Local produce is often the healthiest and tastiest fruit and vegetables you can consume. That’s because it’s fresh. Eating locally is not only a better way to ensure freshness (an apple traveling from a few miles away is likely going to have more nutrients than an apple traveling from thousands of miles away), it’s good for the local economy and the environment.
As part of this equation, you must learn how to consume only what’s being grown locally (eat seasonally). That means that if you live in a warmer area, you should be able to eat cherries by the end of spring. Or if you live in a cold climate, you may only be able to find good strawberries for a short period of time.
In order to pinpoint the months when certain fruits and vegetables are in season, you can find a seasonality chart tailored to your region. A more generalized list would be the ones on this USDA website. Beneath the category for spring, it lists over 20 options.
As we enter into spring, here are some recipes for you to try that feature some of the seasonal produce from the list:
Carrot, Cabbage, and Apple Slaw with Cumin Lime Dressing
Quinoa with Apricot, Asparagus & Almond
April Bloomfield’s Steamed and Raw Radish Salad with Kimchi and Sesame
Kick Booty Kale Smoothie (Kale Pineapple)
Lentil, Roasted Turnip, and Chard Soup
Almond Cookies with Roasted Strawberries and Toasted Coconut
Spinach-Broccoli Soup with Garlic and Cilantro
Give one of these amazing-sounding recipes a go and let us know what you think!
–Anna Cherry is a writer and editor in New York City. She tweets at @unacereza.
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