In 2008 the people who produce the Oxford Dictionary declared that “locavore” was the word of the year. The term celebrated local eating memoirs, farm to table restaurants and the rise of farmers’ markets. It was that moment that spurred the creation of this blog. In the beginning I simply wanted to experiment with the possibilities of eating locally for a 100 days (or so). A few years later I wanted to document the experience of plant based localism.
Well, all these trends are now well integrated into our culture. Everyone knows what local eating involves, super markets frequently have local sections amid their produce bins, and vegans are so well established that they can dine at fast food stands on Impossible Burgers. The Inconsistent Locavore took a little rest.
But now I’m back–with a perhaps deeper and wider sense of what being (an even inconsistent) locavore might mean. Of course being a locavore involves food–local, delicious, nutrient filled food prepared with love, but it means enjoying a sense of place with all of our senses. To be a real locavore is to be truly in the moment, to celebrate place, to literally be here now.
And where I am much of the time is on California’s incredible Central Coast. This American Riviera–called the Big South by the Spanish missionaries–combines the wine regions of France, the coastal charm of Nice and Menton, the food and sun of Tuscany, the geology of Gibraltar with the aesthetics and style of California. This is what I’m going to be writing about here, and about the search for beauty, fellowship and authenticity in this local terrain. I’m so hoping you’ll join me.
