Seasonal Eating in Central Indiana, All Year Long
As terms such as “locavore,” “foodie,” and “slow food”
become more prevalent in everyday conversation, I think it is safe to say the
trend of eating whole, fresh, locally sourced foods is on more and more
people’s minds. After spending my summer as a Growing Places Indy apprentice
and now as an employee, my grasp of the local food system and my love for sustainability
has grown; however, this growing emphasis on eating local is not just for the
crunchy, free spirited generation. There are plenty of reasons why we should
all, as an urban community in an ever-improving Indianapolis, take a closer
look at where our food comes from and explore the benefits of eating local,
fresh foods.
Just think about the impact you can have on carbon emissions
by eating food that is grown near you. When food travels tens of miles instead
of thousands of miles on trucks, planes, or boats to get to your plate, carbon
emissions are greatly reduced. Another reason to eat locally is the
tremendously positive community impact created by sourcing local foods. Farmers
market patrons develop relationships with growers and producers, which cycles
money spent on food directly back into our own community. Finally, when your food is grown near you,
you know it is in season when you buy it!
Seasonal foods are picked at the peak of their freshness.
This freshness provides higher nutritional content and flavor. Just ponder for
a second, which tastes better: a deep red tomato picked from your backyard
garden, still hot from the summer sun, or a hard, mealy tomato you pick up at a
mass grocery store in the winter? Exactly: the juicy, summer tomatoes are the
winners all the way! This is because in Central Indiana, garden- and farm-grown
tomatoes hit their peak in the summer. Many people believe their options for
eating seasonally year-round here in Indianapolis are too limited by the
weather as the winter months blow in. A visit to the Indy Winter Farmers
Market, though, should convince you otherwise and open up a whole new world of
seasonal eating. Come peruse all the wonderful produce that our area farmers
grow all winter long.
If better flavor, nutrients, and relationships still have
not convinced you to eat seasonally, perhaps the fact that eating what is in
season locally is better for your wallet and the local economy! If a crop is in
season locally, that means there is more of the crop available. It is also
important to note that buying local, seasonal food directly supports the
growers and producers in our community. Instead of giving your money to big box
stores, shopping for seasonal produce at farmers markets and other direct
farm-to-consumer networks sends your money directly back into your own
community.
Now that you are (hopefully) convinced to give seasonal
eating a go this winter, here is a list of vegetables and fruits you can devour
in the coming months and a few festive recipes to enjoy at
upcoming holiday
parties:
- Beets
- Brussels sprouts
- Carrots
- Greens (arugula, cabbage, kale, lettuce mix, spinach, Swiss chard)
- Kohlrabi
- Micro-greens
- Potatoes
- Radishes
- Turnips
- Winter Squash
- 2 c Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Pepper to taste
2) Add Brussels sprouts and cook for 10 minutes,
stirring occasionally.
3) Add soy sauce, stir and cover for 5 minutes.
4) Add pepper and serve!
Roasted Acorn Squash
with Wild Rice Pistachio Stuffing
*Recipe courtesy of A Couple Cooks, a local blog from writer and photographer husband and wife
team, Sonja and Alex Overhiser.
- 4 acorn squash
- 1 ½ c wild rice
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot
- 1 bunch kale
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 4 oz crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3 c pistachios, chopped
2) In a medium pot, add 1 ½ c wild rice, 4 ½ c
water, and a few pinches of kosher salt; bring to a boil, then simmer for about
45 minutes until tender. Drain any remaining liquid from the pot.
3) Meanwhile, chop each of the acorn squash in half
and then in quarters. Using a spoon, scrape out the guts and seeds. Line a baking
sheet with parchment paper. Place the squash on the sheet and drizzle with
olive oil on the cut sides; sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Turn cut side
down on the sheet and roast until tender, about 40 minutes.
4) While squash roasts, finely dice garlic cloves
and shallot. Cut the kale into thin strips (chiffonade). In a large skillet,
heat 1 to 1 ½ tbsp. olive oil; add garlic and shallot and sauté for 2 to 3
minutes until the shallots are soft. Then add the kale and sauté for about 2 to
3 additional minutes until the kale is tender and bright green. Turn off the
heat and stir in the rice, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, and fresh
ground pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
5) To serve, place squash quarters on plate. Top
with wild rice stuffing, then sprinkle with feta and chopped pistachios.
(Alternatively, feta and pistachios can be mixed into the wild rice stuffing).
All of these seasonal crops, free-range, hormone free meats,
and much more can be found at specialty groceries like Indy Food Co-op Pogue’s Run Grocers and the Indy Winter Farmers Market (IWFM). The IWFM runs Saturdays
through April 25th from 9 am-12:30 pm in the Platform, located in
the west end of the Indianapolis City Market. Open up a wintery world of
possibilities in your own kitchen this winter by making a commitment to
seasonal eating! Happy holidays from everyone at Growing Places Indy!
