I know there is a whole school of thought out there about only eating what is in season year round. It does make sense- that way you are getting the food at its peak.

That would mean apples in the fall, oranges in the winter, etc. That would also mean no strawberries in December, etc.

I tend to buy frozen strawberries for smoothies, oranges anytime of they look good... very out of whack according to the seasons.

If anyone does eat only "seasonally", I would love to hear how it works for you. Do you find it difficult? Does your family notice or comment?

I got interested in this topic after I finally had to admit that acorn squash in July is just truly a sad thing...

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

The only way we might eat Seasonally is if we are not wanting to eat foods that need ot be cooked in the oven when its toohot!!

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Kelly mom to 3 great girls A Peanut, a monkey and a little burrito.

Sort of. We tend to eat more fresh fruits and leafy greens in the summer and more vegetables (root veggies, broccoli et al and winter squash) in the winter. I do eat strawberries in the middle of winter but that's because they are at their peak in New Zealand and modern shipping methods mean they get to us in great shape. Lettuce isn't the same, though. To get lettuce in winter it has to be grown in a greenhouse. I will eat hydroponic lettuce in the winter but rarely.

Because we buy most of our produce from a local market that is supplied mostly by local and organic farms, we end up eating seasonally by default. What is available in the market is what I can buy. If they don't have fresh strawberries, or DD's current favorite - raspberries, then I don't buy them.

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"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."

The main way we eat seasonally is we only eat Brats in the summer and only eat Chili in the winter!! Otherwise, it is more a matter of cost. Most fresh fruits are way too expensive in the winter, so we do not tend to eat them then.

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~Happiness is a large family~

I can't say that we are great about this, but I do try. A friend of mine (whose family owns a produce farm...so they DEFINITELY eat in the season) gave me a cookbook that is FABULOUS if you want to try to do this. It is called "Simply in Season" by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert. The book is actually arranged by season and all the recipes in each season's section are in season...that sounds so redundant...but it really is a great book. Here's my favorite recipe for the summer season...this one happens to be vegitarian, but they aren't all that way. They really are all very fresh tasting recipes though and I cook lots of things out of it.

Summer Garden Ratatouille

2 onions
4 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
(saute in 3 T olive oil for 5 minutes)

1 med. eggplant
1 1/2 T fresh basil (or 2 t dried)
1 T fresh rosemary (or 1 t dried)
1 1/2 t salt
1 t fresh marjoram (or 1/2 t dried)
Add, cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is soft, about 15-20 min.

2 summer squash chopped
2 green, orange, or red sweet peppers cut into strips
2 cups chopped tomatoes
Add and simmer until peppers and squash are tender (about 10 minutes)

Serve over pasta or polenta (couscous is good) and sprinkle with fresh parsley, black olives or parm cheese.

Raechel

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