Tag: farmer’s market | Nourished Roots

In Portland, you often hear people talking about focusing on eating locally, organically grown and seasonally appropriate foods. These buzz words can be overwhelming for someone just trying to get a meal on the table for themselves or their families. It is easy to become confused by the multiple messages about what to eat and where to buy your food. Some have even asked, “What does seasonal eating even mean?” Seasonal eating is a philosophy of eating where your diet is adjusted according to what is currently growing in your own region. Seasonal eating focuses on eating food that will support your body in the particular season you are experiencing. With today’s modern grocery stores, you can find almost any food you desire at any time of the year. This may seem like a benefit of our modern transportation, refrigeration and grocery system but many are discovering the amazing advantages of eating fresh, locally harvested food.

Benefits of Seasonal Eating

Eating seasonally benefits the environment because less pollution is created and less fuel is used to transport the food to market.
Eating seasonally is usually less expensive. Food in season is generally more abundant and has less transportation costs so it takes a smaller bite out of your wallet.
Produce harvested and eaten in season has more vitamins and minerals than foods harvested far away, unripe and then shipped long distances. Seasonally appropriate food also tastes better. Who can forget the joy of biting into a fresh, ripe tomato straight from the vine?
Eating with the season forces you to eat a varied diet. As foods move in and out of season you are forced to change the food on your plate.
Eating seasonally connects us to nature. As the variety of produce changes, it forces us to take notice of what is happening in the natural world.

Many areas of the United States have a limited growing season making it virtually impossible to eat locally and in season all of the time. Unfortunately the Northwest is one of those areas. If eating seasonally in the dead of winter seems daunting, there are some steps you can take. Portland has many year round local farmers’ markets- visiting one may spark creative ideas for new foods. You can also join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm to form a personal connection with your farmer and the foods he/she is harvesting. While it might not always be possible to purchase your seasonal produce locally, the next best thing is to purchase what’s in season in a region in close proximity. This practice will help minimize shipping time and increase flavor.

To find out what’s harvested seasonally in our area, go to www.localharvest.org to find local farmers’ markets and seasonal produce guides.

As Spring approaches, what fresh produce are you looking forward to enjoying?

Photo by Francis Andrew on Flickr.

Photo by Natalie Maynor.

One of my favorite parts of Spring is when the Farmer’s Markets start to reappear in Portland. When market season is in full swing here in northwest Oregon, you can find at least one different market a day to search out that perfect, just picked ingredient you are looking for. I love shopping at Farmer’s Markets because it helps me get in tune with what is actually growing in my area at the time. I anxiously wait for those first Hood strawberries and know I have to load up because their season is so short.

These days we are spoiled because in a regular grocery store we can find almost any ingredient we want at any time- the season doesn’t matter. Grocery stores import their product from all over the world. While this gives us a wider array of choices, the transportation around the globe can be hard on the environment. Unfortunately, there are some vital ingredients which it would be impossible for me to find here in Oregon if they were not imported from other parts of the world. Lemons, limes, bananas and pineapples are never going to grow here. So I do make some exceptions. However, since starting my program at The Wellspring School for Healing Arts, I have become much more conscious of trying to eat with the seasons.

Eating with the seasons forces me to eat food at the peak of freshness, loaded with vitamins and minerals. Buying that food directly from the farmers who have grown it allows me to ask questions about how it was grown, when it was picked and to ask them questions about their suggestions for preparation. Foods that are in season are generally cheaper, saving your money. Eating with the seasons has also forced me to try new varieties of fruits and vegetables. Once I was searching for fresh chanterelle mushrooms for a yummy Hungarian Mushroom soup I love, only to find they were done for the season. The mushroom harvester was able to suggest an alternative mushroom which worked just as well. If I had been shopping in a grocery store, it is unlikely the clerk would have had such detailed knowledge to steer me to an appropriate alternative.

Every area of the world will have different foods which are appropriate for eating seasonally for that particular part of the globe. Obviously, these foods depend on climate and geographical location. However, here are some overall guidelines for eating seasonally.

In spring, focus on tender, leafy vegetables which are signs of the Earth reawakening after the long months of cold and snow. Make a nettle pesto or stir up some fresh Swiss chard. Be adventuresome. Browse your farmer’s market stalls for greens you have never tried before. All this new growth packs a nutritional punch- ENJOY!

Traditional Chinese medicine advocates eating lighter, cooling foods in summer. One of summer’s great bounties is the abundance of fruits and vegetables. Strawberries, blueberries, plums, watermelon and peaches are just a few of the fruits which make an appearance. Load up on zucchini, summer squash and eggplant. Summer offers the most diversity in the seasonal eating menu. Make a point to try one new food a week.

As summer fades away, fall continues to offer many options to bring to the table. Fresh mushrooms, butternut squash, pumpkin and winter kale all begin to make their appearance. Think about deep nourishment to warm you from the inside. Warming spices like cinnamon, cumin, ginger and mustard seeds will all turn up the warming qualities of these foods.

As winter approaches, depending on where you live, our choices become a little more limited. Keep in mind the principle that foods which take longer to grow are generally more warming than foods that grow quickly. Parsnips, rutabagas, brussel sprouts and winter greens are all good choices for the winter. Serve these beauties in hearty stews or slow roasted in the oven. The longer the cook time, the more warmth they will impart to the body. Continue your use of warming spices.

With summer quickly approaching, the easiest time to give seasonal eating a try is upon us. What new, local foods are you interested in exploring?

This post is part of the linky party on Food Renegade.

Tag Archives: farmer’s market

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