It is officially summer! The sun is shining, a warm breeze is blowing, and in the fields, fruits and vegetables are growing. Summer is undoubtedly the best time of year when it comes to fresh produce. Yes, we can get pretty much anything we want year round. But I promise that a strawberry tastes a lot better in late August than it does in January.

Eating produce at the peak of its growing season means that you are getting it at its most nutritious, and its most delicious. That’s why it’s important to take advantage of everything the summer has to offer. This is the time of year to eat a lot of salads, a lot of fresh fruit, and a lot of vegetables. It’s the time of year to get creative with cooking.

When you are cooking vegetables at their freshest, the simplest techniques are always the best. Grilling, roasting, steaming, or just eating raw. Try to avoid boiling produce like carrots when they are at their peak. Really, you are just losing a lot of the nutrients in the water. Keep it simple. Let the fresh flavours stand out rather than covering them up.

Buy local as much as you can. This may mean going to your local farmers market, looking around your grocery store for local produce, or buying from farmer stalls on the sides of rural roads. This is important for a lot of different reasons. The three main reasons are:

1. You are keeping money in the community and supporting local business.
2. If you buy local your produce doesn’t have to be shipped across the country, the continent, or the world.
3. It tastes way better because it didn’t have to be picked before it was ripe to be transported.

Like I said, take advantage of everything the next few months has to offer. From the warm weather to beach days, to barbecues, and of course to fresh local produce. Summer is an amazing time of year. Enjoy it!