One of the many things I like about summer is the availability and abundance of raw, fresh food. Although I truly enjoy recipes and baking and cooking, sometimes all you need is a few fresh ingredients and you’ve got a beautiful salad, and munching on fresh vegetables is the best kind of snack. When food is just-picked or recently harvested, the flavor really pops.
On a recent trip to a farmers market in northern Michigan, my sister-in-law and I found all kinds of yummy produce. She bought a variety of greens and lettuces, green onions, and radishes, and made a vibrant, crunchy salad. One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to make a salad out of whatever is in season. You can just taste the brightness, and the level of nutrients is at its highest when foods are recently harvested. As my husband would say, when we eat in-season vegetables, we can feel the nutrients flowing into our bodies and giving us energy. I have already written about the many nutritional benefits of leafy greens in a previous post, but as for radishes, they are full of vitamins and minerals as well. According to www.med-health.net/Health-Benefits-Of-Radishes.html, radishes also have anti-fungal and antibacterial properties and a high water content.
Another food that is in season right now, at least in our garden here at home, is green peas. They are just becoming ripe enough to harvest. At our house, peas rarely even make it to the kitchen, they are eaten so quickly. Maybe we just don’t grow enough of them. My kids love to pick them and eat them right out of the pod (the pod keeps the peas nice and clean too). My daughter calls them “garden candy” because they are so sweet. I don’t mind the fact that the peas are eaten before they even reach the kitchen–I know my kids are eating a really healthy snack. Some nutritional information about peas can be found at www.care2.com/greenliving/10-health-benefits-of-peas.html. This website states that peas have not only micronutrients and fiber, but also protein. That is a big bonus for our family, since we do not eat a lot of meat. Peas are also very portable and easy to pack as a snack–you just have to open the pod and pop them into your mouth.
I hope you enjoy all the fresh vegetables you can find this summer. They are such a treat for the senses and great for our health.
wonderful pictures!
Thank you!