Seasonality

In preparation for the New Year, I keep getting so excited about all of the food I'm going to cook each season. I have a hard time deciding what my favorite time of year is, at least when it comes to fruits and veggies. I love hearty, rich Winter and Fall vegetables roasted with rosemary and olive oil, but bright, new asparagus and artichokes in the Spring are really exciting to cook with. Still, I'm not sure if there's anything better than colorful, vitamin-rich Summer vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, melons and stone fruit. I'm curious as to what you prefer. What's your favorite season for cooking fresh fruits and vegetables at home, and why?

With local and organic food having such a high price tag, it can be hard to eat in a sustainable way. One way I've gotten around the high costs is by joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). The idea of a CSA is pretty simple — consumers pay farmers directly for a portion of their crop. It's a huge benefit to my health, and my money goes directly to a small, family-owned farm.

To give you an idea of how a CSA works, I'll use mine as an example. I pay $23 each week for enough produce to feed two people. My last box contained four Braeburn apples, four oranges, two pounds of heirloom tomatoes, one bunch of broccoli, two pounds of red potatoes, one pound of zucchini, one pound of green beans, one bunch of basil, and one head of red lettuce. All of the produce was grown on an organic farm located 90 miles from my home in San Francisco. For an additional fee I can also request organic dairy products, grass-fed meat, and Fair Trade coffee.

For tips on choosing a CSA, read more