{"id":1140,"date":"2011-05-31T14:29:53","date_gmt":"2011-05-31T14:29:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/?p=1140"},"modified":"2011-05-31T14:29:53","modified_gmt":"2011-05-31T14:29:53","slug":"whats-so-great-about-seasonal-eating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/whats-so-great-about-seasonal-eating\/","title":{"rendered":"Why We Love Seasonal Eating"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mealtimes that are easier tastier and more fun<\/h3>\n
\"Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a lush addition to the Early Summer Garden . . .<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Seasonal eating gets a lot of press these days.\u00a0 Usually it’s in the context of eating locally, since the two go hand in hand.\u00a0 Sometimes it’s in the context of saving money, since seasonal produce is\u00a0 less expensive than produce grown in greenhouses or shipped from different climates.\u00a0 Rarely is there mention of the best reasons to eat seasonally:\u00a0 because it makes mealtimes easier and tastier as well as more interesting and fun.<\/p>\n

This month’s Beef and Onion Saute with Rhubarb Gratin <\/a>is a good case in point.\u00a0\u00a0 It is based on a recipe for Rhubarb Khoresh that I clipped from the newspaper years ago–long before seasonal eating became a common kitchen term.\u00a0 Nevertheless, the recipe writer knew her seasons.\u00a0 This became clear when I struck out into the rain last week to harvest the rhubarb from my garden, then the parsley, and then the mint called for by the recipe.\u00a0 So there were the three main ingredients, all in their prime, in the garden, at the same time.\u00a0 That’s seasonal sensibility.<\/p>\n

\"More
. . . so gorgeous<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The resulting dish was obviously local and economical, but it was a pleasant surprise to discover, once again, how well the season’s flavors melded together.\u00a0\u00a0 That’s where the easy and tasty part comes in.\u00a0 It may seem splendid to have practically unlimited options in terms of grocery store produce and recipes; little do we realize how burdensome is the flip side of unlimited choice.\u00a0 Somebody has to sift and think through hundreds of options to find just one thing for dinner!<\/p>\n

With seasonal eating, however, only a dozen or so items are in their prime each month, which automatically narrows the options to a manageable range.\u00a0 Better yet, what’s in season almost always tastes great with whatever else in in season, even with a pairing as odd as rhubarb, parsley and mint.\u00a0 So it’s easy to come up with tasty meals.<\/p>\n

\"More
. . . I had to include a couple more shots<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now for the fun and interesting part.\u00a0 In late spring to early summer, rhubarb is everywhere.\u00a0 That may seem like a sure recipe for boredom.\u00a0 After all, what else is rhubarb good for besides strawberry rhubarb pie?\u00a0 Just as necessity is the mother of invention, however, a commitment to seasonal eating is the mother of culinary innovation.\u00a0 Who would have known rhubarb has a savory side?\u00a0 Who would have used it to brighten up a beef and onion saute with springy, tangy sweetness after all the long months of winter?\u00a0 Only someone dedicated to maximizing the bounty of the season, rather than being lured by the siren song of grocery store tomatoes, eggplant and peppers shipped in from warmer climates.\u00a0 Their time will come in Colorado, and they’ll be filled with juicy goodness, but not now.\u00a0 Now is the time for rhubarb’s springtime punch.\u00a0 So be sure to try the stew right away, while there are still a few coolish days when a warming beef dish has appeal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mealtimes that are easier tastier and more fun Seasonal eating gets a lot of press these days.\u00a0 Usually it’s in the context of eating locally, since the two go hand in hand.\u00a0 Sometimes it’s in the context of saving money, since seasonal produce is\u00a0 less expensive than produce grown in greenhouses or shipped from different … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[27,2,23,1],"tags":[393,470,484,515,653],"class_list":["post-1140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-make-vegetables-taste-good","category-healthy-cooking-basics","category-seasonal-eating","category-uncategorized","tag-more-variety-for-dinner","tag-reasons-to-eat-seasonally","tag-rhubarb","tag-seasonal-eating","tag-why-eat-seasonally","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1140"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cookhappylivehealthy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}