Eating seasonal food.

[preppingsu]

Following on from Lil's thoughts on eating only what is in season I thought that it would warrant another thread of its own. So here goes.

Think about when you buy your fruit and veg (or if you grow your own). What do you buy that is seasonal to this country and what do you buy that is shipped in from elsewhere. As preppers maybe we should have a challenge to only buy/eat what is in season and locally available.
How would this impact on our diet?
Would we get enough nutrients etc?
How could we be inventive with the food we have so we don't get bored?

Please post your ideas and suggestions.

[diamond lil]

Of course we'd get enough nutrients, its how we all lived until the 70s. And it gives you something to separate the seasons so you dont ever get bored as the food is always changing.
By the end of June we used to be desperate for the new tatties to arrive in the shops, the old ones were past it - and when the new East Lothian ones hit the shops they vanished in minutes. Tender and tasty and small and clean and covered in butter.......
Then the lettuce and salady stuff came in, and everybody gorged on salad with cold meats and new potatoes...
then in July the strawberries. After them at end of July the rasps. And after them in August, the brambles . I suppose it was like a calendar to us kids
Then after that it was onto veg. And I never was one for veg so I haven't a bloody clue when it hit the shops. Apart from the tumshies for halloween lanterns !
Other folk will know a lot more about this, please gimme your input. But we are def changing to this way of eating, supermarkets are dead bland and boring.

[preppingsu]

I think it would be interesting to shop at a local farm shop and talk to them about sesonal veg.

From our growing persepective we have loved the different things at different times. We had about 5 weeks of eating strawberries everyday then onto the raspeberries. I have frozen some so will be a nice treat during the winter months.
We still have lettuce growing, eating the last of the toms, the rest have been made into pasta sauce.
But starting to enjoy the root veg - leeks, swede, 'old' potatoes for baking.
We have some cabbage growing (but has been attacked a bit) and still some celery which will go into stews.
What I will try to do is just use what we have stored/still growing for as long as I can so I don't have to buy at the supermarket. I will be going to a fruit farm this weekend for a crate of apples.

Next year I need to spend some more time thinking about growing veg to see us through the winter.
I have no problem eating the same/similar things a lot. I have a high tolerence level for things like that.

[diamond lil]

For people who cant grow a lot of veg, you can try a greengrocer ( if you can find one) and ask if this or that is local. There i sone in the wee town 15 miles away and they have labels on stuff like "english pears" or "local potatoes" and sometimes the name of the farm.
We used to eat a lot of pasta but he cant now, and I'm not keen on it. Its just the italian version of tatties isnt it? Cheap filler-upper to make the meat go further. And rice to me is thick, gooey, gorgeous, delicious, pudding Ooooooo

[Brambles]

Seasonal eating is definitely making a comeback. (TV chefs have their uses). No farm shop locally, but I always buy British fruit and veg. I remember getting all excited waiting for Dad to lift the very first new Tatties. Dinner on that great occasion was a huge bowl of boiled new potatoes with butter and mint and nothing else, Oh bliss!
When the choice gets a bit low, the preserved fruit, veg and dried pulses help ring the changes, I love Butter Beans with Shepherds pie!.
Like Su I haven't planted a winter garden this year, I hope to be out of this place soon, so didn't bother. Last year I had a wonderful crop of red cabbage, Broccoli and Kale although I had to give most of that to the chooks while we had the freeze!
I don't grow maincrop potatoes as I haven't had enough room. My brother-in-law usually gets a sack from the greengrocer's and that lasts me a couple months. I also don't really use much Rice, or pasta and I make my own if I want some. The old staples of the UK were Wheat, Barley, Oats and Potatoes, I tend to stick to them. Ever tried a barley Risotto? Yuummy!
I doubt there would be any impact nutritionally. If you think logically, all the leafy veg and roots that are available during the winter contain all the vits it is recommended to take to support your immune system, so I reckon the benefit is right there.

[diamond lil]

I think a crockpot (slow cooker) and a turnip/swede whatever hell its called, plus some onions, carrots, cabbage, a leek, some tatties, and a glug of red wine or brown sauce - added to a few manky sausages or the Last Slice of bacon or the Lone Meatball even, makes a great dinner.