Sound of Music

One of the best parts about living in Rhode Island is that there's always some place new to explore. Yesterday I checked out part of the Blackstone River Bikeway in Lincoln/Cumberland. This paved path winds through marsh, and along the Blackstone River. Unlike the crowded East Bay Bike Path, this one was much more relaxed and there weren't as many serious speed demons. A nice place for a casual, scenic ride.

Since I had my mountain bike, I ventured onto one of the dirt trails which ran along a tributary for about a mile. At one point I was amazed by the noise of birds, it was almost deafening. No "Silent Spring" here. Sadly, I was just casually riding through this avian symphony, when some old guy walking towards me yelled at me saying I should use the $30 million bike path, and leave the walkers a trail. OK, seriously, I wasn't going fast and there was plenty of room for us to pass side by side. Later I thought of my comeback line: "I can share, can't you?". That put a dark cloud over my head until another guy passing on a bike later said hi. That's what I'm talking about- some manners! hahahaha.

If you're into fishing or kayaking, this looks like a good place to do both. I scouted out a few put-in spots and I saw a handful of people with rods. At the very least bring your bike and keep your eyes open for turtles, fish, frogs, and birds.

Locavore

Let's get this show on the road for a new season of local eating! Farmers Markets are now OPEN. Woohooo! I am starting the season by reading "Animal Vegetable, Miracle (A Year of Food Life)" by Barbara Kingsolver. It's about the author's family's journey eating foods as local as possible. It was an ambitious project which included moving and living/working on a farm. Currently I'm half way through but it's good.

One thing that the author introduced is the concept of a vegetannual to help us remember what kinds of fruits/vegetables are in season. Consider one plant as it grows from seed to maturity. The early parts like stems and leaves grow in the spring (baby greens, asparagus). Later come the flowers (broccoli). Then the soft fruits (like beans, peppers, tomatoes). Then the hard skinned fruits like melons (late summer) and squash (early fall). Finally, as this imaginary plant wraps up for the winter, it stores all of its sugars in the roots (potatoes). It's kind of an interesting concept but it makes sense as you track what is available at the farmers market during the seasons.

Now that you know what is in season (not imported from South America or across the country), it's important to know what to do with the goods. Check out the book's website for recipe ideas and more.

Whole Foods Market in Cranston

Check out the new Whole Foods in Cranston, next to the Garden City Mall. It's sooo nice inside- it invites you to buy a lot so don't just stop in for an onion like I did.