What the Heck's in Season?

Mairlyn Smith, P.H. Ec.

By now I'm sure you've figured out that to me a day without fruits and vegetables is a day that is going down the dumpster quickly. My family and I usually eat between 7 and 10 servings of those nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich, fibre-filled gifts from Mother Nature every single day. Okay, maybe that sounds a tad too virtuous, but I really believe in eating delicious foods and in my opinion a lot of them started out as a seed.

If you're following the tips in an earlier post Say bye-bye to gimmicks and hello to health then you're already on board with the whole "let's eat more fruits and veggies plan." Hopefully this blog will give you some more doable ideas.

Aside from believing in the power of fruit and veggies and the positive impacts they have on my health, I also believe in eating seasonally. That means in January I'm not eating strawberries from Peru. No, I'm waiting until the first local crop of mouthwatering strawberries that taste like strawberries hits my grocery store or farmer's market and then I go wild with glee.

You ought to see me when the heirloom tomatoes arrive, I'm downright hysterical.

We need to get back to our nutritional roots and eat the seasonal produce nature has to offer. Not only do we get better in tune with nature, but we're supporting our local farmers as well as reducing our carbon footprint. It's one of those little things that can make a big difference.

So, what the heck's in season in January? I decided to go on a foraging mission at my local grocery store and here's what my province of Ontario had to offer the week of January 7th:

1. Apples: I found 6 varieties of apples starting out with the most Canadian apple of the entire lot; the one and only Macintosh. Store them in breathable plastic bags to ensure they stay crisp and juicy and keep them in the crisper (aka the slimer) of your fridge, if possible without any other fruit hogging the drawer. Apples give off ethylene gas which speeds up ripening of other fruits and veggies. Pack an apple in your lunch every day, add it salads or munch after dinner.

2. Cabbage: Purple, savoury, and regular. Store it in breathable plastic bags up to three weeks in your fridge. Think coleslaw.

3. Carrots: Keep them in the bag they come in and they should be good to go for 3 weeks. Steamed, roasted, stir fried or eaten raw.

4. Beets: Sold in plastic bags. The loose ones I found were from the US. Take them out of the bag and wrap them loosely in paper towels in the fridge for up to one week. Great roasted or boiled and sprinkled with balsamic vinegar.

5. Celeriac or celery root: This is not a big root of regular celery, but a type of celery plant that is specifically grown for its large root size. Tastes like, you guessed it, celery, with a bit more crunch and a slight nutty taste. Store in a breathable plastic bag for up to three weeks. Try grating it into coleslaw or chop into sticks and eat raw.

6. Winter squash: I found Acorn and Butternut, all grown locally. Store in a cool dark place. Butternut can be stored like this for up to a couple of months. Great roasted or in soups.

7. Onions: Sold in net bags. Keep them in the net bag for good air circulation and store them in a cool dark place.

8. Potatoes: The local potatoes are sold in large paper bags and should be stored in a cool dark place with good air circulation, as well. Only new potatoes should be stored in the fridge.

9. Parsnips: A much maligned root vegetable, these nutrient-dense babies should be stored in a breathable plastic bag in the fridge. Try them puréed in a soup, roasted or stir fried.

10. Rutabaga and turnips: Which are two very different veggies. Rutabagas are big; turnips are little white bulbs that have a hint of purple shading at the top. Turnips like the fridge, rutabagas don't. Store the turnips in a breathable plastic bag in the fridge and the rutabagas in a cool dark place. Both are great steamed, stir fried, or roasted.

11. Mushrooms: All varieties were local. Store them in paper bags. White or button and crimini will last for at least one week in the fridge. Shiitake and portabello up to two weeks, but enoki and oyster are best eaten right away. Add to soups, stews, or sauté in extra virgin olive oil. If you buy them prepackaged, leave them in the packaging and eat within three to five days.

12. Lettuce: I found two hydroponically grown varieties - Boston and Leaf. Both looked amazing. Both tasted like spring.

13. Greenhouse tomatoes that smelled and tasted like tomatoes! All grown locally.

14. Shallots: A member of the onion family that taste like a cross between onion and garlic. Store them in their mesh bags in a cool dark place. They are great raw in salad dressings, sautéed with veggies.

The local bounty is in your grocery store or farmer's market. Let's get back to basics and eat what we grow in the province we live in, when it's in season.

Source: Yahoo Canada - Lifestyle

What's your favourite winter recipe using seasonal produce? Send me an email:

info@stratfordscooking.com