How to eat in season

Photo by ashbstarr photography

You’ve probably heard that it’s best to eat produce that is in season.  Not only do fruits and vegetables taste better when they are freshly picked, but you can also find produce that is locally grown and hasn’t had to travel thousands of miles to get to your plate.  Plus, when you visit a farmers’ market or participate in a co-op or CSA, you get the opportunity to experiment with fruits and vegetables that you may not find in your regular grocery store.  So how do you find out what is in season in your area?  There are a couple of websites that I like to use.

Epicurious has an interactive map that allows you to click on your state, see what’s in season by month and even find related recipes.  I found out that corn, cucumbers, melon and okra are in season right now in Arizona.  I clicked on okra and found 6 pages of recipes including a fun one for Spicy Baby Okra and Olives.

Local Harvest is a fantastic website that helps you find local farmers’ markets, co-ops and CSAs.  You can also put in your zip code, and find local products like free-range eggs, pastured turkeys, and even locally-made yarn.  Today I learned that I can buy free-range eggs at a farm that is only 6 miles away for  $3.00/dozen.  What a great deal!
The co-op that we participate in is called Bountiful Baskets, and I’m sure you know about it if you have read my blog for any amount of time.  They are expanding rapidly, and I encourage you to keep checking the website to see if there is a location near you.  Or, if you are motivated enough, you could start a Bountiful Baskets site of your own!
Do you eat in season? Why or why not? Do you participate in a CSA or co-op? Do you know about farmers’ markets in your area?

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  • Mike Lieberman July 27, 2011 at 3:53 pm

    One of the things that I love most about living in LA is being able to eat in season. Cherry season was last month and for about 3 weeks straight devoured as many cherries as possible from the farmers market. Now I am enjoying peaches and other stone fruits. Figs are coming up shortly.

  • CferMN July 27, 2011 at 9:00 pm

    Wish we could eat locally and in-season year-round here in Minnesota. Stupid winter.

  • Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen July 28, 2011 at 9:15 am

    I've been meaning to look into joining a CSA, for the moment I'm trying to visit farmer's markets as often as I can.