What's In Season: Summer

I love the old days.  The days when the family would be out on the farm taking from the land what they sowed into it.  During the summer, the whole family would be out at the garden picking fresh grapes from the vine, stopping from time to time to pop into their mouths a few bulging fresh grapes, after all, it's warm outside and there is nothing like a refreshing crisp grape in the mouth of the laborer!  How about down by the cherry trees and the peach trees.  The tops of the branches always had the best.  Poppa would take a long stick and shake the branch  while momma and the little ones would collect the fallen fruits.  Usually everything enjoyed by the family would be the seasons best.  Nowadays, we can take a walk, or shall I say drive, to the nearest grocery store and pick from a slew of colorful fruits and vegetables that are in season elsewhere in the world besides here in your own home region.  In order to achieve the bright colors of the out of season delicacies in your produce isle, grocers and huge industries have to spray wax and chemicals to preserve the "freshness" because the items have traveled for many days over sea and land to make it to your grocer in the appearance of "fresh".

How do we get around this?  Enjoy what is in season!  To me, prolonging self gratification tastes so much sweeter in the right season!  From sweet potatoes in the winter to juicy peaches in the summer, and an overall happier immune system to thank me for my patience : )  I believe that God intended for us to enjoy a vitamin packed orange in the peak of the cold winter days in order to help us fight off those "cold bugs" and "flu bugs" that are at our throats when the weather is damp and chilly.  Or how about the antioxidant rich slew of berries ready in the summer to fight off the sun's damage to our skin.  It's worth a thought!

At last, I hear you asking, no, screaming, "WHAT'S IN SEASON NOW?!"  I am glad you asked!  I looked it up for you and found a great website called Fruits & Veggies More Matters to lead us to the well anticipated answer to our question.  Here is a list compiled from the site:

• Apricots
• Asian Pears
• Beets
• Blackcurrants
• Bell Peppers
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Boysenberries
• Breadfruit
• Butter Lettuce
• Cantaloupe
• Casaba Melon
• Champagne Grapes
• Chayote Squash
• Cherries
• Cherries, Sour
• Corn
• Crenshaw Melon
• Crookneck Squash
• Cucumbers
• Durian
• Eggplant
• Elderberries
• Endive
• Figs
• Garlic
• Grapefruit
• Grapes
• Green Beans
• Honeydew Melons
• Jack Fruit
• Jalepeno Peppers
• Key Limes
• Lima Beans
• Limes
• Loganberries
• Longan
• Lychee
• Manoa Lettuce
• Mulberries
• Nectarines
• Okra
• Passion Fruit
• Peaches
• Peas
• Persian Melon
• Plums
• Radishes
• Raspberries
• Sapodillas
• Sapote
• Shallots
• Strawberries
• Sugar Apple
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Summer Squash
• Tomatillo
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon
• Winged Beans
• Yukon Gold Potatoes
• Zucchini

And you thought eating in season would be boring ; )  Only more interesting!  See, "For maximum nutrition, we're better off eating closer to the source and relying on Mother Nature for seasonal produce to keep us in balance" ( Terry Walters, Clean Food).  While I believe God is in charge of keeping balance, I agree that balance is key and that eating in season means fresher, more nutrient dense foods, and more sustainable local economies. 

What do you think?!