Modern supermarkets have fooled us all into thinking that we can get fruit and vegetable we want at any time of the year.
And we can, but it comes at a price and the price is freshness, food production efficiency, loss of flavour and a disassociation with our natural environment. I'm talking about asparagus from Peru, soft apples held too long in the cool room, and expensive fruits trucked in to suit our needs.
So here's the truth - tomatoes do not grow all year round, apples are at their best in autumn and silverbeet thrives in winter. It's called the cycle of nature.
So congratulations to the Seasonal Sunday Lunch project, an international grass-roots movement that aims to raise awareness of seasonal produce, encourage mindful seasonal eating and re-educate the general public in the simplest, most enticing way: by gathering friends and family for a long, lazy lunch. It launches in Australia on Sunday, April 21, 2013.
A Seasonal Sunday Lunch can be an informal get-together at home, a picnic in a park or a designated event at a restaurant - all coordinated around a specific date in spring, summer, autumn and winter.
"Seasonal food is better for our taste buds, our wallets, our health and the environment, so why aren't we eating seasonally all the time?' asks Seasonal Sunday Lunch co-founder and blogger Jennifer Jenner of 84 & 3rd. http://84thand3rd.com/
"Farmers' Markets - with actual farmers - are spreading, old domestic skills are being embraced and consumers are paying more attention to what they eat and where it comes from. It's the perfect time to launch this project."
Jennifer and website partner Lorrine Jokovic have established www.seasonalsundaylunch.com where you can find plenty of information.
Here's a list of autumn fruits and vegetables that you can use in your seasonal Sunday lunch. Start with this list when building your menu rather than your favourite cook books for a change and a challenge.
Vegetables:
asian greens, beans: butter, beetroot, broccoli, brussells sprouts, cabbage: red, cabbage: green, carrots, capsicums, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chokos, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, kale: cavalo nero, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, parsnips, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, silverbeet, spinach, squash, swedes, sweet potato, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, witlof, zucchini
Fruit:
apples, avocado, bananas, chestnuts, custard apples, fejoias, figs, fingerlimes, fuji fruit, grapes, guava, kiwifruit,lemons, limes, mandarines, mangosteens, melons: rockmelon, melons: honeydew, melons: watermelon, nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, oranges: navel, oranges: valencia, papaya, passionfruit, peaches, pears: nashi, pears, persimmons, plums, pomegranate, quince, rhubarb, tamarilloDisclaimer: This is not a paid post.