I love food, good food. It is a simple as that!
But what is good food? To me, good food is homemade food created with love and care. It doesn’t have to be complicated or made with expensive ingredients, on the contrary. A bit of time and a lot of love will turn the most simple ingredients into wonderful and nourishing meals. Just think of soups made with Jerusalem artichokes, spring risotto with peas and carrots, a salad with peach, ham and beans or stews that take several hours to make but involve little work and fill your house with the most delicious aromas.
Good food is about bringing happiness to both the cook and the guests. To me there is nothing more satisfying than having prepared a nice meal for family or friends and seeing them enjoy the flavours, colours and textures, whether it is a four course meal, brunch or just a quick bite.
Good food is also about following the seasons. I love cooking with vegetables, berries and fruits, when in season. The taste is far better, it is much more economic and it benefits the environment. Yet to me, it is also about longing for the first stalks of rhubarb or fresh herbs. Should I describe the feeling I get when picking the first ripe tomatoes or strawberries, it would be happiness. There is nothing better than harvesting home-grown produce in the kitchen garden and eating it half an hour later. It is beautiful.
I believe homemade food will make you happy and I think that happy people live longer.
With that said, I am not a fanatic. If I am longing for a corn soup and corn is not in season, I will without a doubt use canned or frozen corn. There are lots of good canned or frozen products as an alternative to fresh.
I try to use as many organic products as possible and I believe the world would be a better place, if we all bought organic. However Food and Garden is not about buying but growing your own produce, organic of course, and using it to create healthy, homemade, delicious meals.
Food and Garden is about showing you that homemade food tastes a lot better than ready-made food, it doesn’t take as long as you might think and it is a lot cheaper.
Finally, Food and Garden is about having fun. Having fun in the kitchen garden as well as the kitchen. Enjoying new flavours, trying new recipes and challenging the taste buds.
Enjoy!