June is Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month
by Maggie Davis

Why not try a new fruit or vegetable each week during the summer. Look beyond your local supermarket to seek out local offerings at Farmer’s Markets, farm stands, neighborhood berry patches, roadside offerings and your own backyard. Consider planting vegetables even if you only have a bit of space on your deck, balcony, window box or in your backyard. If you’re an experienced gardener, you are probably already harvesting snap peas, arugula, asparagus, spinach and other salad greens. Even if you’ve never grown any vegetables, you can purchase a potted “patio” tomato plant to place in a sunny spot in your backyard and enjoy fresh picked tomatoes until the fall frost. A few pots of herbs can enhance the flavor of fresh produce, fish or grilled meats. In the fall you can take herbs inside to extend the season, or you can dry them, freeze them or make pesto to use all winter long!

If you want to learn more about being a more informed consumer of fresh fruits and vegetables, we recommend the Field Guide to Produce: How to Identify, Select, and Prepare Virtually Every Fruit and Vegetable at the Market by Aliza Green. This small volume include general descriptions of each food item, season available, what to look for and what to avoid when buying. It is also a comprehensive guide to storing and preparing all types of produce.

Produce that is “in season” and local will have more flavor, be less expensive and contain nutrients at their peak value. Here are items to look for this month…

JUNE: Monthly Produce Picks
(n = newly in season; p = at its peak; w = winding down)

VEGETABLES			FRUITS
beans, green	n		apricots	p
beets	w		berries:
carrots	w		blackberries	p
corn	n		blueberries
cucumber	n		boysenberries	p
garlic	n		loganberries
eggplant	n		olallieberries	n
greens including kale			raspberries	p
lettuces	w		strawberries
onions:			cherries	n
sweet Vidalia	p		figs, Black Mission	n
sweet Walla Walla	w		grapes	n
red			limes	p
peas:English/shelling	w		melons:
potatoes			cantaloupe	n
squash, summer	n		honeydew	n
tomatoes	n		watermelon	n
			nectarines	n
			peaches	n
			pineapple

Produce Picks source: www.nutritiouslygourmet.com