When humans first learned of fire, the warmth the flames provided must have amazed us. But whoever thought to roast meat, vegetables, fish…etc. in the coals of 300°C (plus) heat was a pure genius.

This summer, I’ve come to learn both the power and privilege of cooking.

With that said, cooking is a process. It isn’t as simple as my mom yelling, “DINNER TIME!” throughout the house, beckoning children’s bellies to the table. The build up of flavor from farm to fork of a meal is a procedure, I’ve come to learn. One of my favorite bi-weekly activities is grocery shopping, especially at farmers markets, which are walking cookbooks waiting to be discovered by local community members. After purchasing my goodies, chatting with my favorite farmers, and maybe gnawing on a few sugar snap peas or yellow green beans, I like to unpack my (reusable) grocery bag filled with nature’s natural colors into my refrigerator (no Blue #2 or Red #40 for me). To follow of course is the wait period before suppertime: the food prep, the cooking, and then finally the eating.

I consider my produce pallet rather diverse compared to the typical American. I eat everything from kale to swiss chard to kohlrabi, and I’m not afraid to try new funky vegetables. “Waste not want not,” is my motto when I eat, munching the entire plant rather than the more desirable parts sold in stores. (For example, a red beet has both the typically consumed root and the photosynthetic leaf greens above the soil. I will eat both.) Food waste is my biggest pet peeve- I’ve even gone as far as putting thick pea scapes or wilting carrot tops in a close to rancid green salad. I am lucky to have the financial stability and extra hours for the type of diet I follow.

A few weeks ago, my boss kindly gave me her Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share for the week since she was going out of town. I was ecstatic—free veggies?! You know this girl is down, especially since I buy my own food and consume a hefty amount of raw produce (I haven’t gobbled meat in four years and my processed carbohydrate intake is rather low).

To pick up the CSA, I lined up behind Kent Family Growers tent at the Canton Farmers Market, excited to see zucchini, mixed greens, fresh dill, snap peas, yellow beans, sweet onions and yellow summer squash. Next to the snap beans were a bin of pulses I did not recognize—a bean of some sort. I took a bite, but the starchy shell was rather chewy. The experience wasn’t quite unpleasant; in fact, I didn’t spit the green out. Actually, I ate the entire pod. The sign read “Fava Beans,” but my tongue read “Do not eat raw.” Weighing my allotted pound and a half, I assumed I simply lacked the knowledge to make this produce desirably edible. What’s one vegetable?

I wonder how many people are like me, but on a larger scale? How many people have encountered a strange vegetable and not known how to cook its earthy flesh? Plenty. Many people I talked to at the market had no clue what to do with a Fava bean. In fact, my parents had never even heard of the bland legume until I attempted grilling a handful based on a friend’s suggestion (better than raw, but still lacked taste). I then speculate, how many people wouldn’t have even bothered with a cooking suggestion? At least 30% of Americans claim they “can’t cook,” but I would argue this percentage is much higher because undoubtedly many turn a blind eye to foreign sounding vegetables. Human nature makes us gravitate toward commonly prepared foods like mashed Yukon potatoes and buttery sweet corn. “Comfort food” we like to call these side dishes.

Cooking is a privilege. I can afford to not only eat, but also take the time to do so. I have the power to access knowledge on how to cook a Fava bean. There are over 400 different vegetables in the world, not accounting for the 70 cultivars of carrots or the 20 variations of cucumbers. As humans, our lives are pivotally centered on food because eating is literally a matter of life or death. Consequently, we spend the majority of our lives growing, acquiring, cooking and ingesting food. The Bureau of Labor Statistics claims an average American spends 90 minutes a day eating. I call partial truth on this because the statistic fails to include the process - like working a 40-hour week to have the spending ability for grocery shopping. Cooking is an elite interest for the time and money is consumes in our daily life, which is one reason processed instant food is such a big hit today.

Cooking means I at least have options and choices for my meal tonight.

Want to know how to cook a Fava bean? I can’t help you; however, I can suggest you give new vegetables, fruits, grains, and meats a place on your plate when you can afford the time. You might just find a new favorite dish.