You don't have to wait till summer to start enjoying fresh local edibles. Hardy early produce like squash, kale and rutabagas are available right now, alongside more delicate fare such as asparagus and escarole. It's also a great time of year for local fresh seafood. Here's a partial list of what's available in many parts of the country.
Vegetables
Asparagus
Broccoli
Broccolini
Brussels sprouts
Butternut squash
Celery root
Escarole
Fennel
Kale
Leeks
Potatoes
Rhubarb
Rutabagas
Sunchokes
Turnips
Fish and Seafood
Clams
Crab
Mussels
Oysters
Scallops
These are just a few of the foods available right now. Find out what's fresh in your province or territory with our Local Foods in Season tool.
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February is an uffish kind of month. In some parts of the country, you can almost smell spring in the air, yet we're still in the throes of deep-winter eating (though we've heard reports of lucky Vancouverites already harvesting early rhubarb). And hooray! Fresh seafood like clams, crab, mussels, oysters and scallops are back on the table.
Here's what you can expect to find at many local markets:
Looking for new recipes to experiment with? Browse our Local Recipes section for menu ideas.
(Image: Flickr member The Shopping Sherpa, via Creative Commons)
Hearty root veggies such as carrots, rutabagas, beets, and parsnips are especially good during the colder months when we tend crave food that is more substantial.
Root vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre. In general, they are low in calories and virtually no fat. The deeper the root vegetable's colour, the more antioxidants it contains. Carrots are well known for their beta carotene (which forms vitamin A); beets are known to deliver phytochemicals that are good for liver health and purple potatoes are loaded with anthocyanins, pigments that act as antioxidants.
Beets
Beets are sweet tasting and have the highest sugar content of any vegetable. Usually beets are deep red, but less common varieties yellow, pink-striped or white flesh are available. Young beet greens are tasty in salads or stir-fries.
Carrots
Carrots are sweet treats loaded with nutrients. One 8 oz. glass of carrot juice contains about 20,000 mg (45,000 IU) of vitamin A. Besides the recognizable orange types, there are yellow and purple carrots.
Parsnips
Parsnips look like cream coloured carrots, and though they are sweet, they have a spicy element. Unlike carrots, parsnips contain no beta-carotene but they are a good source of vitamin C and folate. Parsnips add a complex flavour to stews, soups and mashed potatoes. Parsnips can be substituted for carrots in carrot cake for an interesting change.
Potatoes
Few vegetables are as nutritious and versatile as the potato. Not only does a potato give you an excellent supply of carbohydrates, but it also provides important vitamins and minerals, including potassium, niacin, vitamins B6 and C, and manganese. For optimum fibre, eat potatoes with the skin on. Avoid potatoes with a green tinge. They are high in the alkaloid solanine, which can be toxic if eaten in large quantities.
Rutabagas
The rutabaga is a member of the cabbage family and resembles a large turnip. They contain good amounts of Vitamins A and excellent amounts of vitamin C. Typically 7.5 to 12.5 cm (3 to 5 inches) in diameter, rutabagas have a thin, pale yellow skin and a slightly sweet, firm light orange flesh.
Buying and Storing
All root vegetables are good keepers. Store them in a cool, dark, dry place around 0 to 4° C (32 to 38°F). If vegetables start to grow, the temperature is too high. If vegetables start to shrivel, the air around them is too dry.
Availability
Root vegetables are available year round. Locally they are at their best from October to March.
Preparation
Wash root vegetables well with a vegetable brush to remove dirt.
Easy ways to prepare root veggies:
Try Root Vegetables Today
Written by Veronica Sliva. Article reprinted courtesy of Food Network Canada.
Use our Local Foods Locator to find locally grown root vegetables in your area.
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We wish we could tell you about some exciting new fruit or vegetable that only arrives with the start of the new year, but alas, this isn't the case. But there's no need to despair. Almost all the items you've grown to expect over the past couple of months should still be available locally. These include:
This month, why not make it your challenge to find new varieties of these wintry staples? Instead of regular beets, seek out festively striped choggia beets (pictured above). Pick up a kobacha squash instead of your standby acorn or butternut. See if you can scout out purple potatoes at your farmers' market.
Looking for new recipes to experiment with? Browse our Local Recipes section for menu ideas.
Photo: Flickr member Shava Nerad, via Creative Commons
Winter is almost officially upon us, and now it's time to hunker down with hearty stick-to-your ribs fare.
Root vegetables abound, of course, and apples and pears are still fresh and crunchy. But you can (and should!) also get your greens in the form of spinach, kale, cabbage, escarole, and other hardy winter greens. Nuts are also plentiful and make wonderfully satisfying -- and easily portable -- snacks.
Watch for these items, and more, in your local market:
Looking for ways to prepare these wintry items? Browse our Local Recipes section for menu ideas.
The pomegranate is native to an area from Iran to the Himalayas in Northern India and has been cultivated and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region since ancient times. The pomegranate's botanical name, punica granatum, translates as "apple with many seeds" and is sometimes referred to as Chinese apple.
Today, pomegranates are grown for decorative purposes as well as for their delicious edible fruit. Pomegranates are about the size of an apple. They have leathery, deep red to purplish-red skins. When you split the hard fruit open, a mass of red seeds between spongy, white membrane is revealed. Only the seeds and juice are edible.
Keep reading for recipes and nutritional information, plus tips on buying, storing and preparing this sensual fruit...
Think you can't plant a garden in November? If you live in a milder part of the country, you can! Cold-weather gardening is fun, and a great way to boost your diet with high-nutrient foods, to boot.
There are a number of hardy salad greens that can handle the cold. (Here, we're defining "cold" as staying mostly above freezing during the day.) When you're looking at seeds, look for greens where the instructions state they can be planted in spring before the last frost date. Some to consider: Ruby, Salad Bowl, Red Sails, Lolla Rossa, and Buttercrunch. And as their names suggest, you can't go wrong with Winter Marvel, North Pole, and Arctic King.
While you can plant seeds separately, we've had great success in mixing our favourite seeds together and planting them in our very own customized mesclun blend. Just mix the seeds together, then scatter them on bare soil more thickly than you normally would. Make your rows about a foot and a half wide for easy harvesting. When you harvest, pick only as many outer leaves as you need right away.
Kale is another great cold-weather crop. Choose several varieties so that you can enjoy a diverse range of tastes and textures. Similarly, Swiss chard is another vitamin-rich must-have, and you don't have to limit yourself to the green end of the spectrum. Varieties like Bright Lights cross the rainbow from green to pink, red, and orange.
You don't have to limit yourself to greens. Carrots can be grown and harvested well into the winter. If the weather turns cold, cover the plants with natural mulch and you can continue to enjoy them for weeks.
Similarly, radishes and beets (best enjoyed while they're still small) are fast-growing crops that do well under mulch. Sow seeds once a week for a few weeks and enjoy an extended harvest that can take you right into spring.
Just because the colder weather is upon us doesn't mean your meals have to suffer. There's a huge richness and diversity of choices in the fruits and vegetables that are available in markets at this time of year. Depending on where you live, here's a selection of produce you might find:
Looking for ways to prepare these wintry items? Browse our Local Recipes section for menu ideas.
While the origins of Brussels sprouts are unknown, they can be traced to the late 16th century. They are thought to be native to Belgium near the capital city of Brussels, after which this vegetable is named. Their use spread across Europe during the First World War. Brussels sprouts are now cultivated throughout Europe and North America.
Brussels sprouts look like mini cabbages, which is no surprise as they both belong to the Brassica family. Each sprout is about 2.5 cm (1 inch) in diameter and they grow in bunches of 20 to 40 on a stem that reaches from 60 - 90 cm (2 - 3 feet) in height. They are a fresh green in colour, although there are some less common purple varieties.
Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of vitamin C. As well, Brussels sprouts contain vitamin A and beta-carotene, both of which play important roles in promoting good skin and defending the body against infection. Brussels sprouts are high in fibre. Just 250 ml (1 cup) of Brussels sprouts contains more than 4 grams of fibre, both soluble and insoluble, in approximately equal amounts.
Buying and Storing
Look for Brussels sprouts that are firm, unblemished and compact with bright green colour. Choose those of equal size so that they cook evenly. Brussels sprouts stored unwashed and untrimmed in a plastic bag in the vegetable crisper of your refrigerator keep well for about 10 days. To freeze, blanch them for 3 to 5 minutes first. They can be kept in the freezer for up to one year.
Availability
Imported fresh and frozen Brussels sprouts are available in supermarkets year round. However, the peak growing period for local fresh sprouts is in the fall.
Preparation
To prepare Brussels sprouts, remove the stems and any yellow or discoloured leaves. Wash them well under running water or soak them in a bowl of water to remove any insects that may be hiding in the inner leaves.
Brussels sprouts are usually cooked whole. To allow the sprout to heat through evenly, cut an "X" in the bottom of the stem prior to cooking. Perfectly cooked Brussels sprouts have a crisp, dense texture with a slightly sweet taste. Though Brussels sprouts are often served as a side dish, they are also excellent in cold salads.
Try Brussels sprouts today
Written by Veronica Sliva. Article reprinted courtesy of Food Network Canada.
Use our Local Foods Locator to find locally grown Brussels sprouts in your area.
Browse our Community Recipes for more great recipes featuring local ingredients. Got a recipe you'd like to share? Send it in!
The final days of the fall harvest are upon us. Just when the temperature is starting to dip, the earthier, more filling root vegetables begin to dominate markets. These can be the inspiration for endless stews and casseroles.
Apples are plentiful right now. Consider stocking up and making apple butters and applesauce to last through the winter. Similarly, this is the time to hoard fresh cranberries. Just pop them into freezer-safe bags (no washing necessary) and toss them in the freezer. You may also still be able to find and savour the final blackberries, figs, and pears of the season.
As for fish and meat, dungeness crab season ends this month, so if you live on the west coast, get it while you can. (Tip: Frozen crab meat can keep for up to four months.) Halibut is also still available. On the east coast, fishing season is coming to a close, but you can still enjoy fresh Atlantic salmon.
Here's a partial list of the produce you may be able to find in your area right now:
Apples
Beets
Blackberries
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Chicory
Cranberries
Dates
Figs
Grapes
Leeks
Lettuce
Okra
Parsnips
Pears (late season)
Peppers
Pumpkins
Squashes (most varieties, including acorn, butternut, and winter)
Shallots
Sweet potatoes
Turnips
Watercress
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