I am no expert (or any good) at gardening, but I do like to eat fruits and vegetables. Lucky for me, this is the time of the year when there’s lots of seasonal produce in this area that is ready to be eaten. Texas has delicious fruits and vegetables available pretty much year-round, but for some reason I think some things taste best in the summer.  According to the National Resources Defense Council’s Smarter Living Eat Local interactive guide, the following fruits and vegetables are at their peak in July: apples, blueberries, cabbages, cantaloupes, carrots, cucumbers, mushrooms, nectarines, onions, peaches, pears, potatoes, snap peas, squash, tomatoes, turnips, and watermelon.

Which takes me to my most recent experience in buying yummy fresh produce. After visiting some of my family in Longview over the fourth of July weekend, I decided to take the back roads on my trek back to Frisco – I had nowhere I needed to be and was no rush to get there, and found myself near a roadside produce stand, just this side of Mineola, TX on Hwy 69. I was kinda hungry, so I stopped to see what they had. Less than 10 minutes later, I was on the road with plums and sweet peppers sitting next to me in the front seat. I was already regretting that I didn’t buy any of the nice looking tomatoes – really, what was I thinking? Lucky for me I passed by another stand not too far down the road, and I picked up some tomatoes, cucumbers, and a cantaloupe. I also picked up some honey from Josephine, TX.

I know that not everyone finds themselves driving down back roads or passing by produce stands with any frequency, but fresh, local produce is still available on a regular basis by visiting the Frisco Farmers Market that’s held every Saturday, from the first Saturday in May until the last Saturday in October, at Frisco Square right in front of the library.

For people with smartphones, there is an easy way to access what’s in season now – it’s a free app called Locavore available for both iPhone and Android. Promoted as “a seasonal, local food network”, Locavore keeps users in the know about what’s in season locally and where to find it.

Once you’re done talking to the local farmers at the market, ogling all the delicious things for sale, and checking out what produce is fresh and available near you, can check out some books related to seasonal eating at the library. Maybe you can find me a recipe that uses sweet peppers, because I have too many!

Here are some interesting books that promote eating seasonally and/or locally:

Here are some cookbooks with delicious recipes:

Happy eating!

	Claudia Wayland
	Youth Services Librarian
	cwayland@friscotexas.gov