Stay Fresh

My cupboard is loaded with canned goods right now. I got black beans. I got garbanzo beans. I got green hatch chilies and chipotle peppers in adobo. I got diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, tomato paste, and roasted red peppers in a jar. In the freezer: some chicken, a pork butt roast, sausage, and bacon. Plenty of tortillas and cheese too. In other words, I won’t have to go to the grocery store in a while.

But you what I could really go for?

A fucking salad.

Or some fresh basil to sprinkle over spaghetti. Or a little arugula to put on top of my pizza. Basically, I want something green and not totally wilted.

And of course, I’m speaking from a place of privilege. I live in a little house in a not-so-dense midwestern city. I’ve got a backyard, a deck, and easy access to a system of paved biking and jogging trails. For me, fresh herbs and veggies are a matter of dietary preference. Were I to live in a larger, denser city, I might have gone full-blown crazy by now, taking my binoculars out in the early mornings to go “grass watching.”

Which is all to say, it might not be a bad time to invest in an AeroGarden.

Basically this is a Nespresso but for plants. You put in a pod, follow the simple prompts on the touchscreen display, and your stuff will grow.

And what stuff would that be exactly? That’s up to you. Want to plant some heirloom cherry tomatoes or salad greens or herbs to add a pop of freshness to a meal composed otherwise of various nonperishable foodstuffs? The AeroGarden can do that. Want a little flower garden to remind yourself that, somewhere beyond the window and the rusty fire escape, spring is springing? The AeroGarden can do that too!

Hell, you can have fresh produce in the middle of winter!

But, actually, on second thought, let’s not talk about winter. It’s best to take this one day at a time.