Green Options

Have you noticed that you crave different foods in different seasons? Your body knows best what it needs and when it needs it. Foods that are in season provide us the most flavor, freshness and most nutritional value at the most affordable price. Modern food producing and distribution makes food available on your grocery shelves all year long, however, eating seasonally and locally not only benefits our bodies, but benefits the environment as well.  By purchasing local foods that are in season, you eliminate the environmental damage caused by shipping foods thousands of miles and your family will reap the benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables.

In different parts of the country, seasonal menus will vary, but here are some general guidelines to help you start shopping seasonally.

Want to eat well but while keeping an eye on your budget? Not to worry—you don’t have to empty your wallet at Whole Paycheck Whole Foods in order to do so. Here are some tips on how to parlay your greenbacks into more affordable green eating.

Prioritize your purchases. Buying organic makes for healthier, tastier food, but it can come at a steep price. However, The Daily Green has published two helpful guides to navigating this dilemma: a list of 12 key foods to buy organic, as well as of the 10 safest non-organic grocery purchases.

Know which aisles to shop. The bulk section of health-food stores is a goldmine of good buys: grains, cereals, dried beans, nuts, flour, sugar, and herbs and spices. Buying in bulk is less expensive than buying packaged goods and allows you to get just the right amount.

Seasonal food is plentiful right now, much of it in the shape of squashes and gourds. Last night I took a page (literally) out of Barbara Kingsolver’s recent book, Animal, Vegetable Miracle. Ever since I read the chapter on smashing pumpkins, I knew I had to try the pumpkin soup experiment.

For the uninitiated, she took on the task of making pumpkin soup in the actual pumpkin. She describes the culinary feat in detail, including the collapse of the shell when she attempted to serve the soup!

Food Prices Too High? Tired of overpriced, undersatisfying meals? Want to have fresh, local food on hand all year-round? Ten Ways looks at eating local, fresh and delicious.

It’s not hard to see the value in local, seasonal food, but how does one go about finding it, preparing it, and saving a little money along the way? Check out this installment of Ten Ways for a few tips on enjoying wonderful food 365 days a year.

1. Grow Something Edible

   Planting seeds, starts or other edible living things in and around your home (wild yeast cultures or sprouts count too) are great ways to have fresh, delicious food on hand. Plus, it’s cheap. Seed packages start at less than a dollar, soil or compost can be purchased (or found) at pennies per pound, and water in the form of rain or out of the tap are both economical choices. Aside from an investment of time, growing your own food requires little else.

Word on the street is that as the economy worsens, cookbook sales rise.  Isn’t that American?  Wouldn’t one think that cookbook check-outs at the library might go up instead?  Perhaps it has.  Chosen method of procurement aside, I’m not begrudging you the investment in a superior culinary tome–I spent too much time looking at one yesterday, although I was able to walk away without a purchase.  But I also already have a good library of cookbooks at my disposal that I’ve picked up over the years that allow me to cook great meals, from whole foods, in my own kitchen.  If you’re a fledgling home cook, or just someone looking to eat at home more to save a little money, here’s a list of comprehensive cookbooks, vegan, vegetarian, and meat-eater, that have proved themselves to me time and time again.

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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.

An early spring produce cult-fave with the foodies, ramps have been popping up all over the food blogosphere. The wild leek, a member of the allium family, tastes like a cross between garlic and onion and is snatched up at farmers markets by cooks craving fresh veggies after a long winter.

I combed food blogs for the best ramp recipes so you didn’t have to. Check them out after the jump…

We’ve talked a lot about eating seasonally, for the taste, health, and environmental benefits. However, if you’re not a gardener or new to shopping the farmers’ markets, you might be unsure what’s available. For careful menu planners, this can be difficult. Wouldn’t it be easier if a cookbook was organized by season, offering recipes using produce commonly available during each of the four seasons?

Then my mom bought me Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert’s Simply in Season for Christmas this year. The concept seemed so logical, I couldn’t believe I didn’t already posses a cookbook organized by season. In fact, there are a few other seasonally-organized cookbooks, but my mom picked this up while they were on vacation this summer, knowing it would be right up my alley. She was right. This vegetarian/vegan-friendly tome is packed with recipes that are easy enough for most home cooks, even beginners, and look (and taste!) downright tasty. Right now, I’m planning both the Lemon Asparagus pasta and the Spring Quiche Trio for upcoming meals, and I’m positively salivating for June’s strawberries, so I can make the Strawberry Brunch Souffle