01 Jun What’s in Season Right Now? (Summer 2017)
Seasonality of what you consume is more important than ever. Not only are restaurants adopting the practice of creating dishes that use ingredients that are in season, but many grocery stores are also beginning to do the same.
In-season produce not only tastes better, but you’re also supporting the local farmers and eliminating your carbon footprint by minimizing orders for items that aren’t available in your area, but are grown across the world and have to be shipped.
Here’s what’s in season during Summer 2017.
Berries
Berries are probably one of the best things about summer. Pick ’em yourself, or grab ’em at a grocery store, they’re chockfull of antioxidants, fibre, and other nutrients.
Try these recipes:
Toasted Barley and Berry Granola
Berry Sorbet
Summer Berry Medley with Limoncello and Mint
Peaches
Alongside berries and figs, peaches are another highlight of summertime. Peaches are rich in minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, phosphorous, zinc, and copper.
Try these recipes:
Honey-Lime Grilled Pork Chops With Peaches
Grilled Peach, Chicken, and Feta Salad
BBQ Chicken with Peach and Feta Slaw
Eggplant
Eggplants are one of the most versatile vegetables, often replacing meat in recipes. A bonus? Some dub it as one of the healthiest foods in the world, full of dietary fiber, vitamin B1, copper, vitamin B6, potassium, and vitamin K.
Try these recipes:
Eggplant and Tofu Stir-Fry
Pennoni with Grilled Eggplant, Mint, and Burrata
Eggplant Roll-Ups
Avocado
Long live the avocado. No longer will you have to wait days and days for your avocados to ripen, as they’re just perfect in the summer.
Learn more about the benefits of avocados here.
Try these recipes:
Avocado Hummus Dip
Crispy Baked Avocado Fries
Fudgy Avocado Brownies
Okra
It might sound exotic, but okra is actually a staple food in many cultures. It’s high in potassium, vitamin B, vitamin C, calcium, and dietary fibre.
Okra can be finicky, though, as if prepared wrong, it can be a bit slimy. A few ways to avoid that sliminess: wash it only when you’re ready to cook it, let it come to room temperature, cut it in big chuns, or soak it in vinegar for about half an hour before cooking.
Try these recipes:
Spicy Pickled Okra
Fried Pecan Okra
Martha Rose Shulman’s Roasted Okra
Figs
The sweetest treat of all. Figs are a rarity most of the year, so be sure to eat as many as you can this summer!
Try these recipes:
Marinated Fig Salad
Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs with Blue Cheese and Pecans
Toffee Fig Pies
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are like fresh pops of sunshine, and they’re the sweetest in the summer. Not only are they wonderfully juicy, but they’re also full of vitamins A, C, and K, and potassium.
Try these recipes:
Peach-Tomato Salsa
Tomato Galette
Tomato, Baby Lettuce, and Olive Bread Salad
Sticking to seasonal foods can be tough; it’s not the easiest to stick to things that only have a window of a few months.
With Urban Cultivator, you can grow a variety of herbs, vegetables, and microgreens in as little as seven days. The best part, though, is that seasons don’t matter; you can grow anything, anytime.
Plus, things like basil are always out of stock at grocery stores. What’s better than growing your own and guaranteeing that you’ll always have some on hand?
What are your favorite vegetables during the summer season? Let us know in the comments section!