Everyone knows that our lives are packed tighter than ever before with work, family commitments, endless emails and sometimes just the collective hassle of getting to and from work. It’s therefore not surprising that as we click along on the hamster wheel of life, the simple notion of shopping locally — and seasonally — can be easily dismissed or resented as yet another eye-rolling “should.”
But here’s the thing: while being in touch with seasonal produce may not sound especially sexy, the reward (even for those who don’t consider themselves to be domestic wizards) is a huge difference in taste and the knowledge that you are supporting local growers at the same time.
Rhubarb is a good example of a food that has a very finite growing time and is also one of the first to appear after endless weeks of snow and cold. In fact, every year I gauge the onset of spring against my rhubarb patch, watching daily for those palest pink giraffe-horn buds to push through dark earth, a circle of tightly curled fists reaching towards weak sunlight. It’s so encouraging and because the season is short, it’s even more important to cherish everything that rhubarb has on offer.
I’ve frequently heard people dismiss rhubarb as a kind of fusty “grandma” plant that they wouldn’t know what to do with but I have also witnessed these same people — not usually prone to swooning — change their minds on the spot as they spoon up some rhubarb-strawberry pie topped with ginger-flecked vanilla ice cream. (Or a quick gust of that shaving foam stuff in the can, let us be real …)
According to Marco Polo, rhubarb was being traded around the world as early as the 1200s, but ancient Chinese medicine had already been making good use of it for thousands of years. Also commonly known as “the spring fruit” or the “pie-plant,” rhubarb did not reach North American shores till the 1700s and the timing was sweet, since sugar was just starting to become affordable for baking.
Rhubarb freezes reliably too (no blanching required) and can reappear again during bleak winter months to remind us that hope is on the way. If you’re feeling ambitious, rhubarb can also be transformed into a chutney to accompany mature cheese — or even a curry. And what could be easier than simmering chopped rhubarb with a little sugar to top plain yogurt or enliven a pork tenderloin? Create a refreshing pink drink by making your own “shrub” with red wine vinegar – or simply combine rhubarb syrup with sparkling water. You’re welcome!
Strawberries and rhubarb are extremely suitable friends and close enough in harvest times to be seasonal buddies as well, just in time for a combination pie or jam. Strawberries are perhaps the best example of buying local’s superiority. Who amongst us has not been seduced — and then let down — by a January purchase of grocery store berries that have been tumbling from afar and show white, unyielding flesh when cut in half? Hard to compare these tiny turnips to a black-red, heart-shaped berry that oozes sweetness as you bite through, requiring no further adornment except a napkin to wipe your chin. And if you pick them yourself you can taste the warmth of the sun still lingering …
As a young child, I had only ever tasted asparagus from a can, served on toast to create a slippery, green raft of a meal. I still recall my surprise when I tasted fresh Elgin County asparagus — another spring-time treat — for the first time. The difference was so profound, I couldn’t believe that this too was called asparagus!
But this has spoiled me. Yes, I know that asparagus, usually Peruvian, is readily available year-round, yet I cannot report good experiences there. Thin, overly-sharpened pencil crayon stalks and stringy interiors cannot entice me now that I know how it can be.
And I am okay with waiting.
We’re so fortunate in Ontario to have distinctive seasons that offer a panoply of fruits and vegetables, many of which can either be grown in our own gardens, purchased from markets or via countryside stands that showcase our own farmers. Once you’ve sampled locally grown food, you may find that your vegetable mindset shifts automatically — because you’ll simply prefer the best! •
