Seasonal Recipes

Eating ethically means eating locally, seasonally, fair trade, humanely and sustainably:

  • In supporting local economies we reduce dependence on foods shipped from far away. Unfortunately, imported foods are also often (not always) byproducts of slave labor. In eating locally it is also harder to over consume, because we cannot take more than our environment can provide for us. We also stimulate local business growth and employment; overall a great idea!
  • Eating seasonally ensures that you are getting the freshest (and nutritionally densest) foods. If you eat out of season your produce is shipped from places with the climate to grow that food. Shipment of food not only contributes to excessive fossil fuel admissions, but it also reduces the freshness of our food . Some big name grocery stores ship in from out of the country/ your local region year round. Not only is this produce more expensive, but it isn’t nearly as good. This produce is usually picked while still green and sprayed with ethylene gas to ripen it. These varieties of fruits and vegetables are grown for their durability and appearance as opposed to their flavor and nutritional value. For this reason there are so many varieties of produce we don’t get to see in grocery stores!
  • For purchasing products that never grow in your region eat fair trade certified. This guarantees that the product you are buying is not exploiting their laborers. Big culprits of slave labor are chocolate, bananas and coffee.
  • Buying humanely means that the animals that make up dairy, meat, honey and other animal products can carry out natural behaviors, and are not subjected to growth hormones, cramped cages, or any other cruel practices.
  • Lastly, buying organically grown (or better yet from a permaculture garden/farm) means the Earth and it’s animals, plants and microbes are not subjected to harmful pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc. in the process. All these points combined guarantee we are eating in a sustainable fashion!

Recipes:

As you can see, many of these concepts are intertwined. But luckily for you all these recipes are not only delicious, but also keep these principles at the forefront of their minds.

Happy cooking!