Are you heading to the beach for the day or having the neighbours over for a barbecue? Grab some local seasonal produce to enjoy along with your summertime fun.
There are so many great reasons to eat locally grown foods, but my favourite, by far, is the flavour. It’s a bonus that local foods are better for the environment, keep our hard-earned money in the community, and are more nutritious than foods that come from afar. For me, summer is a time for:
• Fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and a mint leaf bobbing in a tall glass of sparkling water.
• A colourful parfait layered with yogurt, whole grain cereal, and freshly picked huckleberries enjoyed while sitting on the patio.
• A big leafy green salad loaded with spinach, kale, tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, and shredded beets carried next door to pair with the entrée on your neighbour’s grill.
• Crunchy ears of corn with fresh dill from a food truck, bright red juicy cherries from the farmers’ market.
• Tomatoes and herbs from a community garden tossed on a whole-wheat pizza and cooked in an outdoor oven.
• A homemade fresh fruit popsicle enjoyed by a child.
• Watermelon sliced and slurped while sitting at a picnic table.
• Celery stalks dipped into fresh salsa made with tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, chili peppers, onions, and passed around the campfire.
• Colourful sweet peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, and eggplant, slowly roasted on the barbecue.
Check out what’s in season now at bcfarmersmarket.org
Author: Cindy Bossio is a community nutritionist with Interior Health.