Depending on where you are in the country, you may be experiencing some wacky weather. What's even wackier is that there isn't much of a difference in what you find in the produce section of the grocery store. Pretty much any time of the year, you can find the same foods, even though they are not grown year round.
The way that happens is food is grown around the world, maybe tens of thousands of miles away. It gets picked when it's not quite ripe, then sprayed down with preservatives.Then it gets shipped to your grocery store. You may notice the food tastes a little off, the tomatoes aren't quite red. The berries are shriveled and a little lightly colored. That's because if the food is picked when it's ripe, it would go bad by the time it makes its way to grocery store shelves.
One way to ensure you are getting the freshest and best tasting food is to eat what is in season. Eating what is grown seasonally keeps your grocery costs down as well as reducing the carbon footprint it takes to get your food to your plate. Plus the food tastes way better! A great way to see what's in season near you is to check out the farmer's market and see what they have. (For all my fellow Las Vegans, there's one at the Whole Foods on Las Vegas Blvd every Friday from 3-7.)
If you can't make it to a farmer's market, you can check out this list I compiled. The list obviously varies by region, but I think it's pretty general for the U.S. at least. So here is a list of the foods that are in season each month:
January:
Apples, citrus (especially tangerines, blood oranges, clementines, grapefruit), pomegranates, pears, beets, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, leeks, potatoes, rhubarb, winter squashes (acorn, butternut)
February:
Bananas, citrus (blood oranges, lemons), pears, pineapple, pomegranate, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, artichoke, parsnips, potatoes, spinach, turnips
March:
Bananas, blood oranges, lemons, kiwi, pomegranate, mangoes, rhubarb, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, green onions
April:
Asparagus, broccoli, kale, lettuce, radishes, rosemary, spinach, green onions, garlic
May:
Apricots, cherries, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, new potatoes, radishes, spinach, watercress
June:
Apricots, cherries, melon, strawberries, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, fennel, lettuce, peas, watercress, zucchini
July:
Apricots, blackberries, blueberries, melons, nectarines, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumber, fennel, green beans, lettuce, onions, peas, sage
August:
Apricots, blackberries, blueberries, melons, peaches, raspberries, tomatoes, basil, cucumber, green beans, kohlrabi, onions, peas, zucchini, eggplant
September:
Apples, blackberries, figs, grapes, melons, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, tomatoes, beets, butternut squash, carrots, celery, cucumber, kale, leeks, peppers, radishes, corn, wild mushrooms
October:
Apples, figs, grapes, pears, tomatoes, butternut squash, celery, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, pumpkin, turnips, sweet potatoes
November:
Apples, cranberries, passionfruit, pears, artichoke, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkin, turnips, wild mushrooms, sweet potatoes
December:
Apples, clementines, cranberries, passionfruit, pears, pineapple, pomegranate, tangerines, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, chicory, kale, leeks, parsnips, red cabbage, turnips
For a great seasonal salad, check out my previous post "Smart Swaps" from May 2012. It's a warm kale salad with all kinds of winter seasonal ingredients. (It's delicious any time of year, which is why I was making it in May.) Fruit salad with apples and citrus with some fresh mint chopped in is also yummy.
Let me know if you have any other seasonal recipes!
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