This past week’s Walk Kansas newsletter featured a great article titled, “Savor the Season, Stretch Your Budget” and I’d like to share some key points.
First, eating seasonally is a great way to boost health, stretch your budget, and enjoy food at peak flavor. Seasonal produce is typically harvested at its prime, meaning it has more time develop vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Also, because seasonal foods don’t need to travel long distances or sit in storage for extended periods, they retain more of the nutrients your body needs.
Flavor and freshness are a huge perk for eating seasonally. Biting into a fresh-picked tomato or strawberry are some of the best flavors of summer! I am not a very good gardener and we use a couple of recycled cattle-mineral tubs for a few tomato and pepper plants as well as fresh herbs.
The article includes some of my favorite herbs such as basil, cilantro, parsley, and thyme which are fairly easy to grow. Additionally, there are several varieties of these that are fun to experiment with – have you ever added purple basil to a recipe? I love being able to step out my kitchen door to snip off sprigs of whichever herb I need for flavoring dinner!
Many years ago, our family planted a couple of hills of pumpkins. While it was fun to have the pumpkins in the fall, nothing was more fun than watching my kids run to the patch every day to check the blossoms and the progressions from those blossoms into their very own pumpkins!
Eating seasonally encourages variety, supports local agriculture, and helps you connect more closely with the foods on your plate. For more information, check out walkkansas.org and look for the newsletter tab.
We have family and friends who share seasonal produce such as asparagus, zucchini, and tomatoes. Our family loves to drizzle fresh asparagus with a little olive oil, sprinkle on some steak seasoning, and add it to the grill. In about 10 minutes, you have a fresh, seasonal side dish that screams of spring!
Keep learning. Keep showing grace and kindness!
Michelle Beran is a Family and Community Wellness Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District. For more information on this article or other K-State Extension resources, email Michelle at mberan@ksu.edu or call Cottonwood Extension District – Barton Office at 620-793-1910.
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