The Soul of a Carrot

This carrot was grown for me by Pat Nudd at Will Heal Farm. When I took it out of the bag, I thought someone had accidentally dropped in the bottom half of a Barbie doll. It was almost too beautiful to eat. Almost. We’ve been learning more about nutrition the past 18 months, which makes us appreciate our CSA share even more. Michael Pollan wrote in his book In Defense of Food that

You don’t need to fathom a carrot’s complexity to reap its benefits.

Chunyi Lin told us that in China they eat all parts of the food. They believe that there is special energy in the roots that reach down into the ground, as well as the green parts that reach up towards the sky.

We started eating all of the strawberry, including the green leaves on top. They tasted fine. Now that we’re doing more juicing, we juice leaves that I never would’ve considered eating before. Who knew that kohlrabi leaves have the same zing as mustard leaves, in slightly muted taste?

If we believe that there is a microcosmic orbit inside of our bodies that mirrors the movement of energy in the universe, why wouldn’t there be a similar cosmic reflection in a carrot? Isn’t it wonderful to know the name of the farmer who planted the seed that came alive with exactly the nutrients our body needs for this day?