Recently, a neighbor remarked that food quality was declining. “Remember how good foods used to taste when you were a kid?” he asked. “. . . like apple pie made with snappy Macs right off the tree, or fresh veggies from the garden – tomatoes, cukes, corn on the cob? And remember how great the flounder tasted in Mobile?”

He’s right, of course. Technology has taken its toll on both gastronomy and table magic. We’re told that foods today are safer than they have ever been. But unfortunately, the same post-harvest bioengineering that has freed us from microbial/chemical poisoning and prolonged shelf life has rendered foods with taste and texture lacking. Good example – tomatoes . . . Most tomatoes in our favorite supermarket probably spent the previous few months in a state of near life-suspension. Called controlled atmosphere storage, tomatoes in the “mature green” stage are placed in a climate-controlled environment where aging is minimized. As the market warrants, the tomatoes are “re-awakened” and artificially ripened with ethylene and other gases to “pink”. To minimize bruising, they are normally dipped in a solution of calcium chloride to firm the tissues. (Ever witnessed octagon-shaped love apples?) They may also be sprayed with a copper fungicide to reduce blight. The result: hard, dry, multi-sided, pinkish tomatoes with a conspicuous absence of characteristic flavor.

Not all tomatoes (and other harvested foods), however, are Frankenstein monsters. In season produce, for instance, refers to fruits and vegetables being harvested now - usually within a few hundred miles of the grocery store or farmers’ market displaying the sign. And, since they are shipped directly to the market with little or no after-harvest intervention, flavor, texture, and nutritive value are not compromised. U-picks, gaining in popularity in many agricultural areas, are a fun way to harvest and also insure freshness. For those who live in coastal areas, fish and shellfish purchased off the dock or boat always taste better than IQF’d, infused alternatives processed continents away and months ago.

Eating in-season produce and local foods has other rewards, however – intangible bonuses apart from improved flavor and nutrition. It involves the romanticism and sense of community inherent to utilizing sustenance provided by local farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and hunters. As residents of a unique part of planet earth, becoming aware of local agricultural cycles, the seasons, and the weather inherently creates a heightened sense of excitement as harvest time of a favorite fruit or vegetable approaches. And, as described at the Chef's Collaborative, Portland Chapter (www.portlandcc.org/seasonal.htm), the harvest of local bounties brings us in contact with vendors and farmers. This local market creates a dialogue, which attaches faces and personalities to the wonderful foods that are raised around us.

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