With hot weather right around the corner, looking forward to some fresh summer recipes and grilling out is a must. However, something to think about this summer is where exactly the ingredients used in the recipes are coming from. Recent studies show that processed food in the United States travels an average of 1,300 miles, with fresh produce traveling over 1,500 to reach the supermarket. Not only does this transportation release about 3.0 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide (19% of total food system emissions), but this also causes many of the ‘fresh foods’ to be picked unripe, or be highly processed with preservatives and other additives to keep it fresh for transportation and in the supermarket.
However, there is a solution to these problems: farmers markets. Farmers markets sell food that is locally grown or made, supporting small farmers and businesses within a community, keeping food fresher, and decreasing the amount of pollution created by the food industry. Along with that, farmers markets offer many more seasonal fruits and vegetables. Though it may be nice to have your favorite fruits and vegetables year round, seasonal food is fresher, tastier, and more nutritious. Along with that, buying seasonal food is another way to decrease the amount of distance traveled by your food pre-supermarket. Some of the best farmers markets around Charlotte include the South End Farmers Market, Kings Drive Farmers Market, and Charlotte Regional Farmers Market. Make sure to check when these markets are open and most popular!
Another question in terms of sustainable summer eating is what are the in-season fruits and vegetables that we should be looking for? Some of my favorite summer fruits and vegetables include chickpeas, corn, cucumbers, mangos, summer squash, peaches, tomatoes, watermelon, raspberries, blueberries, and basil. Some of these are great to have on their own, such as some refreshing watermelon after a swim in the pool, a mango early in the morning, or some blueberries and raspberries as an afternoon snack. However, there are plenty of fun summer recipes to try with all of the new food as well.
One of my favorite appetizers to make before some pasta is a Caprese salad. This includes two of the seasonal fruits and vegetables. All you need is some mozzarella, tomato, basil, salt and pepper, and it can be enjoyed with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar drizzled on top. Along with that, a very popular healthy cuisine to enjoy is Mediterranean, which has been very popular in Charlotte with restaurants such as Cava and Yafo. It’s very easy to make homemade hummus with chickpeas, salt, olive oil, and any other seasonings you want to add to spice it up. Or, a cucumber tomato salad or tomato feta salads are some of my favorite refreshing lunches to have during the summer. You can also grill out during the summer, with some grilled corn or a margarita pizza with some fresh basil and tomatoes.
Fresh desserts are also easy to make with summer fruits and vegetables. Everyone loves a sweet raspberry or mango sorbet, which you can make with just a couple ingredients and without an ice cream churner. Along with that, peach cobbler is always a delicious dessert, if you’re looking for something a little warmer. And, for a decadent dessert with coconut and mango, mango sticky rice is always a go-to for me.
I hope that this article has made you think a little more about where your food is coming from and some more sustainable choices you can make in this upcoming season. Have a great summer, and try out some new shopping habits and new eating experiences!