I adore grocery shopping. One of my ideal Saturday night plans is
lingering amidst the lemons, ambling around the apples, perusing the pickles and
zoning out by the zucchini. Shopping for food is more like a hobby than a
chore. It’s like a little trip to a food
museum, and on a Saturday night, I don’t have to rush. I don’t have to get back to anything except
for…the rest of Saturday night.
Normally on a quick weeknight shop, I have to stay on the route,
focused and predictable, purchasing the necessities: kale, lemons, garlic,
cilantro, quinoa, carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, oranges, almonds and
sunflower seeds, cans of chick peas and black beans, tortillas, and don’t forget the salsa, yells my
husband, Keith (or the coconut milk!). I have the list down pat in my head. I know
what we need for a typical week of meals feeling we’ve got enough balance,
bounty and color, fiber, sweet, sour, plain and fancy….but…. Saturday night at
the Pacific Central Food Coop, the world is mine. I can spend time reading
labels and comparing ingredients, (wow, this brand has guar gum while this one
uses carrageenan), discover new
products, (There are 37 different brands of green tea and 19 sorts of grainy crackers!), sneak a taste of something
in the bulk bin, (what exactly is in those gritty little chunks of marbled
nuttiness?) look at product in the freezer that I’ve never seen (frozen chicken
gizzards? Eek!)
