What's In Season?

It's Harvest season! I just love this time of year - so much great fresh produce about. And don't forget that it's also grape harvest season for wine making. So get a bottle or 6 and celebrate!


You will notice that some of the items listed below indicate that the season is ending for them. These produce items are still available but you have to hurry so you can enjoy them at their peak of flavour!


Veggies

• Artichokes (spring and fall)
• Beans, green and yellow (season ending for these)
• Beets (July to mid-October)
• Broccoli (July to late October)
• Brussels sprouts (September to November)
• Cabbage (July to November)
• Carrots (season ending)
• Corn (season ending)
• Eggplant (season ending)
• Garlic (August to October)
• Leeks (August to November)
• Lettuce, iceberg (season ending)
• Lettuce, romaine (season ending)
• Mushrooms, button (year-round)
• Red onions (August to October)
• Spanish and large sweet onions (August to October)
• Parsnips (September to November)
• Potatoes (late August to late October)
• Rutabaga (October to December)
• Spinach (June to October)
• Squash, butternut and other varieties (September to November)
• Tomatoes (season is ending)
• Zucchini (season is ending)

Fruit

• Bananas (year-round)
• Cranberries (September to late December)
• Grapefruit (year-round, peak in winter)
• Grapes (August though early October)
• Kiwifruit (year-round, peak in fall in winter)
• Lemons (year-round, peak in winter)
• Limes (year-round, peak in fall)
• Oranges (year-round, peak in winter)
• Pears (August to late November)
• Pineapple (year-round, peak in winter)
• Plums (season is ending)
• Watermelon (season is ending)
  
  

And below is a picture of one of our cats, Dizzy (after Gillespie). It's just such a great pic!

Pineapple Salsa

Well, Percy and I rolled back into Calgary around 8:00pm on Sunday. It's pretty crazy going from a very secluded, serene and beautiful location to a city, but the drive on the #1 highway back into town pretty much warms you up to it (picture almost bumper to bumper traffic going anywhere from 100 km/hr to 150).

At the cabin we had some friends come stay with us. Generally when with friends and on vacation, eating and drinking can get a little out of control when it comes to calories. This pineapple salsa, served with slightly salted natural corn chips, is one of my more healthy summer recipes and is always a hit. Plus, it's a great way to get kids or men to eat fruit and veggies! (I swear most men I know are trying to catch scurvy with the lack of vitamin C in their diet!) We even served this to some other friends as a side to go with barbequed chicken without the jalapenos.

With all the wonderful produce available right now this is really a treat to make - and to eat of course! We found some of the most delicious tomatoes, cucumbers and fruit in BC. In fact, the great tomatoes in this salsa came from the same nursery/hothouse as our new walnut tree!


Pineapple Salsa

• 1 pineapple, peeled and cored, chopped into small pieces
• 1 pint worth of cherry tomatoes, or about 2 large tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
• Half of one large red onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 jalapenos (or more or less to taste - 2 large makes it pretty hot!), chopped into small pieces.
• Juice of 2 limes

Prepare all ingredients, and combine! I like to let this sit, covered, on the counter for an hour or so before serving. The reason I don't refridgerate it until after the first day is because I don't like cold tomatoes - chilling them does nothing for them. If you find there is too much liquid just strain some out before serving.

For those of you that don't like hot food, cilantro or can't eat tomatoes (mom!), here are some ideas for variations:

• Use red bell peppers instead of tomatoes.
• Use mint instead of cilantro.
• Replace all or half of the pineapple with mangoes.
• Use sweet onions instead of red to cut down on the heat (although the lime juice does a pretty good job of that).
• Or, if the pineapple it too sweet for you, cut down on that and double tomato/bell peppers.

Any other ideas?? Please share! And remember to try this with chicken, pork or fish. A friend of ours can't eat corn so he enjoyed the salsa with water crackers instead.

Below is a picture of our favourite beach to swim at on Slocan Lake - the salsa tasted REALLY good there!

Enjoy!

What's In Season?

I was going to post a marinated and grilled tofu recipe today but I forgot it at home! I will try to get it up tomorrow - it's a really good one and Percy took a beautiful picture of the finished product. But, I think a "what's in season" email is overdue so I'll take this opportunity to write about that. I find this time of year very exciting with all the available fresh produce coming into season. And if you have the choice, please shop at farmers markets and support your local and provincial farmers!!!

I wrote in a post last year about my love for Vidalia onions, and guess what? They are back! When I was at Coop this past weekend I noticed a heaping basket full of them and threw a bunch into my cart. If you have never tried this sweet onion that is named after its birthplace in Georgia you are missing out. This onion is mild and sweet and can be eaten raw without offending any delicate taste buds (or noses!) As you can see from the picture above the Vidalia onion is rather squat compared the average yellow or white onion. So, next time you're at the market look for these onions and then go back to your kitchen and get creative! Think mild or fruity salsas and chutneys spiked with chunks of sweet onions, a Moroccan inspired salad of thin sweet onion slices with orange wedges, or brush them with a little olive oil and toss them on the grill in great big slices to serve alongside your steak.

Some other fantastic summer items to look for, listed with their availability in most Canadian markets, are:

Fruit

• Apricots (July to August)
• Avocados (April to August)
• Blueberries (July to September)
• Cantaloupe (July to September)
• Cherries (late June to early August - But! In Creston, BC you can get cherries up until labour day!! Just in case you're in the area)
• Honeydew (July to September)
• Peaches (mid-July to mid-September)
• Plums (mid-July to late September)
• Raspberries (July - some available until September)
• Rhubarb (early May to July)
• Strawberries (early June to mid/late July, and some available until September)

Vegetables

• Artichokes (spring, fall)
• Asparagus (April to Late June) - hurry!!
• Beans, green/yellow wax (July to late September)
• Beets (July to mid-October)
• Broccoli (July to late October)
• Cabbage (July to November)
• Carrots (July to late September)
• Green Onions (July to September)
• Lettuce, Boston (June to September)
• Lettuce, Iceberg (July to end of September)
• Lettuce, Romaine (June to end of September)
• Peas (mid-June to late July)
• Potatoes, new (July to September)
• Radishes (June to September)
• Spinach (June to October)
• Zucchini (July to late September)

Some of the items I listed you may have already seen available at markets. When produce appears early on the shelves I generally do not rush to buy them as they flavour I find is often lacking. Nothing is worse then buying the first strawberries or corn of the season only to find the strawberries are sour and the corn is far from sweet. Be patient and you will be rewarded!

If you have any questions about other fruits and veggies not in this list please post your questions or send me an email and I will be happy to help! Enjoy!