I’m reading a book right now called “In Search of the Perfect Peach” by Franco Fubini. Fubini is the founder of Natoora, a high end grocery delivery service for the home cook and wholesale supplier for restaurants. He discusses the phenomenon of nutritional wisdom, it explains why we are designed to love food that tastes delicious. Flavor signals nutrition. Nutritional wisdom is the ability of the body and mind to use its sense, taste and smell, woking together to experience flavors and elicit emotional responses that make us want to eat what is good for us. This means certain peaches taste better than others because of their nutritional density.
At Rainshadow we are rooted in this evolutionary sentiment. Most of the seeds we use come from our own seed harvesting to ensure we use crops that taste good and grow well here. But next we get seeds from 7th Row Seed Company. Their mission statement reads, “We are a food company grounded in the notion that deliciousness might just change the world—and that it starts with the seed. Built by chefs, farmers, plant breeders, and plant eaters, we strive to make ingredients taste better before they ever hit a plate.
It’s a collaboration—a cross-pollination—based on a simple premise: we believe flavor can succeed where commodification has failed. That it can change how we eat and, in turn, how we grow.”
We are a culinary farm. Growing food that tastes good is good for us. The modern food system values efficiencies and yield over flavor. When they lose flavor the technology gets better. Those of us who didn’t grow up eating local, organic food were raised on food that is engineered to taste better, but lacks much of the nutrients we need to thrive. Despite the comfort I find in prepackaged, pink frosted, “strawberry flavored” pastries, it is becoming more clear to me everyday that my body will tell me what it wants. These days my body is deeply drawn to the things we’re growing right now. Our bodies are working in harmony with the seasons and this place. So as the weather cools it makes sense we are starting to notice the bright colors of the ripening squash and the satisfying crunch of the carrots. Our beets look more pink than they have all summer and it feels right to add sautéed kale to my eggs every morning. Its appropriate to say the secret is really in the sauce. So I urge you to eat more of what tastes good to you, your body will guide you well.
