Visual journal - 12th January 2014

I didn't get moving out of the house yesterday in time to get to the market and had forgotten that one of the things I had promised myself for this week was to get some salad to go with the leftover chicken I'm planning on having in wraps for some lunches next week. So I tried to convince myself to get some in the supermarket and realised how spoiled I have become with fresh salad direct from the farmer. Oak leaf lettuce that looked nice from a distant looked horribly dry and unappealing up close. And although I looked at the bags of washed and cut stuff, bloated with whatever gas it is they use (is it CO2?) - doesn't matter that it may not be harmful, it disturbs me somehow - I just couldn't find them appetising. Then, in a second supermarket, I found this.

It's from Belgium, sold by the BelOrta co-operative and also marked Flandria (Flanders) - a quick google shows me that we're talking about just over 200km, which is about 125 miles, so even though it wouldn't fit in a local, 100-mile-diet, it's not too far off from it. It's not organic but does say "responsibly grown" on the packet and the website for the co-op auction is interesting. The packaging is that funny mix of Dutch/French/German/English that sometimes happens here with companies selling to multiple markets. The other lettuce in the second supermarket didn't look any more appealing but look at this one:

Still growing - roots still attached, with soil around them. So even though this lettuce (it's actuallt three different plants) has been grown in a pot far too small, it seems like a pretty clever way to get slightly fresher salad transported. Will be interested to see how it tastes. I really should try to grow some cut and come again lettuces in pots inside, I think. Haven't managed to grow a proper lettuce yet but it has to work sometime!