Seasonal Cooking

This post was originally published as What’s in Season? by Laurel on Health Food.

Hey there! I’ve been thinking a lot about seasonal cooking this week. Last Saturday I took a trip to the local farmer’s market and was excited to see some of my favorite fall produce on display. Down in Florida, we’re not feeling much of a change in weather (it’s still hot & humid), but we should get a break soon enough.
One of the best things about cooking and eating in-season foods is they taste better and they’re at their peak levels of nutrition and freshness. Eating seasonally means you can eat locally (supporting farmers and community-supported agriculture). Your food will travel shorter distances from the fields to your plate.
Here’s a list of fruits and vegetables in season for Autumn/Fall: apples, arugula, asian pears, beans (for shelling), broccoli, Brussels sprout, fennel, green tomatoes, hard-shelled squashes, pears, persimmons, pomegranates, radicchio, sweet peppers, and sweet potatoes. (Ref: Fresh From the Farmers’ Market by Janet Fletcher)
Look out for these foods in your local stores and markets. Or maybe you’re lucky enough to have a few growing in your garden!
I picked up some fresh Brussels sprout last weekend and they’re really delicious. I recently learned that these magically healthy cruciferous vegetables are sweeter during their peak season. I could really taste a difference and they didn’t have the strong bitter flavor Brussels sprout tend to have other times of the year (the longer they’re stored off the stalk, the stronger their bitter flavor becomes).
Happy Fall Season and I hope you enjoy some seasonal produce!