I am all about eating what's fresh. I have a calendar in my kitchen that highlights each month's freshest produce. I initially got it as a joke because my boyfriend didn't understand the concept of things being seasonal - he always wanted mangoes in December and blackberries in February - but it has proved useful for me too. I'm pretty good on fruits and basic veggies, but I never really thought about onions or certain herbs, for example, being seasonal.
Then I got an e-mail from Vital Juice Daily that was all about what's in season! Here's a list of the highlights, and some recipes to go along with it. Who knew peas had so much fiber?!? And I have a lifelong weakness for strawberries, and more recently mangoes too, so I will definitely be trying that recipe!
Asparagus: Contains a type of fiber called inulin to promote healthy gut bacteria. Grill it or use it in this delicious Pasta Primavera.
Artichokes: They pack the most antioxidants of all vegetables.
Apricots: For a super breakfast bowl, soak 1/2 cup rolled oats in 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk for 10 minutes. Top with chopped apricots and slivered almonds.
Fennel: Beats bloat. Also tastes great shredded into a salad.
Swiss chard, collards, mustard, spinach and spring greens: Loaded with vitamins A, C and E, these leaves boast blood building vitamin K and iron and bone boosting calcium and magnesium.
Peas: Give peas a chance! A half cup serving has more fiber than a bowl of oatmeal.
Chives: Make this recipe for Herb Cheese Spread and use it as a veggie dip, a sandwich spread or stir into pasta dishes.
Strawberries: One cup contains more than 160% of your daily quota of immune-boosting vitamin C. Try this recipe for Strawberries with Whipped Mango Purée tastes like a beach vacation.
Mangoes: Unlike most fruit, this tropical treat has plenty of age-fighting vitamin E.
Honeydew melon: Eat your water! This fruit is 90% water to help hydrate the skin and fill you up.
Vidalia onions: These stinkers are rich with sulfur compounds that may reduce the risk of heart disease.
And if you're a New Yorker, here's another cool new resource: What Is Fresh is an online guide to local food and farmers markets and what's available now.
Happy seasonal eating!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This makes me think that if I combined all of these into one big meal I'd live forever! What are vidalia onions and what kind of dish could I use them in?
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this, Jamie! I got the Vital Juice email but have since lost it or, more likely, absentmindedly deleted it - so anyway, I'm very glad to see this info again.
ReplyDeleteKim, Vidalia onions are sweet onions and they might not be (easily) available abroad or they may just be called "sweet onions". They kind of look like golden, pinkish yellow onions on the outside (right, Jamie?). I have a great asparagus and Vidalia onion quiche recipe that I can email you!