Celebrate Fresh Food!

 

Since my berrified feast Thursday, I started thinking about what a great concept it is not only to eat in season, but to have holidays just about every month and a half with built in meals specifically to do so! It really helps, especially us urbanites, to take a moment and re-connect with natural yearly changes. Celebrating what the Earth and dedicated Agrarians have gifted us with 8 times a year sounds good to me right? Regardless of faith base, a cool concept because last time I checked we all still live on Earth and eat food, (for now.....  ;) In this spirit I was looking up a few produce charts. Lists that specify what's in season where and when, and thought I'd share some of my fun findings! 

*ok so this post doesn't technically specifically have anything to do with peaches other than they're in season right now. Also maybe it's like a gluttonous fantasy of mine to walk through the peach orchards of Niagara on the Lake eating fat peaches until they have to find an XL wheelbarrow to cart me out with.....sigh. A girl can but dream.

1. Specifically NYC. ---Check it out, super neat. Brooklyn based (of course) Tyler Mintz started a platform for individuals to talk about local agg in 2010 that has become Foodstalk. Complete with a market locator, restaurant guide, CSA finder, and downloadable food chart for the 200 mile radius of the city and it's surroundings. :) NEATO! 

2. State wide. - Pride of NY baby! Search harvest dates, certified pride of NY farmers and restaurants, and get free downloads of their awesome logo! (I totes still have my little pin I got at the Erie County Fair one year <3 Love!) Plus much more, great resource for the whole state, region by region.

3. For Design enthusiasts, Russel Van Kraayenburg's Seasonal Produce Posters are really streamlined and come in Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs. Van Kraayenburg is Texas based and the charts are approximate to "USA" so a good & attractive general guide to display, but not super specific to region. 

4. (This is really too cool.) The saying "there's an app for that" rings true yet again with the Apple store's "Seasons" app ($1.99.) This nifty guide detects what region you're in (supports USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Central and Western Europe.) Then tells you when over 214 different types of foods are in season in the region you live in, with photos, and descriptions for each. You can search by season, month, or category. Can be set to English, Spanish, French or German. Plus it can use your current location to tell you what farmer's markets are in your area. Cool right?!?!?!  

I hope you take this post and run with it. It merely scratches the surface here so go ahead and delve deeper into your own local produce! Because who doesn't love yummy fresh food??? (Crazy people and Kate Moss...... So crazy people.)

BKBTY