A strawberry in June and a strawberry in January are different foods. Restaurants that cook with the seasons build their menus around what is at its best.
Key idea
Seasonal produce, picked ripe nearby, usually has the most flavor and the lowest price. In much of the United States: spring brings asparagus, peas, radishes, spring onions and rhubarb; summer, tomatoes, corn, zucchini, berries, stone fruit and herbs; fall, apples, pears, squash, mushrooms and root vegetables; winter, citrus, cabbages, kale, stored roots and potatoes. Seasons shift with climate and region.
- Build menus around a few seasonal stars and change them as the season turns.
- Preserve the glut: pickles, jams and frozen purées carry summer into winter.
- Talk to growers and market vendors; they know what's coming next week.
- Write menus with dishes that can swap one vegetable for another as availability changes.
Why it works
Produce shipped long distances is often picked before it's ripe so it survives the trip. Ripened on the plant and eaten soon, it's sweeter and more aromatic.
Worked example: In season?
In much of the U.S., which is most in season in October: asparagus, tomatoes, or winter squash?
- Asparagus is spring; tomatoes peak in summer; squash is harvested in fall.
Answer: Winter squash.
Common mistake
Planning a winter menu around ripe tomatoes and fresh berries.
Practice at home
- Visit a farmers market and list what's there. Plan a three-course menu using only those things.
In Meal Prep and the Garden
- Ingredients: what's in season and how to store it