There is art growing underground, just beneath our feet. We tread on it – sometimes paying it no heed. It’s all in how you look at it, if you are willing to take the time to look. Even dirt can be beautiful.
One of my joys is walking into a grocery store that treats its produce as the art that it is: nature’s art. Fruits, herbs, and vegetables piled high in a color palette that is complete from white to black and everything in between. I’m always inspired by what I see, whether it’s a dripping forest of fennel that leads me to write a haiku or a bright stack of rainbow chard that inspires a chorizo and chard soup. It’s also nice to find fresh and perky produce that is handled with care. I really don’t want my melons, oranges or tomatoes manhandled and left dented and bruised.
Roaming the chilly aisles, my eyes scan the glistening produce looking for a new gem with which to experiment. My latest discovery is the black radish at Whole Foods in Cherry Creek. The striking blackish-brown mottled flesh caught my eye. “What’s this!” I thought. I was seduced by its firm, voluptuous figure and spicy promise. It begged to be purchased even though I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it. But that’s what makes cooking fun. I also picked up the traditional red radish and a radish slaw recipe started coming together in my head. Click here for recipe.
Last week my garden was planted. I shall patiently wait for my own subterranean art palette to grow: red carrots, white radishes, and blue potatoes. Those incredibly small seeds are hidden under inches of a rich, brown and dirty canvas. I can only hope that last week’s sun and this week’s rain are nurturing delicate but determined white sprouts. (I really can’t wait.) But in the meantime, I’ll rely on the grocery store to find my culinary art supplies.
May is 303’s art issue. Stay tuned as I introduce new edible art discoveries.