Philipp Gabathuler
You have probably seen Philipp cruising around Lynchburg on his bike. No matter the number of hills involved Philip takes them on with surprising ease. I could tell you all the things Philipp is involved in but that would probably just leave you wondering, “what doesn’t he do??” I can say that he is on two food related boards, including the Lynchburg Area Food Council so choosing him as our next Locavore Spotlight was an easy choice. Here’s what he had to say about eating local:
What do you like best about coming to the market?
Hearing HB Hunter’s (Spring Mill Farm) bad jokes every week, what else? In all seriousness, interacting with the friendly folks buying and selling things at the market is the main reason I keep going back every week! A conversation with a vendor can go on for months and months–you just keep picking up where you left off week after week. The delicious, “can’t find it anywhere else” wares that the farmers are pedaling probably plays a big role in my market attendance as well!
Why do you choose to eat local food?
I unknowingly educated myself on food issues in college by watching documentaries such as “King Corn” and “Super-size Me” and reading books such as “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”. For the first time in my life, I started questioning where the food that was sustaining me came from. Eating more and more locally produced food was just a natural progression from there.
What’s your favorite fruit and vegetable? And why?
Nothing beats a good apple in my opinion. The favorite part of fall for my wife and I is apple picking at one of the many orchards in Region 2000! We use these apples to make strudels and tortes, but also keeping it simple with “an apple a day!”
For vegetable, I would have to go with garlic. Garlic has been used for numerous things in the past from embalming dead bodies and warding off evil spirits to curing everything from tuberculosis to broken bones. I used to take straight garlic everyday as a “natural multi-vitamin” until my friend and Chef Shaun Roman said I smelled like the Ragu factory. I’ve cut back since then.
What are you going to make when you get home today?
This morning I pulled some baby back ribs—procured from Mountain Run Farm in Bedford—out of the freezer that I will throw in the oven on low when I get home. I will sauté some onions, onion greens, and squash—all from my garden—and serve next to a simple tomato salad with oil and vinegar. I will probably sneak some garlic in there somewhere too!