Shocking!

Last night I went to Western Beef to pick up some groceries. The circular had just come out for President's Day and had a promising selection of inexpensive, fresh produce.

Let me first start by commending WB for placing the originating state or country of each vegetable and fruit. For someone who is trying their best to eat local (and not go broke) in the dead of a New York winter, California seems closer this time of year than at any other time. But I digress.

What I wanted to comment on, however, is my check-out experience. The young woman behind the cashier was sweet, yes, but when she picked up my artichoke (from Italy) and gave me a questioning look, I paused. It took her to say, "what is this?" for me to respond. While I was unbelievably astonished, I replied "an artichoke". She looked at me again with those same eyes... so I began to spell it out, "a, r...". Another teller stepped in and said, "look under the a's!" I didn't want her to feel bad, but I could tell she was embarrassed. If this was the only vegetable it happened with I could let it go. But it wasn't. She then asked me what my scallions, parsnips, and krimini mushrooms were.

I realized at that moment how much I don't care about economic status or education level, there is NO reason why a human being shouldn't know what these vegetables are! How can our society condone not teaching children what vegetables and fruits are?! I'm not putting down my cashier at all, so don't think that. She was inquisitive after and actually cared. What I am judging, however, is how it even got to this.

This proves to me that people really do believe potato chips and french fries "grow" from a bag and not the earth; artichokes come in a heavy cream and spinach sauce used for dipping fried corn chips; tomatos magically turn themselves into salty sauces or ketchup.

This has to stop... or else we are screwed.