What's Wrong With America, Lesson #458
A Lesson in Market Economy Our Budget-Conscious Challenge to a Trio of Cooking Teachers: With $50 for Farm-Fresh Ingredients, Make a Meal for Four
By Jane Black and Bonnie S. Benwick Washington Post Staff Writers Wednesday, September 5, 2007; F01
It began with a crisis, at least by farmers market standards. Pritha Mehra was planning to make her Cilantro-Mint Chutney, and, at 10 a.m., there was no more regular mint to be found at the Arlington Farmers Market. A small bunch of chocolate mint wouldn't do. And purple Thai basil, while delicious, wouldn't create the authentic Indian flavor she was after.
Mehra, who teaches Indian cooking through her part-time business, Mystic Kitchen, took two more turns around the market and at last, to her relief, found a small mint plant to buy that she could snip the leaves from. Her plan was saved.
These days, it's food heresy not to love the farmers market. But trying to shop local can be stressful. Vendors run out of mint. The chicken guy doesn't sh…