Provocative Pepper

By Maryanna Gabriel

It is the harvest and the island is burgeoning with vegetables and ripening fruits.

The other day I found myself in the nearby shop feeling as though something was wrong. The red pepper I specifically needed for a pickle I was making was not from a local garden. I thoughtfully retreated with my purchase. I love my garden but the forest setting makes some achievements impossible. Some mornings start with a chase down the road picking blackberries, then over to the market for a local cheese, then a maneuver to a roadside stand for cherry tomatoes. Hmm. Much sweeter than that bigger market garden at the local hotel. Why only the other day I made a lengthy special trip for a rather splendid roadside pumpkin I had been hankering after. It is all kind of an off-the-grid ,zigzag, that is this island economy chasing local specials down dirt roads, constantly juggling small bills and change. All of this fecund bounty is leading to a canning frenzy that is unprecedented accompanied with an orgy of delicious cooking. It is kind of fun not to be feeding into corporations and to support all of these gentle farmers who have worked so hard to produce such amazing food. It is the simple things that are the inherent treasure.