When it comes to meal planning, an important strategy to consider is seasonality. Here in America, with out lavish grocery stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and New Seasons (a Portland venue), we can purchase dozens of produce items from any part of the world and from any of the 4 seasons. It’s true that summer is hot, winter is cold, and spring and fall bring beautiful colors. But when we take the time to recognize nature’s bounty, our connection to these cycles is deepened and enriched. And for those of you who want to save money at the grocery store and eat local, seasonality is the concept to consider!

Years ago, when we lived in Seattle and I started to cook regularly, I began to plan meals for our weekly shopping trip. Although I enjoyed the process of reading recipes and discovering culinary possibilities, I did not consider the season of the year. It was only a few years later, while living by the 100-mile diet, did I seriously think about the season’s fruits and vegetables. All of a sudden I was exposed to produce I had never heard of – celeriac, rutabaga, kohlrabi, garlic scapes – to name a few. At the same time, my meal planning scope got a whole lot smaller. For example, the spice of Mexican or Thai cooking disappeared from our household the day temperatures dropped and the jalapeno bushed frosted over. I learned that the cookbooks we owned did not consider seasonality, nor Epicurious and Bittman. All of a sudden, I had to start all over again.

The month I started buying seasonal I also started buying local, and the coincidence is not completely owed to the 100-mile diet. The reality is that local is seasonal. Hence my advocacy for seasonal eating, which in my opinion is the key to truly eating sustainably. And with this in mind, let me introduce our menu for next week:

• yellow split pea soup with butternut squash and kale (taken from Fresh From the Farmer’s Market.)
• Mushroom and shallot quiche with a side of sauteed kale
• Morel-crusted short ribs with polenta
• Vegetable stir-fry with brown rice
• Blackened catfish with sauteed kale and roasted butternut squash

(I am also excited to announce that the 2nd installment of the World Cuisine Potluck is happening on Sunday night. This potluck’s theme is Danish food – the original comfort food!)

Let’s look at the menu with a seasonal eye. Considering our kale is exploding in the backyard and we want to keep up with it, there’s lots of kale next week. Squash, carrots, mushrooms and onions also scatter among the recipes. The decadence of next week will be highlighted with the short ribs, of which just 2 ingredients have to bought at the store. The butternut squash will have two uses, and bulk goods in the house like rice and polenta will meet our grain needs. The funny thing is that each week I find myself wanting simpler meals, but come time to plan, I can’t help but find recipes that require a bit more time and a whole lot more flavor. These meals may be seasonal, but they sure aren’t convenient!

Related posts:

1. Kale, how I love thee (weekly menu 5)
2. The Last Dance with Kale (weekly menu 27)
3. Between the Holidays (weekly menu 14)
4. Bring Me the Meat! (weekly menu 13)
5. Sorry for the Delay (weekly menu 17)

Tags: afton field farm, Mark Bittman, Recipes, seasonal eating