From May 28 newsletter
Hey there friends!
It’s been al long time since I’ve sat down to write to the Cuisine en Locale mailing list. It used to be me all the time and I worried about you all getting sick of me. Now I am so busy with my hands in everything that I can rarely find the waking time to type, and there are other wonderful folks getting the information to you about what we are doing, where and when.
I think of you all the time though, and I write to you in my head, and I’ve been toying with the idea of a podcast, because no matter how far we have come (and darlings. we have come very, very far) there is still a mighty mountainous mess of a food system to be dealt with in this country, and more and more in every other country as well.
I often find so much right in front of my nose that the big picture gets blurred. That’s when I have to step back and remember why we do what we do. Or even what we do. What is it that we do again? Why, thanks for asking! We purchase food directly from farmers and cook it for busy city people. And why? To support the growth and wellbeing of local farms, with the purpose of repairing our badly broken food systems.
In all of the planning, and cooking and selling, and delivery; when the bags need to be reordered and the art hasn’t been approved, and the sink starts to link; it can get kind of hard to remember that our purpose is what matters. Our heart is with the farmers and the end goal is to make the most beautiful, delicious, nutritious and clean food we can for you.
To that end, chef Sean and I spent a day with a dear friend and she made little jewel like photos of ten of our dishes, and then a photo of them all together, to show you just what the labour of our love looks like: One week worth of all local, seasonal food. Sourced, cooked, and served with true love, to you, on behalf of the farmers who want for us all to have a sustainable future.
This is what puts it all into focus. This is the reality of what we do. I present love in culinary form, as documented by Melina Vanderpile. Please check out her work, and call her for any product photo needs. She gets it. As do you.