Hot Mango Salsa

“It’s the least we can do, a small way to give back,” says our friend Ana. She’s arranging to bring us a very non-Food-Challenge dinner before we embark on our year of hand-harvested food. “Nothing you have to pluck, harvest, or preserve. Now, what would you like to eat?”

I tell her some of the foods we have been relishing. “Salmon, broccoli, corn chips and salsa, and pineapple. That sounds like items from one of those cooking shows!”

Ana and her daughters come over to our house and cook us an incredible meal. Eating by candlelight, delighted by questions and conversations with the girls, the pleasure of eating is not just about the foods we eat. There’s something more than calories nourishing us here. Sure, our food challenge is impressive in a modern context, but the ultimate goal is to let all our meals—no matter what we’re eating—build love and community. Thank you, Ana and family, for sending us into our year with that reminder.