Using seasonal and fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs is the optimal way to utilize them for maximum great taste. When fruits and veggies are fresh, they need to do very little to enjoy them to the fullest. Here’s a quick list broken down by season to help you with your seasonal meal planning year-round using fresh farm to table ingredients. A majority of these are now available almost year round thanks to hot houses, etc.
This guide is designed to help you with the fresh produce you can expect to find in peak season at your local farm stands and markets. There is also a “year-round” category at the bottom thanks to hot houses, organic farming, etc. You’ll also notice that a fair number of these items will list during several seasons. My hope is that this list will assist you with some creative meal planning.
We’re currently in winter, so let’s start there:
December / January / February |
|---|
| WINTER VEGGIES |
| Baby turnips, beets, Belgian endive, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, celery root, collard greens, fennel, garlic, kale leeks, russet potatoes, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, turnips, and winter squashes (such as pumpkin, acorn) |
| WINTER FRUITS |
| Clementine orange, cranberries, dates, grapefruit, kiwi, kumquats, Mandarin oranges, navel oranges, passion fruit, pears, persimmons, pomegranates, red banana, red currants, tangerines, and quinces |
| WINTER HERBS |
| Bay leaves, rosemary, sage and thyme |
March / April / May |
|---|
| SPRING VEGGIES |
| Artichokes, asparagus, beets, Belgian endive, broccoli, cauliflower, chayote squash, chives, collard greens, fiddle leaf ferns, green onion (spring onions), lettuces, morel mushrooms, pea pods, radicchio, ramps, red potatoes, rhubarb, sorrel, spring baby lettuce, sugar snap peas, sweet peas, swish chard, Vidalia onions, watercress |
| SPRING FRUITS |
| Bananas, kiwi, lemons, limes, mango, nectarines, oranges, papaya, passion fruit, peaches, pineapple, plums, raspberries, sapodillas, sapote, strawberries, sugar apple, tangerines, watermelon |
| SPRING HERBS |
| Chives, dill, mint |
June / July / August |
|---|
| SUMMER VEGGIES |
| Avocado, beets, bell peppers, butter lettuce, carrots, celery, corn cucumbers, eggplant, edamame, green beans jalapeño pepper, lima beans, okra, peas, radish, shallot, sugar snap peas, summer squash, tomatoes (technically a fruit, but always thought of as a veggie), tomatillo, Yukon gold potatoes, zucchini |
| SUMMER FRUITS |
| Apricots, Asian pear, blackberries, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, breadfruit, cantaloupe, casaba melon, champagne grapes, cherries, Crenshaw melon, elderberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, honeydew melon, key limes, lychee, nectarines, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, watermelonerbs |
| SUMMER HERBS |
| Basil, cilantro, dill, lavender, mint, tarragon |
September / October / November |
|---|
| FALL/AUTUMN VEGGIES |
| Acorn squash, Belgian endive, Bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, buttercup squash, butternut squash, cabbage, cardoons, cauliflower, daikon radish, endive, fennel, garlic, ginger, hearts of palm, leeks, mushrooms, parsnips, red potatoes, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, turnip, winter squashes |
| FALL/AUTUMN FRUITS |
| Apples, cherries, cranberries, figs, guava, passion fruit, pears, pomegranates |
| FALL/AUTUMN HERBS |
| Parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme |
| YEAR-ROUND VEGGIES |
| Amaranth, arrowroot, banana squash, bell peppers, black eyed peas, black radish, bok Choy, broccolini, cabbage, carrots, celery root (celeriac), celery, cherry tomatoes, Chinese eggplant, leek, lettuce, mushrooms, olives, onions, parsnips, pearl onion, potatoes, rutabagas snow peas, wasabi root, yucca root |
| YEAR-ROUND FRUITS |
| Apples, apricots, dried, avocadoes, banana, cranberries, dried, coconut, lemons, papaya |
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