Just in time for Thanksgiving, there's a frightening editorial in the NYT today about food, it's origins, and the ramifications that modern farming has on the quality of the food we eat.

A serving of broccoli is naturally rich in vitamins A and B, and has more vitamin C than citrus fruit. But raised in an industrial farm monoculture, shipped over a long distance and stored before and after being delivered to your supermarket, it loses up to 80 percent of its vitamin C and 95 percent of its calcium, iron and potassium. Fruits and vegetables grown organically, however, have higher levels of antioxidants. That's largely because a plant's natural defense system produces phenolic compounds, chemicals that act as a plant's defense against pests and bugs. These compounds are beneficial to our health, too. When plants are grown with herbicides and pesticides, they slow down their production of these compounds. (Even more important, from a cook's point of view, organically grown fruits and vegetables taste better - their flavors practically burst from the ground and demand to be expressed, and we chefs merely comply.)

I've always hesitated buying organic food because it's so damn expensive, even though I know it's healthier for you and will probably taste a whole lot better. There's a farmer's market that sets up on Sunday at the Library just down the street. I've been there a few times to poke around. I might have to make it a regular part of my shopping rotation.