So here I am in Maine. A southern California-born boy who has lived everywhere from Iowa to Japan, who spent summers in my grandma’s kitchen in Louisiana – but who is nuts over the food coming out of the ground up here around my Maine home.

My first taste of locally grown foods was the field trip I had in first or second grade when I was living in Japan, and we went “sweet potato picking.” I remember marveling at the enormous size of the potatoes we were picking and taking home. I also like to think about the local man in Japan who would sell freshly roasted sweet potatoes to my mom from his cart that he pushed around.

As a person who loves food, growing up in southern California was a fantastic place to be since so much fresh, locally grown food was available year-round. I remember driving out to cherry, pear, and peach orchards and either picking the fruit, or buying it at unbelievable prices. My family would bring home baskets full of fresh fruit and my mom, would amaze me with all her preparation and preserving techniques. To me, that was dazzling, and when I saw her enjoy herself most in our kitchen.

Fast forward to me now in Maine, and to my thirst for gardening. Whenever I could, I’ve planted a garden. I seem to need to garden wherever I spend the most time. I’m starting a fresh vegetable garden at Solo Bistro now because it just seems like the natural thing to do. We use local sources for our food, of course, but growing my own little plot just seems to me to be a good way of supplementing our “food bin.” My garden that’s begun sprouting may be modest, but it will satisfy some part of my soul that needs to be outside and “playing in the dirt.”

Esau Crosby is the chef at Solo Bistro in Bath.