Seasonal Cooking for April

**This is our monthly series that aims to help you cook more seasonally to save money and be healthy (visit the first one, Seasonal Cooking For May, for an introduction and definition of “seasonal”)**

Ahhh, April – more and more vegetables and fruits are available in all parts of the country. Of course, I guess I should say, vegetables and fruits that grow in our country, as the stores are full of all kinds of produce from other countries no matter what the time of year.

However, our purpose in shopping and cooking seasonally is to eat mainly what would naturally be grown in our area in any given month (or our half of the country – so citrus from California is seasonal for us here on the West Coast, Florida Citrus in the East), for economy, health (more pesticide use in other countries), and environment.

Produce In Season For April

• Apples (stored)
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots/Parsnips (stored)
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chard/Kale
• Citrus (lemon, orange, grapefruit)
• Garlic
• Green Onions
• Herbs: Mint, Rosemary, Thyme
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Onions (stored)
• Peas
• Pears (stored)
• Potatoes (stored)
• Purple-sprouting broccoli
• Radicchio
• Rutabagas/turnips
• Spinach
• Strawberries

From the Freezer and Pantry

*March, April, and May are the months to make a point to use up any produce from last season that you “put up” in the freezer to make room for the new season’s bounty to come*

• Tomato products (Roasted Tomato Sauce, Addictive Tomato Chutney, canned plain tomatoes, seasoned sauce and garden salsa)
• Frozen corn and green beans
• Frozen blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and freezer jams
• Pickled foods: cucumbers, beans, and asparagus
• Sauces and condiments: Spicy Plum Sauce, chutneys, jams, etc.
• Oil-packed dried tomatoes
• Frozen chopped sweet peppers
• Dried herbs

Recipes for April

How do you like to use the seasonal foods of April?

-Jami

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