By Carolyn Twesten, Weaver Street Market Produce Merchandiser
My favorite thing about buying local produce is the seasonality of it all. Sure, it’s a bummer not to have juicy strawberries or tomatoes in January, but they taste so much better when the local harvest comes in, in season. And there is usually something in season!
There are certain dishes that I only make once a year, and there are others that I will eat my weight in for as long as I can, like grilled summer squash, simple vinegar-based cucumber salad, or caprese salad with local heirloom tomatoes and Chapel Hill Creamery’s fresh mozzarella. Cooking with local food lends a certain seasonal ritual to my life that I savor. Sourcing fresh, seasonal produce from local farmers for our produce departments at Weaver Street Market gives me the satisfaction that I’m improving our local economy, our environment, and the health of our customers, one tomato at a time.
What’s in Season
As I write this it is the Summer Solstice, so certain summer items have not come in in full effect yet, like the avalanche of heirloom tomatoes, sungold tomatoes, and eggplant. What late June is abundant in however, is summer squash, cucumbers, blueberries, and peaches! I could live on just those four ingredients (okay, and a little salt and olive oil). The best part is that they are all coming to us from farms in North Carolina!
Our stores are receiving summer squash and cucumbers from Orange County farms Nourishing Acres, Four Leaf Farm, and Red’s Quality Acre, as well as Cottle Organics down in Duplin County. Blueberries are coming from Lewis Farms in Rocky Point, NC as well as Cottle Farm in Faison, NC. Peaches (and soon plums and nectarines!) are arriving from Deal Orchards in Taylorsville, NC. Look for all these tasty seasonal items in stores, and enjoy them while you can!
Here are some recipes to try out:
Zucchini Fries, https://tasty.co/recipe/zucchini-fries (includes video!)
Zucchini Fritters, https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/zucchini-fritters
Cucumber Raita, https://www.budgetbytes.com/cucumber-raita/
And for dessert,
Peach and Blueberry Greek Yogurt Cake, https://juliasalbum.com/peach-and-blueberry-greek-yogurt-cake-recipe/