In the ramp-up to the pandemic crisis and shutdown, we watched scores of
videos of people panic purchasing rice, beans, and canned chili. We
read countless accounts of rapidly depleting stocks of freeze-dried
goods among internet suppliers and other long-term food storage sources
being entirely wiped out. More experienced individuals cautioned the
nouveau panic preppers about the need to store a much wider variety of
foods because they would get tired of the same rice and beans and canned
goods. Most of these warnings were entirely dismissed. After all, "If
people are hungry, they will be grateful to eat anything."
However, we are Americans. We've been blessed to live in a time of
unprecedented prosperity, with a vast array of food choices to fit every
palate, and often ready-to-eat within just a few minutes. But with
shortages in stores and difficulties in manufacturing and shipping, not
to mention reduced shopping opportunities, options become more limited.
Several weeks into eating rice, beans, and Spam, or if luckier, lots of
freeze-dried meals, these panic preppers came to recognize the folly of
their thinking. They wished they'd stored a greater variety of foods,
and especially that they'd given more thought to comfort foods.
Transitioning from the great variety of a modern American diet to the
more common staples of our predecessors is a bit of a shock to the
system.
Still, after my family's experience, it was no surprise to us.
Several years ago, when my family and I lived on three acres on the
outskirts of Kansas City, we felt the need to expand the size of our
garden to nearly 1/4 acre. The lot fell to me to inform my
sixteen-year-old son, the CROO (chief rototiller operating officer), of
the decision. He was pretty well aware of events in our country and
world at the time and supportive of our efforts to prepare. Still, he
was sixteen and not exactly pleased about tilling up more land. (He did
at least get his picture taken and could look at himself on Google
earth, operating the rototiller, for a few years.)
While he recognized the need to prepare and learn while times were good,
he wasn't excited. So he insisted that if he was doing all this work,
we were going to be planting a whole lot more corn and watermelon.
(That's it? I couldn't believe I was getting off so easily!) "Done!"
We did indeed plant a whole lot more corn and watermelon, several
varieties in fact, in different sizes and colors.
It was a fantastic year for gardens, and we had boatloads of corn and
watermelon, and everything else. So while the main dish for dinner
changed each day, corn and watermelon graced the table every evening.
After about three weeks of this, KOTPE voiced something of an objection.
Not strong, mind you, just a little bit of a complaint about corn and
watermelon every night, even though the rest of dinner varied.
Quite surprised, I asked KOTPE, "Don't you remember insisting that we
plant more corn and watermelon this year?" That classic
deer-in-the-headlights look appeared on his face.
"Would you have done anything differently in my situation? If your
hard-working children insisted on planting their favorites--corn and
watermelon--would you have done it?"
“Yeah.”
“Would you have been really surprised when they got tired of eating it?”
“Yeah.”
We also grew a lot of potatoes that year, and baked potatoes were
frequently on the dinner menu. They're easy, filling, and everyone
likes them. We had all the usual condiments--ketchup for some of the
kids, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper. Sometimes we added green
onions or shredded cheese. And yet, after a month of having baked
potatoes twice a week, the kids were getting a little tired. So I
decided to add some bacon bits to the topping choices.
It was like they had died and gone to heaven.
Both of these experiences were great lessons for everyone in the family.
No matter what our
favorites are, we absolutely have to have variety. Flavor fatigue is
real, and that
was at a time with lots of other fresh produce and everything we could
possibly
want from the store, without any other outside stresses. We can't
entirely prevent economic, political, or societal upheavals from
affecting our families. However, we can greatly mitigate the stress
they feel by having a wide variety of good food to feed them.
20 august 2020
