Though there are many farms and greenhouses that grow produce in Ontario year-round, fresh local produce is definitely far more fruitful in the spring and summer months and it’s one of the best parts about living so close to the farmers who grow it. Local food tastes better and is better for you and the environment.
What’s even better than sourcing it out, is being able to grow it yourself. You don’t have to have a whole field to be able to grow your own veggies, a small garden or even planter pots would provide enough for a family of 2-4 during the spring and summer months. You would be surprised at how far a packet of lettuce seeds can go, and how little work is involved with planting and maintaining. I mean, you do still need to make sure that you water if rain has been sparse, and pull out the weeds – because let’s face it, sometimes those grow more and quicker than the plants we want!
If you have less space available for planting, herbs tend to do well even just in planter boxes that you can sit on a porch or a small balcony – and nothing beats the flavour of fresh herbs. Herbs tend to grow like weeds, too, in the right conditions, so if you find you have more than you can/will use, just hang them in a cool, dry place to dry them out, then grind them up and use them throughout the fall and winter until you can grow fresh ones again.
We have new herb grinders in-store at the Never Enough Thyme Food Shoppe, which makes grinding the dried herbs much easier than by hand. Stop by to see us and find out why this will become one of your new favourite kitchen appliances!
Image: maya / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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