One of the things I enjoy most about my veg box delivery is the seasonal variety.
Yes, it can get frustrating, knowing I could pop to the supermarket and buy whatever I want, even out of season. But it's also strangely exciting, looking forward to the arrival of butternut squash in the Autumn, or strawberries in June.
It took me a while to get used to this different way of cooking, but now it's changed my attitude towards food. I take time to enjoy the seasons, rather than taking them for granted.
I hadn't realised how entrenched I was in the convenience of supermarket shopping. I hadn't noticed that I expected to be able to buy French beans all year round, even if that meant air freighting them from Africa.
When I started to think about the carbon footprint, and the chemicals I was ingesting used to keep the vegetables fresh, I realised I wasn't prepared to continue my old buying habits.
Why buy seasonal food?
To quote my veg box supplier:
"Our seasons are the essence of what makes living in this country such a joy.
To taste the first asparagus or courgettes is an annual delight."
Seasonal food is fresher, tastier and more nutritious than out-of-season food that has been force grown or flown from abroad.
Why? * Seasonal food means seeds germinate in the soil at the right time, meaning plants are naturally stronger and more resistant to disease. This gives better quality fruit and vegetables.
* Out-of-season food may be "force grown" in artificial conditions, requiring more fertilisers. This can lead to watery, flavourless produce.
(Compare the taste of a supermarket tomato in December with a home-grown one from August...)
* Food left to ripen on the plant will contain more nutrients and have a better flavour than food that is harvested early and ripened artificially.
* Eating seasonally, and especially getting a box delivery, means you learn a new repetoire of recipes and get to try ingredients you wouldn't have tried before.
* It's a fact that most fruit and vegetables start to lose their flavour and nutritional value as soon as they're picked.
Buying local, seasonal food guarantees you shorter times from field-to-kitchen. Out-of-season food may have been picked six or more weeks before you buy it.
So your efforts to eat "5-a-day" are worth much more if your 5 are locally produced seasonal fruit and vegetables, rather than artificially ripened produce that have travelled for weeks to reach you.
Do you eat seasonally? Why?
And if you don't, what stops you?
If you want to find a local box scheme who will deliver to your door, search Ooffoo or try the
VegBox Recipes Free Directory.
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www.VegBox-Recipes.co.uk - Simply delicious recipes for seasonal food