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Eating Seasonally By: Crystal Cobert Giddens, LE, INHC I have been a “foodie”, since I was about 6 years old. I loved the smell of fresh oranges, the taste of the perfect strawberry and guacamole was (is) my favorite food. The thing is, I don’t come from a farming family and I’ve never farmed. I don’t think I ever set foot on a farm until I was in my late 20’s. But ask me about the pick up trucks with all the produce on the side of the road….I knew where they were located, the farmer’s name and I could tell you who had the best strawberries and avocados before I had my first sleep over. My grandmother had figs, walnuts, oranges and persimmons in her yard and a greenhouse with herbs and flowers. My grandfather had honey bees with the most beautiful golden honey that he would put in a tiny little coffee cup with cream and a splash of coffee for me on Saturday mornings. That greenhouse was my playhouse on Saturdays and I would sit on the cobblestone floor and play with the dirt, flowers and pots. I would go out in the yard, climb the little ladder and pick fresh figs as my snack before going back to my little potting area on the ground. Lunch would be an avocado sandwich with chips and then back outside to the green house. An orange for my mid afternoon snack, then cartoons, coloring books and water colors. Life as a 6 year old was pretty great back then. We ate with the seasons and didn’t even realize it. We had all the good stuff during the summertime…grapes, strawberries and watermelon and oranges. I was always sad that my strawberries and oranges weren’t available during the colder months and I’m pretty sure I was the only kid in my kindergarten class that couldn’t figure out why we couldn’t have guacamole all year long (sigh). Eating seasonally is basically eating locally. It’s eating what is available from your local environment…your geographical area. For those of us who have access to farmers’ markets or CSAs, it’s enjoying what’s fresh and readily available. When we shop at large conventional grocery stores, it’s harder to get a sense of what’s local and in season. We have a bounty of food from all seasons, but most of the time, it’s being shipped from across the country or globe. Have you ever craved something…like a BLT in January? The bacon is wonderful, but the tomato is mushy or hard and has no flavor and no tomatoey smell. It looks like a tomato, but it doesn’t taste like one. As I’ve learned to eat more in season, I’ve lost cravings for certain foods out of their normal growing period because they don’t taste good to me. There is a physical need to eat seasonally grounding foods, clearing foods and ultimately cooling and hydrating foods. In the fall and winter season, we gravitate towards food that will ground us and give us the warmth we need during colder months. We might have root vegetables–carrots, parsnips, rutabagas–things that grow beneath the ground. Brothy soups, chilis and comforting foods that tend to feed our souls as well as our bodies. In the spring and summer, eating these foods can be taxing and make us feel slow and heavy. That’s when we crave greens, peas, asparagus and rhubarb, then lighter and cooling foods, such as berries, cucumbers, zucchini and melons.
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB BARS INGREDIENTS • • • • • • • • • • • •
2 cups fresh strawberries 1 and ½ cups diced rhubarb 1 tablespoon sugar ¼ cup water 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cold water 1 and ½ cups rolled oats 1 and ½ cups flour ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup coconut sugar ½ cup melted butter 1 tablespoon olive oil Optional: additional sliced strawberries + blueberries for topping, whipped cream
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Slice strawberries and rhubarb. 2. Combine with 1 tablespoon sugar and ¼ cup water on the stove, cooking for 10 minutes on medium-low heat. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 1 tablespoon cold water, and then whisk it into the strawberry rhubarb filling (adding it directly to the hot liquid will clump the cornstarch). 4. Let the filling mixture cool on the stove or in the fridge to speed up the process and preheat the oven to 350. 5. Mix the oats, flour, salt, and sugar together, and then drizzle in melted butter and olive oil. Knead it with your hands and then pack ¾ the crust mixture into the bottom of a 8x8 pan, covered in parchment paper. Prebake the crust for 5 minutes.
Choosing food that is local and in season connects us to the energy and vitality of the region and brings our body into balance. Now is the perfect time to explore the local farmers’ markets or farms and lean into seasonal eating!
6. Once the crust is prebaked, spread the cooled strawberry rhubarb paste on top. Add the additional crust mixture by crumbling it on top, a sliced strawberry or two, and a few blueberries, pressing gently to secure.
Crystal Cobert Giddens LE, INHC FACES of Saratoga - 489 Broadway, Suite 3, Saratoga Springs, NY www.facesofsaratoga.com 518-396-7403
7. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 and let them cool completely before slicing.
