In Season this month – June
Artichoke, asparagus, aubergine, beetroot, broad beans,carrots, courgettes, mangetout, new potatoes, radishes runner beans, spinach, spring onions, watercress
Why we should eat the seasons
Every month I write about the great fruit and vegetables that are in season and the benefits of some of the great produce you can buy. There will be a delicious recipe using some of the month’s fresh produce for you to try in my recipe of the month which this month features artichoke. Don’t forget to check me out on Instagram @suzannahjacksonnutrition for even more health tips and recipes.
So let’s kick off with June which brings us lots of lovely fresh fruit and vegetables and a particular favourite of mine is artichoke.
There is something very beautiful to behold with the globe artichoke, which comes into season in June. Never cooked one? It doesn’t surprise me as it’s not easy to know what to do with them at first glance. I love them cooked really simply with a little garlic butter.
There’s a really simple and delicious recipe for you to try in my Recipe of the Month section on the website.
There are many benefits to eating seasonally, but one main reason is when you eat locally and seasonally you know you are eating the freshest, most abundantly available produce. It is better for everyone – you get the tastiest veg, the local farmer benefits and food miles (the distance our food has to travel from the farm to your fork) decreases so you get to save the environment, too. Another unexpected benefit is to reconnect to nature’s seasonal cycle. If you have children, this is especially important as it teaches that food does grow at specific times, a hard concept to grasp when imports from all around the globe ensure that supermarket shelves look the same practically every week of the year.
Where to buy seasonally
Farmers’ markets are usually a great place to find local seasonal veg, but for now consider getting an organic veg box delivered if you can. It’ll teach you super fast when food is in season, you’ll get some of the best produce available in your area and delivered to your door, and it will wake you up to the magic of cooking.
Inviting a veg box into your life forces you to try something new, and this can be very invigorating. Of course, you can pick and choose the types of ingredients you want and avoid having things added that your family hates, but I urge you to have a go and see what happens.
The following offer a huge variety of veg-only or fruit and veg boxes, some even with a ‘pick your own’ element where you can pick and choose exactly how much of what you have