Liver & Onions...

Gary Larson captures life so well and this one is a favourite. Most recently captioned as “If 2020 was a food truck” It’s a love it or hate it thing with liver. But as a real food we have seen a rising appreciation for this superfood at The Urban Co-op. Customers wait patiently for the next batch to arrive from the farms and it sells out quickly. Stories abound on the healing impact this food has. We reminisce on stories of liver coated in flour and fried in butter and onions and cooked by grandparents, urging us to consume for its goodness. That was then.
 
Our distance from this food into modern eating habits has meant it has been devalued on all stages of the food chain. So much so it is harder to get. Not that it is unavailable but not worth bringing to our table anymore. The cost of processing does not justify the effort. For now, this is a very cheap superfood. It is true I obsess about it, probably more than rationally healthy. But like raw milk it represents something bigger about our food system. A sustaining food in plain sight that we wilfully ignore and undervalue until it is not available to us.
 
For what it’s worth, I baulked at the idea of eating offal for a long time but have learned to respect its value. Fried liver and onions cooked in butter and served with some tamari and balsamic vinegar is a winner recipe for me. It is like a battery recharge to have this meal. Jacinda in NZ tells us she has no more left in the tank. She wasn’t eating NZ lambs’ liver I’d say.
 
Anne Maher
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