Acres of Ability

As a kid growing up on the edge of a tiny town in rural Iowa (population 423, if everyone was home), fast food had a much different connotation than it does for most people. The essence of fast food, grabbing something while you’re on the go, isn’t a bad idea. In fact, from the time school let out for the summer until it started up again in the fall, we kids lived on fast food. It just happened to be true food as well. We snapped off earthy asparagus spears growing in roadside ditches as we sped down the highway on bicycles. We chewed sour rhubarb stems and fanned ourselves with the thick, broad leaves. And for dessert, we sucked the sweetness out of wild honeysuckle. Fast food, indeed. True food, too. Even if you no longer spend your summer on bicycle adventures as magical as your imagination, you can still enjoy true fast food. Most vegetables and fruits don’t need any preparation beyond washing, and possibly peeling, before they’re eaten. How much faster can you get?