January seasonal fruits and Vegetables

18 Jan January seasonal fruits and Vegetables

The best way to save on fruits and vegetables is to buy what’s in season when they are at their most abundant. There’s also a bonus that money can’t buy: fruits and vegetables just taste better when they are in season. The produce in your region are harvested closer to the peak of freshness than those that have to spend a lot of time in shipping containers that cover thousands of miles in transport. Seasonal fruits and vegetables may be brief, but they are literally the pick of the crop. And as one season passes into another, more varieties come to the center stage to be incorporated into our diverse diets.

January in Kentucky is a not as cold as it once was. The growing season doesn’t begin until March. What does the grocery store have to offer to incorporate whole fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet? Here’s what you can buy at your local grocer that is in season. Buying fresh broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, mustard greens, leeks, and cauliflower can add vegetables with great flavor to your dinner plate. Grapefruit, lemons, oranges, tangelos, and tangerines can add some great citrusy flavor, along with a good sources of vitamin C. Parsnips, rutabagas, and turnips aren’t vegetables that we normally think about, but are readily available in these deep winter months. You can find several recipes for seasonal produce with a quick internet search. So buy something you don’t normally add to your grocery cart, find a recipe and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

For the dressing
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1.5 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. water
• 1 tbsp. loose parsley
• 1 clove garlic
• salt + pepper to taste

For the salad
• half a bunch of kale, shredded or finely
chopped
• 1 grapefruit, sectioned
• 1 avocado, diced
• 5 brussels sprouts, shredded
• approx. 15 sugar snap peas

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine salad dressing ingredients together and blend in a small blender (we use the magic bullet).
2. Cut the ends of the sugar snap peas and toss with a few splashes of olive oil and lemon juice.
3. Shred brussels sprouts in a food processor and combine with kale, grapefruit, snap peas, and chopped avocado.
4. Toss salad with dressing and serve.