Get Fresh, Buy Local - What’s In Season: Autumn

Autumn

The buzz of summer has worn off, and the crispness of autumn now fills the air. With the turn of the season comes a change in our appetite. Fortunately, eating local, seasonal foods never gets bland or boring because the cycle of nature always provides an ever-changing spectrum of fresh flavors and colors. Autumn’s colorful harvest boasts deeply saturated hues of orange, gold, green, and red, which mirror the beauty of the changing leaves.

During these cooler months, our bodies can stay balanced and satisfied by eating warming and grounding foods such as root vegetables, winter squash, beans, nuts, and seeds. We can increase our consumption of cooked foods, like soups and stews, to warm our bodies from the inside out. And, as we enter into cold and flu season, we can keep our immune systems healthy by including plenty of vitamin A and C rich foods, such as cabbage, kale, onions, garlic, cranberries, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash.

Although most farmers’ markets will be closed by the end of October, we are lucky to have year-round access to a strong and growing abundance of local food items here in Kansas City. Stay committed to local eating throughout the holidays by taking a pledge to incorporate local foods into your holiday meals at www.eatlocalkc.net. Lastly, celebrate the season by dining at locally owned restaurants that embrace the farm-table philosophy. Visit www.kcfoodcircle.org for a list of local restaurants committed to local food.

This autumn let’s give thanks to our many local farmers and food producers for enduring the hardships of the season and nourishing our community with fresh, healthy food.

What’s In Season

NUTS
Chestnuts
Missouri Pecans

PROTEINS
Chicken
Eggs
Beef
Bison
Cheese
Tempeh
Tofu
Turkey

PRODUCE
Winter squash
Pumpkin
Sweet potatoes
Brussels sprouts
Savoy cabbage
Broccoli
Broccoli raab
Cauliflower
Carrots
Beets
Turnips
Radishes
Watermelon radishes
Horseradish
Spinach
Arugula
Bulb fennel
Leeks
Garlic
Apples
Pears
Fresh herbs