We had already started shopping at local markets a month ago, before the idea of 100 Mile Harvest came about. We actually loved the experience so much that we invited Adrian’s parents to join us. The Bayou City Market located at 3000 Richmond Ave. in Houston has a small town feel. There are people walking – yes, in Houston that is a big deal – music playing in the background, and lots of stands with fresh produce, poultry, meat, cheese and delicious healthy prepared food.
One of our favorite stands is Pat Greer’s Kitchen, they have exquisite raw dishes, everything from tacos, salads and falafel to lasagna, pizza, and scrumptious pecan and coconut pies. For those us you who aren’t familiar with the term, raw food is uncooked, unheated, and unprocessed, therefore it contains higher nutritional value than cooked food. It is healthier for you since the enzymes and nutrients have not been destroyed through heating.
We are definitely missing Pat’s meals. We were consistently buying up to 5 dishes from her to enjoy over the weekend, but unfortunately some of the ingredients (cashews, peanuts, coconut, and tahini) do not come from within 100 miles from were we live. We did speak with Nancy, one of the proprietors, who was working at the stand, regarding our 100 mile limitation to see if they could accommodate our request for dishes with exclusively local ingredients. She offered to discuss the matter with Pat to see what they could do. There may be hope. Everyone we have encountered has been very enthusiastic about 100 Mile Harvest and if they do not have the answers to our questions, they point us to someone else who might.
Henry at Bryan Farms was a godsend – we had found our basic protein source. He sells free range, pasture-fed chicken superior in taste and tenderness. At his side are his children, sharing in his passion and learning their first lessons in business.
Our daughter, Katerina, loves walking down the market and selecting her own fruit, especially the blueberries from Jackie Bass (Bassman Fresh, Inc.). She also enjoys visiting “Cheesy Girl” Susan Holle, who produces and sells artisanal cheeses. Susan always greets her customers with a genuine smile and offers samples of her creamy vegetarian cheeses.
For Adrian and I the market has become a place of discovery, where each visit unfolds with new offerings. It is heart-warming to be welcomed by familiar faces. Now that I know some of the farmers by name, their families and what they stand for, I have a deeper respect for the people who tend to the land that sustains us. All these years I have taken for granted the origin of the food on my plate. Only now am I starting to understand the socio-economic impact that it can have on our community, our land, and our environment.
