As the title of my blog says, it is all about local, in season food. I will have to admit though, up until a week ago I didn't have the first clue as to what was really in season in my part of the world. I figured that if it wasn't in season, like Hood Strawberries, you just couldn't get it. This, my friends, is not the case.
As my husband and I were peering over our grocery receipt last Friday, we were wondering how on earth we could have spent what we did. "It's only vegetables!" I exclaimed. "Well, the asparagus was $10," he said, much too calmly for my liking. "But it is in season... isn't it?" I asked. This conversation, like so many in our house, sparked a wave of research. Yes, asparagus was in season, two weeks ago. The season is now over and it is time for local strawberries.
So, you may be asking, what does this have to do with eating clean and green? Well, quite a number of things:
- Eating seasonally is good for your health. Fresh, local produce is the way nature intended us to eat. Cold storage, shipping, and processing takes out nutrients we can never put back.
- Eating seasonally is good for the environment. Less shipping = Less pollution.
- Eating seasonally is good for the local economy. Supporting local agriculture helps put money back in other local businesses, not giant corporations.
- Eating seasonally is good for your bank account. Local, in season produce is generally cheaper than its hot-house grown, shipped around world counterpart.
Below is a list of what is in season for the Pacific Northwest. If you aren't in Oregon or Washington, you can Google what is in season for you.
As we move forward, a lot of recipes will be tailored to the season, or have sections that say "Choose whatever fruits and vegetables are in season." Our Muesli Oatmeal is this way. Today it was nectarines, plums, strawberries, and banana. In a month it will be totally different. So enjoy the seasons! Eat what is fresh and eat what is local.
Until next time...
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