(Photo: David Myers,
chef/owner, Sona)
The tomatoes, cantaloupes, and asparagus you see on grocery
store shelves right now may look good, but chances are they don’t taste all
that great. That’s because they’re not is season right now and probably had to
be shipped from far away or grown in a hothouse.
Choosing fruits and vegetables that are at the peak of
freshness instead brings many benefits. They taste better, are more nutritious, are
better for the planet, and are often less expensive than produce that’s
travelled thousands of miles to reach your table.
We asked chefs across the country to pick one fruit or
veggie they just won’t eat right now and why. Here are their answers:
-
Tomatoes.
“Tomatoes should be picked off the
vine where they have grown at the natural pace in the summer — outside in the
sun. Those are the only ones worth eating. I’m convinced that people who think
they don’t like tomatoes have eaten them at the wrong time of year.” Kevin
Gillespie, executive chef, Woodfire
Grill, Atlanta.
-
Asparagus.
“The
peak of its season is in spring, but people are able to grow it during the
winter further south in places like Mexico because of the weather. By the time
this asparagus gets to us in Seattle during the winter, it’s probably three
weeks old and hardly at its best,” Mark Fuller, chef/owner, Spring Hill, Seattle.
-
Corn.
“I grew up picking corn in the summer and know the flavor of perfectly ripe
corn. You just can’t beat it,” David Myers, chef/owner, Sona, Los Angeles.
-
Nightshades.
“We stay
away from about all fresh nightshades, meaning tomatoes, eggplant, peppers.
They’re not local, they’re shipped across the globe, you can drop ’em out a third
floor window and they remain intact, plus they taste lousy,” Eric Tucker, executive chef, Millennium
Restaurant, San Francisco
-
Peaches.
“Some people think of peaches
the way that Gertrude Stein talked about a rose — but a peach is not a peach is
not a peach, especially if you consider when and where you’re eating it. In
August, there’s no more beautiful or more delicious expression of the season.
But in March, it’s a disaster.” Dan Barber, executive chef and
co-owner, Blue Hill, New York City.
-
Melons.
“Down here in the south, there’s no way you’re going to find a good quality
melon right now. The taste, smell,
and texture are all bad in the wintertime. There’s also the mental association
to summer. You think of 90-degree days when you think of melons,” James Boyce, chef/owner, Cotton Row,
Huntsville, Alabama.
-
Berries.
“They’re really expensive. They taste like cardboard. Most of them are coming
from South America, and I’m afraid of some of the chemicals used in the growing
process,” Rob Endelman, founder, Cook With Class, New York
City.
What are chefs most excited to start cooking with in the
spring? English peas, asparagus, artichokes, morels, and fava beans.
Depending
upon where you live, you’ll see these vegetables pop up at farmers’ markets anytime from late
March through April. And late spring is also when we’ll start to see ripe
strawberries and rhubarb. Anyone who’s eaten local strawberries knows they are definitely worth the wait!
Here’s a
guide to peak times for popular produce. Or find out what’s in season where you live
right now. Search for
local farmers markets or visit LocalHarvest.
Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips
and product reviews with Yahoo! Green’s users. Send Lori a question
or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book,
Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a
Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo!
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