C is for Carrot!

Homemade Jordanian hummus, plum tomatoes that taste like buttah
and a zucchini who's fate has yet to be determined.

As most of you know, I'm a vegetarian.  I try not to be too picky, but I really, really, REALLY love vegetables, especially fresh vegetables.  I've gotten really spoiled being in Hyde Park, two blocks away from Hyde Park Produce, the home of good, cheap vegetables in Chicago.  Since moving out to South Dakota, I've learned what it means to live in a food desert.  I've heard about them before, but I've never understood it.

There's a grocery store across the street from the center called Sioux Nation.  I try to shop there when I can to support local business, even though it's owned by non-Natives.  Regardless of what grocery store I shop at though, the other options being Walmart or Safeway in Chadron or Walmart, etc., in Rapid City, I find myself struggling to find good fresh vegetable options.  At Sioux Nation, red peppers were $4.00/piece the other day.  Green peppers were $1.50 each.  At Hyde Park Produce, we buy green peppers 3/$1.00.  I'm a little distraught over this.  I try not to be prissy about it, but I really love vegetables and not having access to decent ones is killing me.

On Tuesday, Alicia and I went to Rapid City and discovered a farmers' market.  I was so excited to get out of the car.  I wandered past each stall and admired fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, apples, pears, etc, etc, etc.  All tasty.  All locally grown.  All without wax coverings.  As I walked and debated the best way to spend my cash, I came across a stand with food and immediately noticed a woman behind the food wearing a hijab.  The sign advertised that it was Jordanian food.  I think this was the moment where my heart exploded with joy.  Most of you probably know that I lived in Palestine for awhile and miss it with my whole heart.  I love the Middle East and I still feel like part of me is back in Bethlehem.  I pointed out what the dishes were to Alicia as I excitedly recognized everything, since Jordan borders Palestine and they share a lot in common.  I eventually asked the woman, "Culshi zaki?"  Meaning, "Is everything tasty?" in Arabic.  This sprung us into the "How do you know Arabic?" conversation, which, needless to say, ended in her inviting me to her house in Rapid City, anytime I'm there, just to eat good food and drink Arabic coffee.  I bought some hummus and taboun bread to support her, then she handed me a container of imjadderah with tabbouli, a piece of zataar bread and a container of some chicken dish for Alicia.  She kept piling things on in the Arab hospitality that I miss so very much.

As we got in the car, Alicia asked, "So, did you ever think that you'd use your Arabic in the middle of South Dakota?"  Most certainly not!  It was truly awesome though, to connect this huge part of my life to my life today, here and now in South Dakota.  I am able to ask the questions of culture and daily life to the Lakota people, because of how much I learned from the Palestinian people.  I love the way our lives prepare us for the next day, even if we don't know when that next day will come.