I especially loved Chapter 11 - The Tuscan Food Garden. In Tuscany, this is how the love of food seems to be passed down, not just on a plate at dinner but in its entirety, literally from the ground up. No child I know is "taught" to plant, or dig, or harvest. No neighbor I know assigns chores to his children - Tuscan kids are much too spoiled for that - yet all the kids are out there working from a young age in every season: it's their play, it comes naturally, they find their own way to fit in. And along the way they find for themselves the best way to contribute to the family, filling its needs. In this chapter Mate also describes how growing your own food is good for your health, the environment, improves your wealth, provide the opportunity to bond with your family, and the flavours of your own food are bursting with flavour. So why not try growing at least some of your own food? I live in a condo and have a little herb garden and even that brings me immense joy, nothing flavours a roast like fresh rosemary that I've grown chemical free. If you're feeling more ambitious, why not try growing tomatoes and peas? Both of which are easy to grow. You don't have to grown all your own food, but you may be surprised at how enjoyable growing your own food is and how much more connected with the earth you feel.
The other piece of today's advice is to read The Wisdom of Tuscany. Although I wasn't planning on it, I finished this book in less than a day, I just couldn't put it down. It was filled with tons of descriptions and antidotes on how to live a good simple fulfilling life, just like the Tuscans do, so much so that I felt transported to Tuscany even though I have never been.
Tomato photo courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benmcleod/39266302/
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