Savor the Season 2010: Fruit and Veggie List

The selected specialty crops are:

• Salad Mix
• Napa Cabbage
• Bok Choy
• Beans
• Okra
• Cantaloupe
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Eggplant
• Sweet Potatoes
• Swiss Chard
• Acorn Squash

The crops were selected by analyzing the results of a short survey taken by market farmers and managers.

So what is the Savor the Season program, you ask?

Well, our mission is to encourage Kansans to explore the bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables available at Kansas farmers markets.

Many Kansans are making the decision to purchase more of our food directly from those that raise it. As we begin to frequent our farmers markets and farm stands, we are confronted with the concept of seasonality. Unlike the grocery store produce section, you won't always find asparagus. And for only a short period will both lettuce and tomatoes be available simultaneously.

Eating seasonally means enjoying the ripest and freshest food at the height of its natural harvest time. It means supporting local farmers who transport their goods the shortest distance to your plate. It also means experimenting with delicious foods you might not otherwise consider adding to a meal!

And that's where Savor the Season will help.

We'll highlight several fruit and vegetables each month providing you with tips on selection, storage and preparation. There will be recipes, too. And lots of links to informative and entertaining opportunities to broaden your culinary adventures.

And best of all, Savor the Season travels to your hometown market in the form of color recipe cards available at the market info booth. We'll produce a card for each fruit or vegetable with information on selection, storage and preparation. The card's back is where you'll find a great recipe utilizing that crop as well as other seasonal produce. Additional recipes featuring this product will be available available on this website here.

For information on the 2009 Savor the Season Program, you can read this blog post.

If your farmers market would like to participate in the 2010 Savor the Season Program, please email mercedes [dot] taylorpuckett [at] gmail [dot] com (Mercedes) by March 31.

Savor the Season is a program of the Kansas Rural Center made possible by a USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant from the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Project partners include KDA, Kansas Department of Commerce and the Kansas Center for Sustainable and Alternative Crops. 

On Facebook?

Check out our Page and become a fan.