Tips from Chef Calvin Rouse on using seasonal fruits and vegetables
With summer drawing to a close, and fall around the corner, it’s not just the seasons that are changing. With each season comes a variety of seasonal fruit and vegetables that are produced, harvested, and sold when they are at their most nutrient-dense and flavorful.
Modern-day technology has several perks, one being the constant availability of off-season produce.
The problem is it often takes weeks for it to reach the shelves of your favorite store, and for this to happen, the fruit or vegetables are picked unripe. They are then artificially ripened and irradiated. What you’re left with is produce that has a different flavor and different nutrient content to naturally ripened produce.
Here are our top 4 reasons why seasonal produce is the best!
1. It’s Cheaper
When fruit or vegetables are in season, production costs go down, simply because storage isn’t required and traveling costs decrease. On the other hand, out-of-season fruit and vegetables are stored for a long time and often travel great distances from areas with different climates.
2. It’s Healthier
Fruits and vegetables that are grown and eaten in the correct season have higher nutrient contents as they follow their natural growth and ripening patterns.
Out-of-season produce is ripened with chemical agents and heat processes and often coated with a film of wax to both make it look more appealing and protect it over its extended shelf life.
3. It Tastes Better
Produce tastes better when it’s ripened naturally in its preferred climate and hasn’t undergone extended cold storage.
4. It’s Sustainable
The long-distance travel alone in moving out of season fruit and vegetables results in increased costs and fuel emissions. Buying and using locally grown produce means fewer air miles and fewer delivery trucks on the road, less cold storage, and less unnecessary packaging.
Despite the above, it’s important to note that it’s not always possible to eat local or in-season.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is everyone’s new favorite substitute for potatoes. It can be used as a base for casseroles, in soups and salads, and Mac and Cheese instead of macaroni.
Cauliflower Crudités
Here’s a quick and easy recipe using cauliflower.
Ingredients
✔️ ½ head cauliflower
✔️ ½ cup buffalo sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce. You can also make your own.
✔️ 2 Tbsp olive oil 30 ml
✔️ 1 tsp garlic powder
✔️ ½ tsp salt
Directions
1. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C)
2. Lightly grease the air fryer basket, put it back in the air fryer, and preheat it WITHOUT the cauliflower.
3. Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets.
4. In a large bowl, gently stir together the cauliflower and the remaining ingredients.
5. Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer (working in batches if they don’t all fit in a single layer).
6. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until fork-tender and slightly browned.
7. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce and celery sticks.
Pears
The delicate flavor of pears makes them a great snack, but they’re also a wonderful addition to a variety of dishes. They can be poached, blended into soups, used in salads, or baked into beautiful desserts.
Pear Tarte Tatin
A French classic, this may seem like a complicated dish, but in a few simple steps, you’ll have a delicious dessert with a seasonal twist.
Ingredients
✔️ Store-bought puff pastry
✔️ 2 pounds pears
✔️ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
✔️ 2 tablespoons sugar plus 2/3 cup of sugar
✔️ 4 tablespoons butter
✔️ 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
1. Peel, core, and halve the pears.
2. Place the sugar, butter, and cinnamon in an oven-proof frying pan and place over high heat.
3. Allow the contents to melt together to form a toffee color caramel.
4. Lay the pears in the pan and cook gently for 10 minutes, turning occasionally and then set aside.
5. Heat the oven to 375°F.
6. Roll out the puff pastry and cut into a circle using a plate slightly bigger than the pan you’re using.
7. Place the pastry over the pears and tuck the edges inside the pan.
8. Bake for 30–40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
9. Remove from the oven. Cover the pan with a serving dish, and carefully invert the pan (wearing oven-proof gloves). Note that the caramel inside is liquid and can easily spill).
10. Let it cool and serve with vanilla ice cream or cream.
Cabbage
Did you know that green cabbage is known as Cannonball cabbage? Other varieties include Napa, Savoy, January King (it’s purplish-green), and Bok Choy.
Cabbage is loaded with both macro and micro-nutrients and is known to reduce inflammation and aid digestion. Use it in slaw, stir-fries, or salads.
Labor Day is looming, and BBQs will be smoking everywhere. With Blockbuster Football like Georgia v. Clemson and Bama v. The “U” taking place, we suggest shifting the focus to tailgating.
Here are a few ideas to get you back in the tailgating mindset.
Grilled Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
✔️ 1/2 small cabbage, cut into 4 wedges, leaving the core intact
✔️ 2 tbsp. apple vinegar
✔️ 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
✔️ 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
✔️ 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
✔️ Two green onions, green parts only
✔️ Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
1. Whisk together apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp olive oil, Dijon mustard, caraway seeds, green onion, and salt and black pepper in a bowl.
2. Heat grill to medium-high.
3. Brush red cabbage with 1 Tbsp. olive oil.
4. Grill, turning once, until charred and beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and coarsely chop (discarding the core)
5. Toss with dressing and serve with your favorite grilled sausages.
Other BBQ ideas
🌮 Nachos and Salsa — Use in-season tomatoes, chopped onion, cilantro, and Jalapenos to make Salsa that packs a punch.
🍖 Marinated Kabobs — Beef, chicken, and tofu options abound. Marinate and grill for simple and easy-to-eat BBQ snacks.
🍔 Pulled Pork Sliders — Add the Grilled Cabbage Slaw to take these sliders to the next level.
🍉 Watermelon Skewers — Alternate watermelon, cantaloupe, and prosciutto on a skewer and drizzle with a balsamic reduction for a mouthful of end of summer happiness.
🥗 Watermelon Salad — Mix chopped watermelon and feta with a simple oil vinaigrette.
🥒 Zucchini Fries — Zucchini, otherwise known as courgette’s make a tasty alternative to the classic fried potatoes. Dust in flour and deep-fry.
🥕Grilled Veggies — Use seasonal veggies, grill them and dress them with a honey and thyme vinaigrette.
🍅 Fresh Tomato Tart — Bake your puff pastry ahead of time, then top with herby cream cheese and slices of ripe tomatoes.
If you need help identifying this season’s fruit or vegetables, we’ve put together a list of examples below:
Fruits
Watermelon, apples, blueberries, nectarines, pears, plums, blackberries, melon, and figs.
Vegetables
Cauliflower, cabbages, pumpkin, rhubarb, tomatoes, courgettes, beans, mushrooms, onions, and pepper.
What are your favorite in-season BBQ recipes? Let us know in the comments.
Bon Appetit!
Your SRVE Team
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