The Tomato: Fruit for Thought

Andrew and I celebrated our ninth anniversary with a fabulous Chateaubriand of Sirloin at El Gaucho in Tacoma a few days ago. Our dinner was served with several sides, including half of a tomato topped with cheese and broiled. At first, I was disappointed that this rather mundane fruit was part of a dinner that was, at least to us, pretty expensive. After pondering for a few moments, I realized that rather than an annoyance, the tomato was actually a lesson in disguise.

Some of us can remember the advent of life altering innovations such as the household refrigerator, the washing machine, and immunizations. Others may remember televisions, department stores, and passenger planes. Whether you grew up listening to phonographs or MP3 files, surfing the ocean or the Internet, odds are you have not spent much time contemplating your produce.  I am just one among a multitude of North Americans with no real appreciation for where our food comes from, or the fact that we can buy anything we want even out of season if we are willing to pay the price asked for it. We get strawberries from Mexico, apples from New Zealand, and bell peppers from hothouses in British Columbia. We do not have to can food in season and we do not have to grow anything. We can choose between conventially grown and organic whether we want fruit, vegetables, dairy products, or even meat! Fifty years ago, the tomato served with our dinner would have been a luxury afforded only to the very wealthy, and even then not in the chilly climes of places like Minnesota and Wisconsin. Today you can get six varieties of tomato at any WalMart.

In our age of consumerism, people are being encouraged to become 'locavores' and only purchase products made within 100 miles of their place of residence, or grown or made at home. While there are many benefits to the locavore movement such as the support of family farms, the reduction of carbon emissions, and thriftiness in general, I think it is time to begin a movement of a different sort. I don't have a nifty catch phrase, but I think that something like "conscious consumerism" would be the guiding principle. If I can mend or reuse something, I will not buy a replacement. If I am going to purchase something, I will support businesses in my community even if the cost is a bit more than at a megastore. I will find room to produce some of my own food, even if it is a windowsill herb garden. I will prepare meals using seasonal ingredients whenever possible. I will fill my life with wonderful people and experiences rather than more things. Most important, no matter what I spend my money on, I will consider the pros and cons, and remember that some things are an absolute gift to be able to acquire, such as an out of season tomato.