Once upon a time the season dictated the ingredients in each and every meal. Now most of us have the luxury of access to fruits and veggies from all over the continent (or world!) pretty much any time of the year.
But, what would it be like to focus on seasonal ingredients as the main part of each meal?
I am going to try!
Winter may seem to be an odd time to start this kind of challenge. Let us not forget, however, the abundance of greens that actually grow best in winter such as: arugula, kale, lettuce, and radishes. Then there are the citrus fruits like orange, grapefruit, and lemons.
And while I do grow a great quantity of micro-greens in my own little garden, I am by no means going to grow all of my own food. I am not even going to only eat foods that are grown fresh this season. Instead I want to try focusing on what I can gather, grow, and purchase from my area each season and put those ingredients to the forefront of my meals, particularly lunch.
So, I have been starting out with something very simple. Orange juice!
These oranges grow just a few yards away and I am so grateful to have fresh fruit that I can pick myself. A few days ago I made a batch of orange jelly and each day I make juice some oranges for a mid-morning pick me up. I even juggle the oranges before juicing them!
And then came lunch time.
Making a salad with greens from my garden and from a local farm was a breeze. I combined grated radishes, sauerkraut, and mustard microgreens with local olive oil and even sprinkled on local salt too.
And then I ran into a problem ... how can I possibly survive on just juice and salad?
I cannot. And my partner certainly cannot either! We have very demanding work to do both on the farm and building our future home. We need the protein and calories that meat, cheese, and eggs provide. So, alongside my seasonal salad I served a big pile of quesadillas with radish greens and cheese grilled inside of whole wheat tortillas.
This is, after all, an experiment with the intention of focusing on local and seasonal ingredients when I can. Maybe one day when I have my own land, chickens, and more knowledge I will be able to create an entire meal with only seasonal ingredients. Until then, I am just going to try my best.