The Good Table | written by: ALYSSA KADOW, Owner, Greens on the Go, photo by: Bambi Riegel | riegelpictureworks.com
The Darien Farmer’s Market, open Wednesdays starting June 7th, from 10am to 3pm in the Darien’s Goodwives Shopping Center parking lot
EDITOR’S NOTE: There’s a reason why everything at Greens on the Go at 23 Tokeneke Road in Darien tastes just that much better, especially during the summer when local farming is at its peak. We asked owner Alyssa Kadow to explain why.
Right: Alyssa Kadow at on an early morning run for fresh produce at Silverman’s Farm in Easton, CT
There’s fresh, then there’s fresh. Really fresh. And there’s a huge difference between the two. You can taste it. Your body knows it too.
Typical produce commercially grown by Big-Ag Organic or Conventional Farms and shipped en masse to wholesalers for restaurant chains and other food outlets or directly to supermarkets is a feel-good buy. Certainly “fresh” food is a better choice than packaged and processed foods, and who doesn’t feel great choosing a salad or smoothie over chips and fries?
Still, it’s important to understand that the big commercial outfits pick items while they’re still unripe, before their flavor and nutritional content has had the chance to fully develop. This way, the produce is able to survive thousands of miles in a truck from the farm to your local supermarket or restaurant chain. However, produce begins to lose its nutritional value after harvest, so by the time it hits our plates, we’re missing out on a lot of potential health benefits.
On the other hand, produce sold at farmstands or farmer’s markets such as the one on Wednesdays at Goodwives Shopping Center starting this month, has a significantly shorter distance from farm to table, giving you a delicious, nutritious way to fill your plate with just-picked fruits and vegetables. Locally grown food explodes with flavor and comes with its nutrition benefits fully intact. Unlike produce that has traveled for days and sometimes weeks, locally-grown food is picked at peak ripeness, supplying the sweetest berries, crispest apples and juiciest tomatoes!
That’s why I start my days picking up fresh-picked cherry tomatoes from Silverman’s Farm in Easton, organic kale from Shortt’s Farm in Sandy Hook, gorgeous summer squash from Sherwood Farm, also in Easton, to name just a few of the local gold mines for fresh produce I’ve found. Not only does it give me an abundance of inspiration for new menu items, and maintain my excitement for providing our customers with beautiful, healthy food, it’s also a source of the information I need to make sure everything we serve is the best, freshest available.
Greens on the Go customers are invested in a healthy lifestyle, so it’s important as a business owner to educate myself through connection and conversation with our local farmers about growing methods, environmental factors that affect their crops, and sharing stories and information about produce. That’s how I’m able to answer any questions from our customers regarding the origins and nutritional value of our food.
What’s more, when we shop farms, farmer’s markets and food stands, we safeguard Connecticut’s incredible array of small farmers and the high quality produce they grow with the business we send their way. It also gives us the chance to engage with the real people who grow our food, building community and further strengthening our ties to each other as human beings. Additionally, we protect the character and color of our lives when we spend local, keeping our local economy and all it brings to us strong.
Plus, buying local is a great way to do our part for the environment; shorter travel time means lower carbon emissions. So, with summer and the farmer’s market season upon us, I hope you enjoy getting fresh, real fresh as much as we do at Greens on the Go!
