Guide to Seasonal Produce

8/11/2019 Guide to Seasonal Produce

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Table of Contents

Winter

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December 5

Produce Picking Tips - Beets 6

Quick Tip - Using Chicories to Balance Flavors 7

January 7

Produce Picking Tip - Leeks 8

Produce Prep Tip - Broccoli 8

February 8

Produce Storing Tip - Root Vegetables 9

Produce Prep Tip - Brussels Sprouts 9

Spring

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March

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Produce Prep Tip - Sunchokes (AKA Jerusalem Artichokes) 10

Produce Prep Tip - Artichokes 10

April 10

Produce Picking Tip - Avocados

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May 12

Summer

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June

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Produce Picking Tip - Peaches 13

July 13

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Produce Prep Tip - De-Silking Corn 14

August 14

Produce Picking Tip - Melons 15

Produce Storing Tip - Tomatoes

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Produce Picking Tip - Understanding Vine Ripe Tomatoes 16

Fall

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September 17

Produce Picking Tips - Understanding Heirloom Tomatoes 17

October

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Produce Picking Tips - Sweet Potatoes & Yams 19

November 20

Produce Picking Tip - Pears for Poaching 21

Produce Picking Tips - Pumpkins 21

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The fact that “local, seasonal, fresh” and “organic” have become marketing buzz wordsfor the restaurant industry shows you how far our industrialized food system has takenus from our roots. Chefs shouldn’t get special accolades for buying “fresh, seasonal,produce” because it’s their job to start with the highest quality ingredients available.Saying your menu is seasonal is like saying “hi, I’m a mechanic, I fix cars that don’t

work.”

Since purchasing high quality, seasonal ingredients is so important, included below is aseason-by-season, month-by-month break down to be used as a “Seasonal BuyingGuide.” This is especially helpful for planning a special menu 3-6 months out, or toensure the produce you’re buying is the highest quality ingredients possible. Included inthis guide are quick tips and further information for selecting and preparing seasonalproduce.

Winter

During Winter, root vegetables and citrus reign supreme and should have prominentplaces on your menu. This is a great time to explore hearty, rustic dishes that warm thebody and spirit after a long, cold day. “Low and slow” cooking techniques such asstewing, braising and slow roasting are well suited to this time of year, when the humanbody naturally craves richer, heavier flavors.

December

As the bridge month between Fall and Winter, December is your last chance for Fallspecialties like apples and many forms of squash. This time of year also marks the truestart of citrus season with specialties like Meyer lemons, blood oranges, and cara caraoranges starting to become widely available.

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December

Vegetables Fruits

• Spinach

• Bok Choy

• Beets

• Red

• Gold

• Chioggia

• Broccoli

• Brussels Sprouts

• Cauliflower

• Cabbages

• Red• Green

• Napa

• Savoy

• Chicories

• Radicchio

• Belgian

• Curly Endive

• Escarole

• frisée

• Greens

• Kale• Collard

• Mustard

• Greens (cont.)

• Chard

• Red

• Green

• Rainbow

• Root Vegetables

• Parsnips

• Celery Root

• Rutabagas

• Sunchokes

• Turnips• Potatoes

• Fingerling

• Yukons

• Sweet Potatoes

• Yams

• Winter Squash

• Butternut

• Acorn

• Delicato

• Pumpkins

• Orange• White

• French Red

• Wild Mushrooms

• Chanterelles

• Apples

• Granny Smith

• Pink Lady

• Braeburn

• Fuji

• McIntosh

• Crabapples

• Kiwi

• Kumquats

• Dates

• Cranberries• Pomegranates

• Persimmons

• Citrus

• Navel Oranges

• Satsumas Mandarins

• Fall Glo Tangerines

• Meyer Lemons

• Pears

• Bosc

• D'Anjou

• Comice• Quince

• Nuts

• Almonds

• Walnuts

• Chestnuts

• Pecans

• Pistachios

Produce Picking Tips - Beets

Always try and purchase beets with the greens still attached as these are a greatindicator of the plant’s overall freshness. Never buy beets that have wrinkled skin, whichproves that they’re surely pass their prime. Once purchased, remove beet greens if youdon’t plan on using immediately, and store in a cool dry place, such as a refrigerator’scrisping draw or a cool cellar, for up to two weeks.

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Quick Tip - Using Chicories to Balance Flavors

Winter is time for rich, braised dishes and heavy flavors. Although these dishes can becomforting on a cold day, one still runs the risk of creating “palate fatigue,” where biteafter bite of food becomes one dimensional, with the heavy, fatty flavors coating and

deadening the palate.

A great remedy for palate fatigue caused by a rich, winter dish, is the bitterness offeredby the chicory family including radicchio, endive and frisée. Some examples of possiblepairings are:

• Frisée salad paired with duck pâté or mousse.• Veal sweetbreads served with sautéed endive.• Braised beef short ribs garnished with thinly sliced radicchio.

The addition of bitter chicories will cut through the palate coating fat, while the fat will

help balance the overbearing chicory bite. This yin and yang approach will yield a moreinteresting and complex flavor structure.

January

January

Vegetables Fruits

• California Haas Avocado

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower• Brussels Sprouts

• Cabbages

• Napa

• Bok Choy

• Savoy

• Celery

• Celery Root

• Chard

• Leeks

• Kale• Collard/Mustard Greens

• Fennel

• Root Vegetables

• Beets

• Turnips• Carrots

• Parsnips

• Rutabagas

• Sunchokes

• Sweet Potatoes

• Yams

• Chicories

• Radicchio

• Endive

• frisée

• Butternut Squash

• Hedgehog Mushrooms

• Citrus

• Lemons

• Meyer Lemons• Mandarins

• Blood Oranges

• Cara Cara Orange

• Red Grapefruit

• Tangerines

• Navel Orange

• Kiwi

• Kumquat

• D’Anjou Pear

• Bosc Pear

• Pink Lady Apple

January is the true start of the produce Winter season, as apples and squash from Fallfade away until the following year. As the citrus season continues to strengthen, look for

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prices to drop and quality to improve. The Cara Cara oranges will start to taste likecandy and you’ll notice the flesh of blood oranges start to darken into a rich burgundy.

Produce Picking Tip - Leeks

A close relative to onions and garlic, leeks can add a wonderful aromatic and sweetelement to stocks, soups and sautés, especially when cooked slowly over low heat. Thewhite part of leeks are the most commonly used portion, since leeks are more fibrous inthe dark green regions. To get the most for your money, select leeks with the largestamount of white available. The green portion can be blanched until tender and puréedinto pestos, herb oils, or any other application that would benefit from a stable, darkgreen color and faint onion flavor.

Produce Prep Tip - Broccoli

The best part of broccoli is by far the stem if properly prepared. Simply peel the outer

fibrous layer with a vegetable peeler, cut into 1/4” slices on the bias, and blanch untiltender. The blanched and sliced stems can now be roasted or sautéed, served alone oras part of a vegetable medley.

February

February

Vegetables Fruits

• California Asparagus

• Haas Avocados• Broccoli

• Cauliflower


• Cabbages

• Napa

• Savoy

• Chard

• Collard/Mustard Greens

• Fennel

• Root Vegetables

• Beets• Turnips

• Carrots

• Parsnips

• Just Starting

• English Peas• Fava Beans

• Chicories

• Radicchio

• Endive

• frisée

• Sunchokes

• Butternut Squash


• Sweet Potatoes

• Yams

• Citrus

• Lemons• Meyer Lemons

• Mandarins

• Blood Oranges

• Cara Cara Orange

• Red Grapefruit

• Tangerines

• Navel Orange

• Kiwi

• Kumquat

• D’Anjou Pear

• Bosc Pear• Pink Lady Apple

As the last full month of Winter, you’ll notice the quality of citrus fruits are in full swing,with many varieties starting to peak. If the Winter is mild, however, you will start to see

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glimmers of Spring towards the end of the month, with the appearance of English peasand fava beans imported from South America. The quality will still be marginal andprices high, so let your Winter fever fester for another month until these early Springcrops start to emerge at a lower price with higher quality.

Produce Storing Tip - Root Vegetables

Once picked, root vegetables can be kept for months if stored properly. If you haveaccess to a cellar with an ambient temperature of 50-60F, this is a prime location forlong term storage, especially if placed in clean sand, which helps to regulate the rootvegetable’s moisture. If storing in a refrigerator, place in a vegetable drawer, preferablyburied in sand. When ready to use, simply rinse under cold running water and cook asdesired.

Produce Prep Tip - Brussels Sprouts

Just like eggs, brussels sprouts contain sulfur compounds that break down and developa strong aroma if over cooked. This is why so many people equate brussels sproutswith rotten eggs. To avoid the “rotten egg” flavor, always blanch the brussels sprouts ina large pot of salted, boiling water until tender (about 3-5 minutes). Shock immediatelyin ice water and allow to cool thoroughly before draining and drying. From here, use ahigh heat cooking method like frying, roasting, or sautéing, to slightly char the outerportion of the brussels sprout while warming through. The goal is to cook brusselssprouts as quickly as possible to avoid the development of sulfuric flavors.

Spring

As the cold of Winter slowly fades and temperatures start to rise, you’ll find peoplenaturally craving fresh, light flavors. As the days become warmer, your dishes and flavorstructures should lighten, and heavy Winter techniques like braising, confit and stewingshould give-way to poaching, grilling, and sautéing.

In this transition time from cold to warm, you should be listening to your own cravings.Go to a local farmer’s market (if available), or a supermarket with a good producesection, and take the time to inhale deeply. Your nose will instantly tell you what is freshand in season; the astringent green smell of fava beans, the season’s first strawberries,or the floral smells of Winter citrus hitting its peak.

March

March is the bridge month between Winter and Spring, making menu planningsimultaneously exciting and frustrating, especially since Winter produce is starting towane in quality before Spring ingredients fully ripen. This is especially true at thebeginning of March, when a colder than normal winter season has preceded.

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Since March can still seem like Winter in many parts of the Western hemisphere, this isa good time to say goodbye to your favorite braised dishes and Winter ingredients asthey will surely be out of place at the end of this month.

March

Vegetables Fruits


• Haas Avocado

• Artichokes

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower


• Cabbages

• Napa

• Savoy• Chard

• Collard/Mustard Greens

• Fennel Root

• Celery Root

• English Peas

• Fava Beans

• Chicories

• Radicchio

• frisée

• Sunchokes

• Spring Garlic

• Spring Onion• Ramps


• Tatsoi

• Leeks

• Citrus

• Meyer Lemon

• Blood Oranges

• Red Grapefruit

• Tangerines

• Navel Orange

• Kiwi

• D’Anjou Pear

• Pink Lady Apple• Strawberries

• Kumquats

Produce Prep Tip - Sunchokes (AKA Jerusalem Artichokes)

Sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem Artichokes, are a species of sunflower that isnative to North America. The tuber of the plant is the edible portion, with a flavor crossbetween artichoke heart, potato, and parsnip. Because it’s a dense root, it’s best treatedlike a potato, using the root vegetable blanching method, or simmered until tender andthen mashed/puréed. For more information on blanching, check out our Kitchen PrepVideo Series.

Produce Prep Tip - Artichokes

While artichokes are commonly steamed and served whole, there are some applicationsthat call for the cook to first trim or otherwise slice. It is important to note that artichokesare extremely bitter while in their raw state, and this bitterness can easily transfer toother ingredients in the kitchen through contact with your knife, cutting board, and

hands. When finished preparing artichokes, it is imperative that you thoroughly washyour hands, knife, and cutting board before handling any other products.

April

Although the Spring equinox is technically in March, April is the true start of the Springseason as far as chefs are concerned. During this month, Spring crops will becomeavailable at reasonable prices and increased quality. These ingredients include

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https://www.stellaculinary.com/kitchen-prep-video-index






asparagus, English peas, fava beans, and baby root vegetables like turnips, heirloomcarrots, and radishes.

It’s during this time that the hyper-seasonal ramp (which is like a cross between Springgarlic and leeks) emerges for a short period of time, usually for only a couple weeks at

the end of March or beginning of April. Ramps can be used in pestos, chopped andadded at the last minute to soups, or charred under the broiler with a little oil, sea salt,and freshly cracked black pepper.

April

Vegetables Fruits


• Haas Avocado

• Artichokes• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Fennel Root

• Celery Root

• English Peas

• Fava Beans

• Chicories

• Radicchio

• frisée

• Spring Garlic

• Spring Onions

• Leeks• Baby Beets

• Mâche

• Belgian Endive

• Baby Turnips

• Baby Carrots

• Baby Radishes

• Sweet Onions

• Ramps

• Citrus

• Meyer Lemon

• Red Grapefruit• Tangerines

• Navel Orange

• Tropical Fruits

• Kiwi

• Mango

• Papaya

• D’Anjou Pear

• Strawberries

Produce Picking Tip - Avocados

When selecting avocados, they shouldn’t be firm oroverly soft. Because they’re so fragile, you risk bruisingan avocado by poking or squeezing too aggressively.Instead, gently press the pad of your thumb into the topof the avocado where the stem would normally attach. Itshould be soft but not mushy. Also, if you smell thatsame spot where the stem would attach, it should smell

like a ripe avocado.

Now push back the little bud at the top of the avocadoand look inside the resulting dimple. If it’s brown, then sois the avocado. If it’s green and the area around thedimple is soft but not squishy, the avocado is both ripeand green.

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If you don’t plan on using your avocados within a day or two of purchase, buy firmavocados and allow to ripen at room temperature in a paper bag.

May

Spring vegetables are now in full swing and wild morel mushrooms will make anappearance after rain storms. This is your last chance for Meyer lemons and if Spring ison the hotter side of seasonal norms, start looking for the emergence of stone fruits likeapricots and apriums (an apricot/plum hybrid).

Strawberries, although usually decent during April, will start to drop in price whilegaining in quality during the month of May.

May

Vegetables Fruits


• Haas Avocado

• Artichokes

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Fennel Root

• Celery Root

• English Peas

• Fava Beans

• Chicories

• Radicchio• frisée

• Spring Garlic

• Spring Onions

• Leeks

• Baby Beets

• Mâche

• Belgian Endive

• Baby Turnips

• Baby Mixed Carrots

• Baby Mixed Radishes

• Sweet Onions (Texas 10/15)

• Beets

• Cabbages

• Chard

• Corn (new)• Morel Mushrooms

• Sugar Snap Peas

• Fingerling Potatoes

• Bloomsdale Spinach

• Citrus

• Meyer Lemon

• Red Grapefruit

• Navel Orange

• Apriums

• Apricots

• Rhubarb

• Kiwi

• Mango

• Papaya

• D’Anjou Pear• Strawberries

Summer

As Spring turns to Summer, the days get longer and hotter, which make many crave

refreshing fruits and light dishes. The prime crops to keep an eye on are melons andstone fruits including peaches, plums, cherries, and apricots. This is a great time topractice your quick cooking methods such as grilling, roasting and poaching.

Summer also presents the opportunity to play with the complex flavors and slightly bittercompounds formed when “charring” food on a hot grill, over an open fire, or under abroiler. This “char” isn’t limited to proteins, but should be used to add flavors to fruits(peaches, watermelon, plums) and vegetables (asparagus, artichokes, corn).

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June

June is the transition month between Spring and Summer. Look for your favorite Springvegetables to weaken in quality (fava beans, asparagus, green garlic) while new

Summer crops will start to emerge, (peaches, cherries and corn).

June

Vegetables Fruits

• Haas Avocado

• Artichokes

• Asparagus

• Beets

• Broccoli

• Cabbages• Chard

• Cauliflower

• Corn (Local)

• Fennel

• Green Garlic

• Morel Mushrooms

• Spring Onions

• Sweet Onions

• English Peas

• Snap Peas• Fingerling Potatoes

• Baby French Beans

• Yellow Wax Beans

• Peaches

• Nectarines

• Plums

• Cherries

• Apriums

• Apricots• Rhubarb

• Kiwi

• Mango

• Papaya

• D’Anjou Pear

• Strawberries

Produce Picking Tip - Peaches

When picking peaches, follow your nose. When they come into season, you’ll know itthe second you venture into the produce section of your local supermarket. The fragrantstone fruit will reveal its presence before your eyes have a chance. A ripe peach shouldhave no visual blemishes or bruises, smell fragrant, (especially on the stem end), andfeel heavy for its size.

July

During this month, berries and stone fruits are in abundance, with their prices steadilydropping as their quality improves. Specialty melons will begin making an appearanceat your local farmer’s markets or in well-stocked supermarkets.

July also marks the time in which early ripening varietals of heirloom tomatoes will startto become available. Although their quality will be good, your choices of varietals will belimited, and the price will still be relatively high compared to August and September,when most cultivars of heirloom tomatoes begin to fully ripen and reach their peak.

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July

Vegetables Fruits

• Basil

• Eggplant

• Sweet Peppers

• Chanterelles

• Sweet Onions

• Summer Squash

• Gold Bar

• Sunburst

• Scallop

• Bi-Color

• Blue Lake Beans

• Romano Beans

• Corn



• Tomatoes

• Heirloom

• Mixed Cherry

• True Vine

• Peaches

• Nectarines

• Apricots

• Plums

• Blackberries

• Blueberries

• Raspberries

• Grapes

• Specialty Melons

• Gala

• Sharlyn• Juan Canary

• Casaba

• Orange Flesh

• Watermelon

• Bartlett Pears

Produce Prep Tip - De-Silking Corn

During the peak of Summer, corn will be so fresh and sweet that you might want toshave the kernels off the cob and just lightly sauté, or even serve raw in salsas. Theproblem is, corn has fine silk-like threads that run the length of the cob. These annoyingsilks get stuck in your teeth and a guest can misidentify it as a stray hair left by acareless cook.

To ensure this doesn’t happen, simply cut off the bottom 1.5 inches of the corn cobwhile the husk is still in place. Next, microwave for 1 minute on high. This will generateenough steam within the husk to loosen the corn’s silk without actually cooking the corn.From here, simply peel back the husk as soon as it;s removed from the microwave andwipe with a clean kitchen towel. Your corn on the cob is now silk-free and ready to use.

August

As the hottest and final full month of Summer, August will be the last chance for manyforms of stone fruits. But as the stone fruit begins to fade, heirloom tomatoes will bedropping in price while gaining quality. Although slightly cliche, it’s almost a culinarycrime to not serve a caprese salad during the month of August, since both tomatoes andbasil are at their seasonal peaks.

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Be on the look out for specialty melons like casaba, juan canary and ambrosia; all willbe extremely sweet and fragrant due to Summer’s growing heat.

August

Vegetables Fruits

• Eggplant

• Blue Lake Beans

• Romano Beans

• Basil

• Sweet Peppers

• Chanterelles

• Summer Squash

• Gold Bar

• Sunburst

• Scallop• Bi-Color

• Corn



• Fresh Cranberry Beans

• Okra

• Sweet Onions

• Tomatoes

• Heirloom

• Mixed Cherry

• True Vine• True Vine Roma

• Peaches

• Nectarines

• Plums

• Blackberries

• Blueberries

• Raspberries

• Grapes

• Figs

• Valencia Oranges

• Specialty Melons• Gala

• Sharlyn

• Juan Canary

• Casaba

• Orange Flesh

• Ambrosia Melon

• Watermelon

• Bartlett Pears

Produce Picking Tip - Melons

It seems everyone has a secret method for picking melons whether it’s poking,prodding, or thumping, but the best way to gauge ripeness is much less involved.Simply hold the melon in one hand and smell the stem end; it should have a sweet,fragrant smell and feel heavier than it looks, a good indication the melon is especially

juicy and ripe.

Produce Storing Tip - Tomatoes

A tomato’s flavor will greatly suffer if stored below 55F/13C, especially if mature yet not

fully ripe (i.e. green tomatoes). Exposing tomatoes to cold temperatures before they’reripened will result in minimal flavor development, blotchy coloration, and a soft, mealytexture.

Fully ripe tomatoes are less sensitive to cold, but the flavor can still be degraded whenexposed. Store tomatoes at room temperature because flavor-producing enzymes willslow under refrigeration, making cold tomatoes less tasty. If the tomatoes are extremelyripe and you’re concerned they may spoil at room temperature, feel free to store in the

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fridge. Even after refrigeration, if the tomatoes are allowed to sit at room temperature forone to two days, a good percentage of enzymatic activity will return, resulting in moreflavor.

Produce Picking Tip - Understanding Vine Ripe Tomatoes

Most “red tomatoes” found at the local supermarket are un-ripe, even though their brightred color would suggest otherwise. The reason? When tomatoes are fully ripe, they’reextremely fragile, making them difficult to ship in bulk. The industrial solution is to picktomatoes while green and firm, then force-ripen via exposure to ethylene gas.

It’s important to note that ethylene gas is naturally produced by mature fruit right beforeripeness is achieved. Exposure to ethylene gas is responsible for triggering specificenzymes in fruit, which in turn break down complex molecules while generating newcompounds responsible for fruit’s sweetness, flavor, and fragrance.

When tomatoes are allowed to fully ripen on the vine, they will contain more sugar, acidand complex flavor compounds, making them taste all around superior to their force-ripened counterparts. This led to certain tomato producers selling “vine ripe” tomatoes,which, as their name suggests, were fully ripened on the vine before being harvestedand shipped.

The term “vine ripe,” however, was never legally defined by the USDA, which led tosome less than scrupulous producers picking green tomatoes with a segment of thevine still attached, shipping, force ripening with ethylene gas, and selling as “vine ripetomatoes.”

The moral of the story? If you want a true vine ripe tomato, buy it from a local farmer orfarmer’s market, and only during mid Summer to early Fall.

Fall

Fall is perhaps the greatest of all seasonal transitions. Summer produce starts to peak just as Fall vegetables and fruits become available. This seasonal “cross-over” can leadto some creative and even exotic flavor pairings.

As the days become shorter and the nights cooler, look to comforting dishes using root

vegetables and rich sauces such as stews and braises. But don’t forget that Fall isprime time for wild game, which pairs nicely with apples, quince, huckleberries andpersimmons.

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September

As a transitional month between Summer and Fall, September is a “chef’s playground”as far as produce is concerned. In this month, look for heirloom tomatoes, berries andspecialty melons to hit their peak. As these ingredients start to fade towards the end of

the month, start incorporating root vegetables and squash into your cooking.

September

Vegetables Fruits

• Eggplant

• Blue Lake Beans

• Basil

• Sweet Peppers

• Chanterelles

• Sweet Onions• Summer Squash

• Gold Bar

• Sunburst,



• Fresh Cranberry Beans

• Okra

• Artichokes

• Shelling Beans

• Celery Root

• Chili Peppers• Tomatoes

• Heirloom

• Mixed Cherry

• True Vine

• True Vine Roma

• Gravenstein Apple

• Plums

• Grapes

• Blackberries

• Blueberries

• Raspberries• Grapes

• Figs


• Persimmons

• Fuyu (firm)

• Hachiya (soft)

• Pomegranates

• Specialty Melons

• Juan Canary

• Casaba

• Orange Flesh• Watermelon

• Cantaloupe

• Honeydew

• Bartlett Pears

• Asian Pears

Produce Picking Tips - Understanding Heirloom Tomatoes

When talking produce, an heirloom varietal is a cultivar that hasn’t been hybridized; in

essence, it’s a true original. There are many reasons farmers and biologists may chooseto hybridize a certain type of produce, the most common being the enhancement offlavor, appearance, size, and ability to resist disease or growing environment. However,this hybridization usually will come at the cost of another character trait, sometimesintentional, other times, unexpected.

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In the case of tomatoes, a recent finding reported in the journal Science states theselective breeding responsible for the even, red blush of tomatoes, making them look soenticing on supermarket shelves, may also be responsible for their lack of flavor.

According to World-Science.net:

“For about 70 years, breeders have selected tomato varieties with uniformly light greenfruit before ripening. These tomatoes then turn red evenly as they ripen, and they looknice in a supermarket display. Powell and colleagues say the gene at the heart ofuniform ripening codes for the production of a molecule called GLK2, which is atranscription factor, meaning it governs genetic activity.

‘GLK2 boosts the fruit’s capacity for photosynthesis, the process of converting sunlightto sugars, Powell and colleagues found. The molecule also aids the production of

lycopene, a health promoting compound. But the uniform-ripening mutation disablesGLK2, the researchers found. This leads to inferior development of photosynthesis-

enabling cellular structure called chloroplasts, and in turn, lower production of keyingredients that give tomatoes their sweetness.”

While the hybridization of supermarket tomatoes made them look more appealing to theconsumer, they actually became less flavorful and inferior in taste when compared toun-hybridized, heirloom varietals.

Another consequence of selective breeding is different species of tomatoes loose theirunique identities and characteristics. Just stop and think for a second how boring theworld would be if there were only one or two types of apple, melon or poultry. Heirloomvarietals give consumers and chefs more choices and control when selecting flavors for

cooking.

October

Although Fall technically begins in September, your farmer’s market won’t start looking ituntil October. During this time, many different apple varieties will become available aswell as root vegetables, hearty greens that don’t appreciate the Summer’s heat, andnumerous types of squash.

October is also your last chance for seasonal tomatoes. If you’re one to make (and can)your own tomato sauce, now’s the time to do it. Ideally, check your weather forecast and

try to buy a flat or two of tomatoes right before the first frost hits. During this time,farmers will be harvesting all their tomatoes in a “use it or lose it” mindset, meaningthey’ll be willing to sell bulk amounts at a deep discounts.

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October

Vegetables Fruits

• Artichokes

• Beets

• Broccoli


• Cabbage

• Cauliflower

• Celery Root

• Chards

• Chanterelles

• Dried Beans

• Green Beans• Escarole

• Kale

• Kohlrabi

• Fingerling Potatoes

• Turnips

• Sunchokes

• Sweet Potatoes

• Winter Squash

• Yams

• Tomatoes (Last Chance)

• Heirloom

• Mixed Cherry• True Vine

• True Vine Roma

• Apples (In General)

• Cranberries

• Kumquats

• Lemons


• Bosc Pears

• Comice Pears

• Seckel Pears

• French Butter Pears

• Persimmons

• Fuyu (firm)• Hachiya (soft)

• Pomegranates

• Quince

• Nuts

• Almonds

• Walnuts

• Chestnuts

Produce Picking Tips - Sweet Potatoes & Yams

Closely related to grasses and lilies, yams are a tuber native to Africa and Asia. Thereare over 600 known varieties of yams and 95% of the world’s crops are grown in Africa.A true yam is usually much drier and starchier than a sweet potato.

Sweet potatoes on the other hand are a member of the morning glory family and canhave an exterior color of white, yellow, red, purple or brown, and the flesh can have acolor range of white, yellow, orange, or a combination thereof. True sweet potatoes areusually categorized as “firm” or “soft,” based upon their texture after being cooked (i.e..when a firm sweet potato is cooked, it still remains firm and intact versus a soft varietal).

The confusion between sweet potatoes and yams originated in the United States, wherefirm varieties were grown and widely distributed before the soft. When the soft varietieswere later introduced and grown commercially, there was an obvious need to distinguishbetween the two categories of sweet potatoes.

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“The African slaves had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ becausethey resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, ‘soft’ sweet potatoes were referred to as‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm’ varieties.

“Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be

accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato.’ Unless you specifically search for yams, whichare usually found in an international market, you are probably eating sweet potatoes!”

www.loc.gov

November

November

Vegetables Fruits

• Artichokes• Beets

• Broccoli


• Cabbages

• Bok Choy

• Chicories

• Radicchio

• frisée

• Endive

• Escarole

• Cauliflower• Celery Root

• Chards• Chanterelles

• Dried Beans

• Leeks

• Parsnips

• Bloomsdale Spinach

• Mustard Greens

• Kale

• Kohlrabi

• Turnips

• Sunchokes

• Sweet Potatoes• Winter Squash

• Yams

• Apples• Cranberries

• Kumquats

• Lemons

• Mandarins

• Tangerines

• Kiwi

• Pears

• Bosc Pears

• Comice Pears

• Shekel Pears

• French Butter Pear• Persimmons

• Fury (firm)

• Achy (soft)

• Pomegranates

• Quince

• Nuts

• Almonds

• Walnuts

• Chestnuts

• Pecans

• Pistachios• Valencia Oranges

(winding down)

• Navel Oranges (mid

November)

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http://www.loc.gov/

http://www.loc.gov/



As November ushers in colder days, start looking for Fall classics to appear atsupermarkets including many varieties of greens, apples, pears, nuts, and chicories.Now is the time to start planning your holiday menus based on both seasonality andcold weather techniques such as braising, stewing, and slow roasting.

Produce Picking Tip - Pears for Poaching

Pear season spans from late fall through the winter months, making poached pears agreat dessert option. It’s not only seasonal, but the spices commonly used whenpoaching pears (cloves, cinnamon, all spice, vanilla) are closely related to other dishesserved in late Fall and Winter, making their integration into a seasonal menu seamless.

When selecting pears for poaching, not all varietals are created equal. While softerpears like Comice or Bartlett may be juicy and full of flavor, they quickly turn to mushand fall apart during poaching.

A much better choice are firm pear varietals, the most widely available being Bosc. Thetiny Seckel or French Conference work great, but are harder to come by at your localsuper market, although you may have luck at a well-stocked farmer’s market.

Produce Picking Tips - Pumpkins

For years, pumpkins have been hybridized for their aesthetic appearance with flavorrarely considered, since most pumpkins produced are destined to be carved rather thanconsumed. If you’ve ever attempted to turn a carving pumpkin into pie, chances are youhad bland results. When purchasing pumpkins for consumption, ask for small bakingpumpkins or the “French Red” varietal; both are strains bread specifically for flavor and

far superior to front porch pumpkins.

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Guide to Seasonal Produce

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