Winter Solstice is just around the corner. The weather has gotten chillier, the nights are long, and the winter fruits and vegetables are back in season!
Winter Fare
There are many reasons to focus on eating food that is in season!
- These will be the fruits and vegetables that are at their peak, both in ripeness and nutritional value.
- They will be available from local sources like farmers markets, farm stands, and your local grocer that supports growers in your area. Through buying your food locally you are not only supporting the economy in your area, but you will not be receiving produce that had to be picked far before it was ready in order to be transported from across the world.
- You and your family could also have a seasonal garden. Growing food together is a great way to learn planning strategies, organization techniques, cooperation, facts about ecology, and how to connect with the earth. This is not to mention the mind-blowing pride that comes from eating something you grew yourself!
Here are some of the wondrous, fresh foods we have to choose from this winter!
Winter Fruit
Apples, Asian Pears, blackberries, chestnuts, dates, grapefruit, kiwi, lemons, mandarins, oranges
Winter Vegetables
Beets, Bok choy, broccoli, burdock, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, cress, dandelion, chicory, endive, fennel, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuces, mushrooms, mustard, nettles, onions, potatoes, radicchio, radishes, rapini, spinach, sunchokes, turnips, walnuts, and winter squash
