Got Food on the Brain? Of course you do - It's Almost Thanksgiving!

November 18, 2011

Farmer's Market, Barcelona, Spain

Some of the most incredible Farmer's Markets I've seen are in Europe.  It's not only the incredible quality and variety of the food, but it's the buildings they're held in, too.  The one in Barcelona off of La Rambla has one of the most interesting entrances with fretwork and stained glass.

There are vendors selling meats, cheeses, olives, breads, pastries and lunch.  Well, and so much more. 
 
Butcher shop, Farmer's Market, Barcelona, Spain
Seafood, Farmer's Market, Barcelona, Spain

Poultry shop, Farmer's Market, Barcelona, Spain

yes, those are beaks

 

Lots of seafood, Barcelona, Spain

Strange seafood, Barcelona, Spain

and seafood I've never seen

I love seeing the colorful vegetables and fruits...

Vegetable Stand, Barcelona, Spain
Fruit stand, Barcelona, Spain
Dried Nuts and such, Barcelona, Spain
Olives, Barcelona, Spain
Vegetable Stand, Barcelona, Spain

Mushrooms, Farmer's Market, Barcelona, Spain

Dried Mushrooms

Mushrooms and more, Farmer's Market, Barcelona, Spain

Fresh Mushrooms!

Dried fruits and nuts, Barcelona, Spain

Dried Fruit and Nuts

Is it time for lunch yet?

Deli, Farmer's Market, Barcelona, Spain
Restaurant in Mercat, Barcelona, Spain

 

and my personal downfall

Bakery, Mercat, Barcelona, Spain

My husband commented that it would be wonderful to live near a place like this and shop each day for our dinner.  I agreed and it also struck me that seeing all this bounty of food how can we have so many millions of people hungry on this earth we share?  Most of what we saw was fresh and local.  We in the United States are coming to the realization that it is best to eat that way for many reasons.  After doing some research I did find there are religious and secular organizations in the United States working with areas that are poverty stricken, teaching them not only about good nutrition, but how to grow their own food and increasing their self-sufficiency.  It is an urban problem as well as a suburban problem when we went from an agricultural society to an industrial society.  We became dependent on others to grow our food.  That's fine for those of us that can afford it, but not for many who cannot.

It was a light bulb moment for me, which may be old news for some, that self-sufficiency in feeding ourselves is for our own safety, health and in many cases survival.

 

Civilization as it is known today could not have evolved, nor can it survive, without an adequate food supply. ~Norman Borlaug

 

(March 25, 1914 – September 12, 2009 was an American agronomist, humanitarian, and Nobel laureate who has been called "the father of the Green Revolution."  Borlaug was one of only six people to have won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.  He was also a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honor.)