Eating Wisely
Eating Seasonally
Robin
NY USA
From: NEW BEGINNINGS, Vol. 19 No. 2, March-April 2002, pp. 60-61
As springtime approaches
in the northern hemisphere, many of us turn our thoughts to gardens.
We pore over seed catalogs, organize pots, place orders, and wait for
the ground to thaw. Fall brings the opportunity to evaluate the year’s
harvest and make plans for what to grow next year. For some, myself
included, the prospect of growing a large portion of our food is very
rewarding. The produce is eaten fresh throughout the growing season
or may be canned or frozen for winter consumption. For many, eating
with the seasons is a way of life.
Eating seasonally benefits
the individual, the family, the larger community, and the environment.
For those who are not gardeners, farmers’ markets and other local vendors
provide a bountiful array of seasonal fruits and vegetables of which
everyone can take advantage. When produce is trucked across country
for out of season distribution (tomatoes in winter, for example), its
nutritive value declines. Many vegetables that are shipped long distances
are picked early or sprayed to delay ripening. Eating locally grown
food can help limit exposure to chemicals and lend support to small
regional farms. Nothing that can compare to the freshness of a hand
picked tomato from your garden or peas from the farmers’ market. If
you grow your own fruits and vegetables without using chemical sprays,
you don’t need to peel them. Leaving the peels on fruits and vegetables,
such as carrots, apples, and potatoes, adds important minerals, vitamins,
and fiber to our diets.
Each region has different
fruits and vegetables that are in season throughout the year. For my
family in the Northeastern United States, eating seasonally means not
eating fresh tomatoes, peas, zucchini, and peppers in winter. It means
focusing on the outstanding selection of foods that are available throughout
each season. It is exciting to wait for asparagus, rhubarb, and peas
in the spring; cucumbers, berries, and corn in the summer; winter squash
and apples in the fall; and root vegetables in the winter. Freezing
or canning can help provide your family with summer foods, like tomatoes
or string beans, in winter. Combine all of this with regional products
such as local meats, cheeses, maple syrup, and honey, and you have a
well-stocked regional and seasonal kitchen!
Research indicates that
a diet high in fruits and vegetables plays a role in the prevention
of heart disease, certain cancers, obesity, and other diseases. Incorporation
of these beneficial foods can help reduce the incidence of illness and
assists the nursing and pregnant woman in achieving a diet that is beneficial
for both herself and her baby. In The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding it
is recommended that nursing mothers and their families eat a variety
of foods and a variety of plant parts. This will naturally happen if
we eat with the seasons. Throughout the year, the seasonal eater is
exposed to a whole variety of different fruits and vegetables. A person
who is not a seasonal eater may fall into a cycle of consuming the same
foods throughout the year, with little diversity.
Different plant parts are
consumed when one eats seasonally. In the spring, leaf or stalk parts
are generally eaten. This may include lettuce, spinach, rhubarb, or
asparagus. In summer, fruit parts dominate and may include berries,
tomatoes, peppers, and melons. In fall, look for leaves, fruits, and
roots in items such as apples, leeks, potatoes, and kale. Beets, onions,
and carrots (root parts) may be the focus of the menus during winter
months.
How does one get started
with seasonal eating? How can the transition be made to eating foods
that have fewer pesticides, spend less time in refrigeration, and are
more nutritious?
During the summer, buy
produce from roadside stands, local farms, or farmers’ markets. Look
for foods labeled “local.” Ask your grocery store to carry locally grown
foods. Visit food cooperatives which often carry locally grown produce,
cheeses, grains, and meats.
In the US, become a member
of a Community Supported Agriculture Farm (CSA). How does a CSA work?
A family pays a set sum up front to the CSA Farm and then picks up or
is delivered produce throughout the season. Many CSA farms are organic.
Joining a CSA is a great way to connect with the local farmers, understand
weather and seasons, and know exactly where your food is coming from.
Families can usually visit and help out on the farm. It is fun to watch
your toddler picking peas and learning how carrots grow. Toddlers won’t
be as timid about eating veggies when they are sitting in the grass
picking them off the vine.
During the winter months,
include potatoes, winter squash, beets, kale, apples, garlic, and other
seasonal foods. Winter squash can be cut open and baked with currants,
a little butter, maple syrup, and nutmeg in the center—delicious! Be
open to trying new foods like parsnips, celeriac (tastes like celery,
but it is a root), or Jerusalem artichokes (taste like water chestnuts).
Buy in bulk during summer
and can or freeze the produce. Every year, I can or freeze a variety
of items for winter use. Some of those include: tomatoes, berries, peaches,
beets, and applesauce. What a treat to have peaches in February when
there is a foot of snow on the ground. Many farms have a variety of
berries you can pick yourself. It is quick and easy to freeze berries
for the winter. Just place them on a cookie sheet and pop in the freezer.
After they are frozen, store them in freezer bags. Cooperative Extension
Offices (found in some states of the US) are great sources for canning
and freezing information.
Eating seasonally encourages
creative cooking. What does one do with all those beets? It is fun to
utilize the foods from each season into new and interesting dishes.
I have a favorite dish I only make in the peak of summer that uses many
fresh summer vegetables. It just wouldn’t be the same if I made this
dish throughout the year with out-of-season produce. Try the following
for easy ways to start “seasoning” your kitchen:
- Eat local fruit salad—top
it with yogurt for breakfast or with whipped cream for dessert.
- Too much zucchini? Peel
the zucchini with a potato peeler. Then use the peeler to peel the zucchini
all the way down to the seeds. This will leave you with a pile of thinly
sliced strips that, when cooked, can take the place of pasta. Toss the
strips with sautéed onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, and peppers;
add Parmesan or Feta cheese to the top. You can use five or six zucchini
easily this way.
- Grill the many available
summertime vegetables (peppers are outstanding when grilled!). Just
brush the vegetables with olive oil and place on the grill, turning
frequently.
- Use local herbs to season
foods throughout the growing season. Try basil with tomatoes and balsamic
vinegar or parsley with a cucumber and grain salad. Many herbs are very
easy to grow.
- Sauté mustard or other
greens with garlic, onions, salt, and pepper. Serve as a side dish or
over pasta or rice.
- Of course, don’t forget
smoothies! What a great way to combine the many fruits of summer with
other healthy ingredients. Just throw whatever takes your fancy in the
blender, starting with fruit and adding items such as milk/soymilk,
nutmeg or cinnamon, tofu, seeds, vanilla, and/or cottage cheese. You’ll
end up with a cooling, refreshing, not to mention nutritious, drink!
Be creative! There are many options for utilizing seasonal food selections
in smoothies.
- Forgo the lettuce in winter.
Make a salad out of grated cabbage, carrots, celeriac, and mushrooms
and toss in other ingredients such as apples, crumbly cheese, sunflower
seeds, and/or toasted nuts.
- Make potato and leek soup in the fall.
- Make chili with those canned
tomatoes! Tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C. Use ground turkey
or tofu instead of beef to lower the fat. Include a variety of beans.
- Try a “root crop” soup
with carrots, parsnips, and potatoes in winter. For protein, add meat
or tofu. Many herbs, such as parsley, sage, and oregano, are accessible
into winter or can be brought into the house in pots until spring. Flavor
the soup with different herbs.
- A wonderful dish in winter
is roasted root crop vegetables. Cut up beets, parsnips, potatoes, onions,
and carrots. Toss with olive oil and place in a single layer in a baking
dish. Sprinkle on salt and pepper and add bay leaves on top. Bake for
20 minutes at 450 degrees F and then for another 20-30 minutes at 350
degrees F. When they are tender, remove from the oven and sprinkle with
balsamic vinegar. Outstanding!
To learn more about seasonal
eating, contact your local organic farm. In the USA you can contact
your local CSA or Cooperative Extension Office. Look for cookbooks that
have recipes categorized by the season—there are many. A local arboretum,
horticultural society, or gardening club may also provide such information,
and you may find friends with gardens.
I love seasonal eating because
I know it benefits the health of my family, my community, and the environment,
just like breastfeeding. Together the choices we make in our life can
create a world that is connected and healthy.
Last updated Thursday, November 2, 2006 by njb.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:30:14 UTC 2007.
