With the change of seasons and the warmer weather finally approaching for many of us, it’s a good time to start thinking about how you’re going to adjust your shopping and cooking to incorporate the new season of fruits and vegetables. If you have window space or a small garden this is a great time to begin seeding and planting your own herbs, vegetables and fruits, depending on which region you live in.
Of course many of us see the same produce in stores all year round because it can be harvested in the warm southern states or brought in from South America. So what's the difference? Well, the fruits and vegetables grown closer to home are likely to taste much better, they are picked when they are ripe or ready and shipped quickly to nearby stores. The other benefit of buying and eating local seasonal produce is that it should cost you less per pound to enjoy. The movement for buying and eating local produce has grown alot in the past few years and now large stores such as Wholefoods and Wal-Mart are working towards purchasing locally. This locavore trend has also produced some great restaurants that buy only from the farms nearby. What do you think of the locavore trend? Do you buy produce that is grown in your region?
But of course the cheapest way to enjoy herbs, fruits and vegetables is to grow some yourself. There are some simple low maintenance herbs to begin a herb garden such as, parsley, mint, thyme, rosemary and tarragon. It's also a great time to start seeding and planting greens such as spinach, kale, lettuce, peas and shallots. To see a video with tips on how to plant and grow some of these great herbs and veggies right at home, click HERE.
Here is a great guide to what's in season and what to seed or plant in your region.
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Thanks for the yummy recipes. I love going to the local farmer's market from May through November, and really taste a difference in the produce! Our grocery store tries to buy locally too, so the big difference is noticed in the winter and early spring. We eat more casseroles during that time, for both warm comfort and to mask the less fresh tastes.