Each time of the year brings its own unique set of products to our table - fresh berries and greens in the summer, sweet pumpkins and mushrooms in the fall, fragrant citruses in winter, crispy vegetables and delicate greens in the spring. Seasonal nutrition is not only a way to maintain health and save, but also an opportunity to feel harmony with nature, to feel the rhythm of the year through tastes and aromas.

Seasonal products are especially valuable because they ripen in natural conditions, gain maximum nutrients and vitamins. When buying them in the market, we support local farmers, reduce the environmental trace and receive freshness in our plate, which cannot be reproduced with greenhouses or long storage.

In this article, we will talk about what is better to choose in every season, how to cook seasonal products, and offer simple, but delicious recipes for each time of the year.

Spring - freshness and update

What to choose on the market

Spring is the time when the body after winter especially needs vitamins. The first bundles of greenery, radishes, young cabbage, fresh cucumbers appear on the shelves, and strawberries at the end of the season. From herbs - spinach, sorrel, dill, parsley, green onions.

It is worth choosing products of bright colors and with a rich aroma: fresh greens should be elastic, without yellowness, radishes-smooth and dense, and strawberries-saturated red and fragrant.

What to cook

Spring is light soups, salads and dishes with minimal heat treatment to maintain maximum benefit.

Recipe - sorrel soup with egg

Ingredients:

• Spring - 200 g
• Potatoes - 3 pcs.
• Carrots - 1 pc.
• Eggs - 2 pcs.
• Green onions, dill - to taste

Preparation:

• Cut potatoes and carrots, boil until cooked.
• Add chopped sorrel and greens.
• Pour beaten eggs with a thin stream, stirring.
• Salt, pepper and serve with sour cream.

Summer - generosity and brightness of tastes

What to choose on the market

In summer, the market is a real kaleidoscope of colors: tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, green peas, corn, berries and fruits. It is in the summer that it is worth preparing simple dishes from fresh vegetables that do not require long processing.

When choosing vegetables, focus on their density and aroma. Tomatoes should smell of the sun, and watermelons should be ringing when tapping.

What to cook

Summer dishes are salads, cold soups, grill vegetables and fruit desserts.

Recipe - a salad of fresh vegetables with a broom

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes - 3 pcs.
• Cucumbers - 2 pcs.
• Bulgarian pepper - 1 pc.
• Brynza - 100 g
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp. l.
• Greens - to taste

Preparation:

• Cut all the vegetables with large cubes.
• Add chopped branza and greens.
• Season with oil and salt slightly.

Autumn - heat and saturation

What to choose on the market

In autumn, pumpkin, mushrooms, apples, pears, grapes, beets, carrots, and potatoes of a new crop appear on the shelves. This is a time of thick soups, casseroles, fragrant pies.

When choosing a pumpkin, pay attention to a firm peel and a dry stalk, the mushrooms should be fresh and without spots, and apples should be elastic.

What to cook

Autumn is the time to bake and extinguishing, when spices and herbs help to reveal the taste of products.

Recipe-Cream Sup of Pumpkin with Ginger

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin - 500 g
• Onions - 1 pc.
• Carrots - 1 pc.
• Ginger - 20 g
• Cream - 150 ml

Preparation:

• Fry onions and carrots, add chopped pumpkin.
• Pour water or broth and cook until soft.
• Add a grated ginger, sap it with a blender.
• Pour cream, warm and serve with croutons.

Winter - comfort and heart

What to choose on the market

In winter, the market prevails with root crops and vegetables of long storage: potatoes, carrots, beets, cabbage, turnip. In addition, the season of citrus fruits, grenades, persimmons.

When choosing citrus fruits, pay attention to the aroma and elasticity of the peel. Carrots and beets should be dense, without cracks.

What to cook

In winter, I want warming dishes - baked meat, stewed vegetables, hot soups.

Recipe - borsch with beef

Ingredients:

• Beef - 400 g
• Beats - 2 pcs.
• Cabbage - 200 g
• Carrots - 1 pc.
• Onions - 1 pc.
• Tomato paste - 2 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

• Boil the meat, add chopped vegetables.
• Grate the beets, simmer with tomato paste.
• Add to the broth, cook until cooked.
• Serve with sour cream and garlic.

How to combine seasonal products and save

Seasonal products are usually cheaper, because there are a lot of them and they do not require storage and transportation costs. Buy in markets where you can find the latest vegetables and fruits, as well as negotiate with sellers about discounts at large purchases.

Plan the menu in advance: for example, in the tomato season, prepare sauces, lecho, tomato juice for the winter; In the fall - freeze berries and herbs.

Completion

Seasonal nutrition is not only tasty and healthy, but also environmentally friendly. It helps us to keep up with nature, to use its gifts at the moment when they are most valuable. Every time of the year gives its own set of tastes and aromas that can be opened in dishes, preparing them with a soul and imagination.

When choosing products by season, we care about health, support local farmers and fill our life with harmony. And most importantly - we discover the endless variety of culinary ideas, because every season is a new gastronomic world full of inspiration and warmth.