CITY FOOD/COUNTRY FOOD

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By Joe Novara

Maybe food really should be shrink-wrapped after all. By Joe Novara

Anthony studied the fruit an d vegetables laid out on the planks of a makeshift roadside stand. He glanced at the money box with the `thank you' card taped on its side and the stack of reusable bags next to it. Then he made a beeline back to my car, slammed the door and turned up the radio. What's happening here, I wondered? I'm Anthony's Big Brother. Once a week I spend the day with him-away from his inner city neighborhood. Our ride in the country was going fine until I stopped for fruit.

"Here. Have some cherries," I offered as we drove away.

Anthony took one look at the crumpled bag of sweet black cherries. "No way," he said. "You don't know where those came from. Besides, what kind of people leave food out in front of their house and expect you to pay for it on your honor?"

We rode in silence for a while. I knew that if I kept quiet, he would eventually tell me what was on his mind.

Finally, Anthony opened up. "Fruit is supposed to come in little trays with plastic over it and a tag that tells what it is and how much it costs. Then you take it to the checkout and you pay and they give you a receipt. That's the way it's supposed to be."

"What about bananas?" I asked. "They don't come in bags or trays?"

My sharp Little Brother thought for a moment. "Well, that's different. Some of the fruit have labels to let you know they're cool. Like the little tag they sew on jeans. Designer fruit, that's what I'm talking about. And some of them—the oranges and the grapefruits—they're tough. They got their own tattoos. And if they don't have a special tag, well, at least they look shiny and clean, stacked up all neat."

Anthony paused. "That's a job I'd like to have. Making designer labels for fruit and vegetables." I could tell he was on a roll.

"Here's what I would do. First you got to get down to their level. Take a potato.

You don't get much lower than potatoes. Now, wouldn't it make you feel great if some guy slapped a slick sticker on your head that said `Grade A Select'? And then he stacked you in a pile with the rest of the best. See, that could be satisfying work."

I love it when he takes off on an idea.

"Now, strawberries and blueberries—that could be hard. I mean, I could design a great sticker. But it would take too long to put each one on."

My Little Brother licked his lips, hands waving. "And then, if I really got into it, I could make little instruction labels—like for a banana—that said things like `Open Other End: And maybe I could add in a recipe for banana nut bread and like that."

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