A Year in Produce

—by Annie Van Cleve

As we draw to the end of yet another harvest season, it is time to review what we have learned before winter numbs our memories. Below is a list of the bounty grown in Minnesota between the months of May and November. Minnesota Growing Season*.

Late Spring

Asparagus: May – July

Green Onions: May – September

Radishes: May – October

Spinach: May – June

Rhubarb: May – June

Early Summer

Broccoli: June – October

Cabbage: June – October

Green Beans: June – September

Kohlrabi: June – September

Peas: June – July

Strawberries: June – July

Mid Summer

Beets: July – October

Blueberries: July – August

Carrots: July – November

Cauliflower: July – November

Cucumbers: July – September

Herbs: July – September

Potatoes: July – November

Raspberries: July and September

Summer Squash: July – September

Sweet Corn: July – September

Tomatoes: July – September

Late Summer

Apples: August – November

Eggplant: August – September

Melons: August – September

Onions: August – November

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Autumn

Raspberries: July and September

Spinach: September – October

Brussel Sprouts: September – November

Parsnips: September – November

Turnips: September – November

Winter Squash: September – November

Pumpkins: October – November

*Information from Minnesota Grown, http://www3.mda.state.mn.us/mngrown.

The Vegetannual illustration found in Barbara Kingsolver’s 2007 book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, translates the growing season visually into an imaginary plant. Near the roots of the plant are the greens of May and at the top is October’s pumpkin. For the curious, The Vegetannual is posted on http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com. By the way, the book is worth reading for more than just this handy image. What about the cold months? Some seized the day and canned Minnesota fruits and vegetables as they were coming into their own. Others of us will rely on the co-op to provide us with the frozen and canned fruits and vegetables that we need this winter. For fresh produce, we must turn to California, where much of the produce available to us during the colder months is grown. In California, fruits and vegetables generally mature in the same sequence as in Minnesota, but the growing season begins around January instead of May. Of course, California also has a climate and growing season in which avocadoes, citrus fruit, dates, nuts, and other produce that would never make it in Minnesota, can flourish. Below is a short list detailing when some California-grown fruits and nuts come into season. The information comes from the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA) website. For complete seasonality charts, visit http://www.cuesa.org/seasonality/charts/vegetable.php.

California-grown nuts and fruit

Almonds: August – November

Avocados: Year round

Dates: September – December

Figs: June – November

Grapefruit: September – April

Grapes: July – December

Oranges: Year round

Pomegranates: August – December

Walnuts: November – June

Sweet autumn

Although summer’s bounty is fading there are still some local vegetables available, including butternut squash. One warming, relatively quick and inexpensive dish perfect for using up those kitchen counter hogs comes from The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift (Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2008). (See link to recipe at the top of this article.)