Green Options

With autumn upon us, our seasonal menu has already begun to change. At farmers markets in most areas of the country you can see the abundance of the Fall season. Hearty root vegetables are everywhere and can offer your body an array of healing benefits as prepare for the winter months ahead. The roots of any plant are its foundation; roots support and nourish the plant. Root vegetables offer you these same properties, making you feel grounded both emotionally and physically and increasing your stamina and endurance. Roots are a source of nutritious complex carbohydrates, providing long lasting energy and helping to regulate your blood sugar levels. Root vegetables also help us to absorb and assimilate the nutrients we eat, just as they absorb and assimilate vital nutrients for plants.

Long roots include carrots, parsnips, burdock and daikon radish. Some of these are excellent blood purifiers and can help improve circulation in the body and increase mental clarity. Round roots include turnips, radishes, beets and rutabagas. Round roots are nourishing to the stomach, spleen, pancreas and reproductive organs and can help regulate blood sugar, moods, and alleviate cravings.

Read more for a delicious Meatless Monday Vegan Roasted Root Vegetable recipe.

I recently heard a claim that people of my generation (I’m 23-years-old) are so disconnected from the food system that we can’t identify the correct season for our fruits and vegetables. At first, I scoffed at this idea – of course I know when to eat plants, that’s easy!

Turns out, I have no idea. I looked at a list of vegetables and beyond pumpkins, which I know are fall plants because I carve a jack-o-lantern every October, I couldn’t place any of them. Strawberries… maybe early spring? Lettuce… I didn’t think lettuce had a season?

I’ll admit defeat – I’ve been spoiled by supermarkets that show me tomatoes and carrots and lettuce and spinach year round, and I probably can’t identify the season for any of them. During my dieting phase at the end of college, these vegetables were staples of my daily eating whether they were in season or not. I’m so used to seeing them all the time it never occurred to me there was a better or worse time to eat them until I started listening to Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle on audio book.

Though you can find asparagus at your supermarket almost all year long, asparagus is actually in season from March until June. Asparagus, a member of the lily family, is quite difficult to grow, causing this tasty treat to be a bit on the pricey side. Asparagus has been used since early on not only as a vegetable to eat, but also for medicinal purposes. Asparagus contains asparagine, a special plant compound, which gives it a diuretic effect, aiding in kidney function. Asparagus varieties include green, white and purple. The white variety is typically milder then the green and the purple can have a subtle fruity flavor. One cup of chopped asparagus has around 30 calories, contains no fat or cholesterol, is low in sodium, and comes chock full of vital nutrients. Asparagus is an excellent source of folate and thiamin (important B vitamins) and is also a good source of fiber, potassium, iron, vitamin C and beta-carotene. The quicker the cooking time, the more flavor the asparagus will have. Their unique taste pairs well with everything from mushrooms to seafood to salads. At your local farmers market, look for bunches that are firm, brightly colored and straight.

Spring is here. In order to eat seasonally your food focus should be shifting to tender, leafy vegetables that represent the fresh new growth of this season. The color green is associated with spring, which is a time of renewal and refreshing, vital energy. The greening that occurs in springtime should be represented by greens on your plate, including items like swiss chard, spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, fresh parsley and basil.

Leafy greens are some of the easiest and most beneficial vegetables to incorporate into your daily routine. Kale, for example, has more nutritional content and few calories than almost anything else. Although it can be found throughout the year, it is in season from the middle of winter through the beginning of spring when it has a sweeter taste. Kale is part of the Brassica family, which is known for their health promoting benefits and cancer fighting properties. Kale boosts the body’s detoxification enzymes, thus helping to clear potentially carcinogenic substances more quickly. Research shows that diets high in cruciferous vegetables, such as kale, are associated with lower incidence of a variety of cancers, including lung, colon, breast and ovarian cancer. One cup of kale contains just 36.4 calories, but provides 192.4% of the daily value for vitamin A, 88.8% of the daily value for vitamin C, and 7.0% of the day’s needs for manganese which helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrate. Kale also contains calcium, fiber, vitamin E, iron and B vitamins. Here is an easy and delicious kale recipe to get you started on eating for Spring.

Whether you’ve got a big back yard, some room on a windowsill or patio, or no inclination towards gardening at all, it’s easy to get in on the Springtime bounty!

[Creative Commons photo by Carl Tashian]

Spring is getting close! The bulbs from last year are peeking out of the ground, and I’ve even spied a few things starting to bloom out back! This week’s Vegetable Husband newsletter mentioned that farms nearby are starting to plant for Spring, and it reminded me that it’s time to get my own Spring garden going, too! Here are some great resources to get you started.

Winter veggies usually get short shrift, but there are many reasons to savor them. They add loads of vitamins and nutrients to our diets, do wonders for our immunity, and are wonderfully versatile. Plus, eating seasonally is eating green: as it takes us back to the old days of eating only the freshest available products, it’s a more sustainable eating model and it’s better for reducing our carbon footprints.

Here’s my guide to making the most of these five fabulous winter veggies:

1. Play Squash

I actually look forward to winter just for its squash varieties. Acorn, banana, butternut, spaghetti, delicata, hubbard, sweet dumpling, buttercup, and turban squashes—not to mention pumpkin—add a colorful and sweet accent to your plate. Plus, they are among the healthiest types of complex carbohydrates (the best kind of carbs), with high fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C content. Roast ‘em, mash ‘em, or slow cook ‘em into a heaping bowl of soupy goodness for the perfect warm winter meal.

I love the smell of fall.

Dried leaves, roasting chilis, woodsmoke, and the aroma of fresh-baked cookies… Mmmm…

During harvest season, when we go to the Farmers Market, we make sure to stock up on pie pumpkins, butternut, red kuri, acorn, and spaghetti squash. Some go into savory dishes, like a soup or stir fry, and the rest go to feed my sweet tooth. Yes, vegetable cookies…

[image via Jennifer Dickert]

Working local, seasonal foods into your diet is an easy and delicious way to reduce your carbon footprint. The average food item travels 1,500 miles to get to your plate. Local food uses far less gas to get from farm to table. On top of that, local food is usually fresher than something that’s traveled a long time and distance. If you hit your average grocery store chain it seems nearly impossible to stock up on local eats. With a few handy resources, though, it’s as easy as (organic, locally-grown apple) pie!

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When the summer heat breaks and the first cool days arrive, I feel melancholy, because it means the end of our local farmers market is nigh and the variety of summer produce will soon be gone.  While I savor the rest of our ripening tomatoes, my thoughts turn to fall’s produce, with its rich red and orange hues, mirroring the turning leaves.  Fall produce reminds me of rich, hearty dishes that fill you up during the harvest season.  Here are five fall fruits and vegetables (and meal ideas) that are great sources of nutrition and the basis of many delicious dishes.

Eating seasonally is one of the best ways to green your diet.  By eating food grown in season, you’re more likely to eat locally, cutting down on the amount of miles your food travels.  Obviously, if you’re getting asparagus in December, it’s probably not from your area, unless you live in Argentina.  Eating seasonally means your product is likely fresher, meaning it’s going to taste better and retain more nutrients.
If you regularly eat in-season, you know that the winter can drag on and the promise of spring produce is sometimes the only thing getting you through long months of squash and brussels sprouts.  When asparagus start appearing on the scene, you know spring has sprung and produce will only get better until after the seemingly far away fall harvest.

If you’re new to eating seasonally, spring is a great time to start.  Personally, the coming of spring is highly anticipated, and the weekly surprise of what’s new to the farmers market just adds to my anticipation of warmer weather.  Here’s five food, their nutritional benefits, and ideas for recipes to get you excited for spring eating.