The Health Benefits of Locally Grown Food

I have the good fortune to live in Florida during the winter and upstate New York during the summer. Both residences are near rural areas that are abundant in locally grown produce, some of which is organically grown. This winter I bought produce from a food cooperative. The food is purchased by the organizers of the co-op, bundled and distributed to those who placed an order.

I am not a creative cook nor do I particularly enjoy cooking. I have friends who love to cook and I envy them. More and more frequently, I read articles that tout the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables. This is why I decided to buy from the food co-op. The downside of purchasing from a food co-op is that you can't pick and choose what you get. You get what's locally grown and what's in season. This is, however, the healthiest way to eat. The upside is that I have to experiment and find that I actually enjoy discovering recipes for foods that I have never tried before.

In my first order I discovered watercress. The only thing I knew about watercress was that Dobie Gillis, from a long ago TV show, used to eat watercress sandwiches. Watercress comes in bunches of little green leaves, similar in size to cilantro, and is not inspiring at first glance. With the help of the internet, I found a recipe that combined watercress with imitation crab and a few other ingredients and was delicious. So delicious, in fact, that I served it to company.

Another order contained baby broccoli. I was not familiar with baby broccoli; I only knew about adult broccoli, which I eat because it's "good for you." The bunch of baby broccoli came with a serving suggestion. Not only was it an easy recipe but it, too, was delicious. My husband and I much prefer baby broccoli over the grown up version. I have looked for baby broccoli in grocery stores since and have not found it.

During the summer I don't buy from a food co-op because there are several farm markets within a reasonable drive from where I live. One in particular boasts of growing everything they sell and growing organically. When I enter the market I am aware of the bright colors of the fruits and vegetables. The leaves of the lettuces are so healthy-looking. The yellow and green squashes are firm and a good size, with no bruises. The owners of this particular farm market experiment with different varieties of some vegetables.

Recently, when I stopped at the market, swiss chard was in season. There is both red and white swiss chard. I decided to try the white this time. The recipe, again found on the internet, simply suggested sautéing the swiss chard in olive oil, butter, garlic and salt and pepper. It's amazing to me how many fresh vegetables can be prepared this way. It's so simple and tasty. More creative cooks can add their own touches to the recipe. Actually even I have made some creative additions.

Buying fresh fruits and vegetables in season is so good for you. Locally grown produce also stays fresher longer because you know that it was just recently picked. The food is good for your body and finding ways to prepare it is good for your mind. It's a win-win situation.