Sunday, December 19, 2010

Graduate Gourmet Tip: Shop Seasonally

Spring, Summer and Fall are known for their abundant supply of fresh produce, but what about Winter? After all, nothing can grow in the cold DC air, right?  Wrong.  The winter months supply some great citrus and root vegetables.  For example, my favorite type of citrus, the Blood Orange, is in season December through February.  I have been on the lookout since early December for these sweet, yet tart fruit to appear on my local Trader Joe's shelves, but they have yet to appear.  Still, there are many other types of produce that are in their peak in the winter months: persimmons, brussels spouts, butternut squash, pomegranate, parsnips, and clementines. By adding these seasonal ingredients to your everyday cooking, you can mix up you selection and keep your taste buds guessing.

As I am sitting here typing out these seasonal specialities, I notice that I only eat maybe two or three of the items.  I cannot tell you to shop seasonally when I hardly buy these ingredients.  I thereby challenge myself to come up with a few good recipes using these not so well known fruits and vegetables to improve all of our culinary palettes.  Wish me luck!

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