Avocado Anxiety : And Other Stories About Where Your Food Comes From

The food stories behind your favourite fruits and vegetables. Have you ever wondered who picked your Fairtrade banana? Or why we can buy British strawberries in April? How far do you think your green beans travelled to get to your plate? And where do all the wonky carrots go? Above all, how do we stop worrying about our food choices and start making decisions that make a difference? In an effort to make sense of the complex food system we are all part of, Louise Gray decides to track the stories of our five-a-day from farm to fruit bowl, and discover the impact that growing fruits and vegetables has on the planet. Through visits to farms, interviews with scientists and trying to grow her own, she digs up the dirt behind organic potatoes, greenhouse tomatoes and a glut of courgettes. In each chapter, Louise answers a question about a familiar item in our shopping basket. Is plant protein as good as meat? Is foraged food more nutritious? Could bees be the answer to using fewer chemicals? How do we save genetic diversity in our apples? Are digital apps the key to reducing food waste? Is gardening good for mental health? And is the symbol of clean eating, the avocado, fuelling the climate crisis? As pressure grows via social media to post pictures of food that ticks all the boxes in terms of health and the environment, these food stories from the author of the award-winning The Ethical Carnivore are also a personal story of motherhood and the realisation that nothing is ever perfect. A TIMES ENVIRONMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR SCOTLAND'S NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS 2023 'This is fantastic' THE TIMES 'Deeply relatable' SPECTATOR 'Rigorous, incisive, warm and brave' LUCY JONES 'Essential reading for anyone that eats' JAKE FIENNES 'Universally urgent. Everyone should read it.' CAROLINE EDEN - The food stories behind your favourite fruits and vegetables. Have you ever wondered who picked your Fairtrade banana or how far your green beans travelled to reach your plate? We are all part of a complex food system. Trying to make sense of it, environmental journalist Louise Gray tracks the stories of our five-a-day, from farm to fruit bowl, and discovers the impact that growing fruits and vegetables has on the planet. Visiting farms, interviewing scientists and trying to grow her own, she asks important questions to dig up the dirt on familiar items in our shopping baskets. Are plant proteins as good for us as meat proteins? Why can we buy so-called 'seasonal' fruits like strawberries all year round? And is the symbol of clean eating, the avocado, fuelling the climate crisis? As pressure grows to share our healthy, environmentally friendly lives on social media, Avocado Anxiety is also a personal story of motherhood and the realisation that nothing is ever perfect. Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Prologue: Roots 10 Chapter 1: Old Beans 20 Further reading 36 Hummus in homage to 115 Egerton Road 37 Chapter 2: Bananageddon 40 Further reading 56 Pandemic banana bread 57 Chapter 3: The Valuable Esculent 60 Further reading 79 Crispy potato ‘worms’ 80 Chapter 4: Miciri 82 Further reading 100 Mukimo 101 Chapter 5: Humblebees 104 Further reading 123 Honey-roast tomatoes on toast 124 Chapter 6: Nightingale Farm 126 Further reading 144 Hedgerow salad 145 Chapter 7: The Taste of Summer 148 Further reading 163 Seasonal fruit chaat 164 Chapter 8: The Space Zucchini 166 Further reading 181 Guerrilla courgettes 183 Chapter 9: Magic Berries 186 Further reading 205 Witchy rosehip and blackberry syrup 206 Chapter 10: The Orchard 210 Further reading 227 After-dinner apple diversity appreciation 228 Chapter 11: Perfectly Imperfect 230 Further reading 250 ‘Circular’ wartime carrot biscuits 251 Chapter 12: Avocado Anxiety 254 Further reading 270 Ecovado (smashed broad beans) on toast 271 Epilogue: Seeds 272 Acknowledgements 280 Permissions 282 Index 283