Back in the day when everybody was poor, people were less materialistic. Although a shiny new red wagon would be a great gift, some kids were lucky enough to get a potato in their stockings. We were somewhat poor in the Locavore Famiy and my mother tried to set an example by acting like a beauty contestant. When kids asked, "What would you like for Christmas, mom?" her reply was invariably, "Peace on earth."
Now everything is different. Even though 27 Jennifers might want their own set of chopsticks at the good sushi place on Main Street (and who wouldn't?), they're in for a surprise this year. By the time you read this, things will be so tight that even the Advocate will seem like a luxury. "Free? What a bargain!"
So what? Isn't it time to stop Fedexing fish all around the world when there's perfectly good shad in the Connecticut River? Some of us can still afford to pay top dollar for Paul Newman's daughter's organic radicchio pesto, but others are gleaning the neighbor's victory garden. There's a lot of inequity out there. In the words of Bill Maher, "Why is suffering so random? One guy living on a landfill, and then there's Rod Stewart. "
A really great toy for a tot or a teen or a time traveler can be found in a sack of potatoes. The spud is delicious, nutritious (high in carbs, low in fat, high in vitamin C when eaten with the skin), and, in a pinch, has non-food uses. Potatoes are grown locally, they are accessible all year long. Historically, they helped the Irish stave off starvation for centuries.
A gift of potatoes will make good use of the myriad of free recipes on my Locavore blog. If giving somebody a sack of potatoes seems a little on the cheap side, here's an option that makes potatoes a personalized gift. Just peel a single spud, slice it in half lengthwise and draw your initial on it with a SharpieTM. Then use a mat knife or box cutter and cut in about a quarter of an inch around the letter so that it is a convex shape on the surface of the potato. This creates a block stencil with which you can monogram things by pressing the potato on an ink pad and then transferring the image to paper, clothing or a lunchbox. (If you can't find an ink pad, make one out of a wet sponge and powder from an inkjet printer cartridge).
So buy a sack (five or 10 pounds) of potatoes, put in a little time in the evening after prayers, and you've got personalized spud stamps for friends and relatives. All 27 Jennifers will love it.
