade balsamic vinaigrette, topped with more seeds. For dinner I have half of a large organic, local eggplant ready to roast and I'll have that will some whole wheat penne aglio olio (garlic and olive oil with red pepper flakes). If I need an afternoon snack I think I'll enjoy some fresh-off-the-bush blueberries or break out the blender and make Bethenny Frankel's Pomegranate Smoothie recipe.

1 c. blueberries (or any berry really)
1/4 c. pomegranate juice
1/4 c. water
1/2 of a banana (I usually just toss the whole thing in)
1 cup ice (or less if you like a thinner smoothie)
optional: a little honey or agave nectar to make it a bit sweeter

Just blend it until it's . . . um . . . blended. So good! And it's even better with blueberries I picked with my own two hands at a local farm.