This is my favorite time of year to get excited about healthy eating. Our local and regional farms and orchards produce delicious fruits and vegetables that bring a welcome burst of flavor to our meals after a long winter of eating whatever our grocery stores could import.
The Valley Farm Market kicked off this month at the Wyoming Valley Mall and will run every Friday through October. If you need to be reminded of how good a strawberry can be, I recommend grabbing a quart as soon as you can.
It’s my yearly reminder that we’re blessed to have farmers’ markets and farm stands all over our region that will open from now through June and sell incredible produce through the fall. It’s the kind of produce that makes you look forward to making a salad or having fresh fruit as a snack, and it makes it easier – at least for me – to make healthy choices.
Strawberries are an interesting delicacy because different varieties can adorn market tables from mid-April through the first frost in October or November.
Some crops are at market now, and after a break in the summer, will be again in the fall when the weather brings similar growing conditions to spring. Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, radishes, beets and turnips are all examples of foods that give us two yields throughout the year.
If you like asparagus or rhubarb, get your fill between now and the end of June, because they’re both examples of vegetables we only get during spring.
Summer brings corn, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries that we can only dream about during the winter months. Depending on the season, some of them can be at their peak as summer ends.
As fall rolls around, you can smell apples almost everywhere you go. Pennsylvania orchards produce apples as good as any in the country, and the pears are excellent, too. The harvest season also provides pumpkins and a variety of squashes along with the second round of leafy greens, brassicas and root vegetables.
As much as I try, I’m not doing justice to the spectrum of fresh, delectable produce offered by Pennsylvania farmers at local markets and stands. So, why am I trying?
To remind you, and myself, that the best meal we’ll have this week is waiting for us on the side of the road on our way home from work. It will have been picked only hours before we’ll buy it, and we’ll take it home for an affordable price.
We’ll wash it, and rip it, slice it or chop it. We’ll make a memorable meal out of it with little effort, because exceptional ingredients are best enjoyed simply prepared.
Good produce season is upon us, and I’m glad it’s returned.
Go visit our farmers’ markets and farm stands and support local businesses while you make your grocery run fresher, more nutritious and more enticing all at the same time. And remember, make that local produce the most frequently eaten food group in a well-balanced diet, and it will help keep your heart healthy too.
Local journalism matters, and your support makes it possible. You can help sustain this work by making a donation or choosing one of our subscription options. Subscribers enjoy valuable benefits, including full access to our e-edition, a reduced ad experience on timesleader.com, and more.
Your support helps ensure independent, high-quality local news remains available today and for future generations. Thank you for standing with local journalism.
Dr. Alfred Casale, a cardiothoracic surgeon, is chief medical officer for surgical services for Geisinger and chair of the Geisinger Heart and Vascular Institute. Readers may write to him via ae@timesleader.com.
