Once upon a time, most people in the US grew at least some portion of their own food. They ate what was grown nearby, according to the seasons of the year. Back then, even in much of California, it would have been unheard of to have asparagus in February or peaches in November, but with the advent of the industrial revolution, we began to stray from our agricultural heritage, and turned to a much more energy-intensive—and environmentally hazardous—method of food production. Instead of small, diverse farms peppering the landscape, the majority of our food is now grown on mega-farms and shipped hundreds of miles to consumers.

There are great rewards to rediscovering seasonal eating from local sources. It's not easy at first... we've strayed so far from our agricultural roots that we have lost the knowledge of what's in season when. How can anyone be expected to know that cucumbers are a summer food when supermarkets everywhere offer mountains of cucumbers 365 days a year?

But eating locally and eating seasonally offers an ever-changing and colorful diet. And by spending a little bit of time to source out local, seasonal ingredients, each meal becomes more special: You support local growers, your dollars stay in the community, you eat fresher food from less mysterious sources, and you help to preserve the planet for future generations. And, like anything new, it gets easier the more you do it.

Simply in Season
by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert (Herald Press, 2005)

This cookbook is a great resource that makes eating seasonally simple and easy. The cookbook offers a "Fruit and Vegetable Guide," with seasonal availability, tips on what to look for and more. Color-coded and organized by season, it begins with Spring, and ends with recipes for All Seasons. Each season's recipes are organized by type (salad, main dish, etc.), and each chapter ends with sample menus and "Invitations to Action" (little lifestyle changes you can make to improve life both locally and globally). These include visiting the farmers market, converting some of your lawn to garden space, preserving food, and seeking out fair trade products. Nearly every page has a tip, quote or statistic about the food system in North America or how to treat the earth respectfully.

The recipes are easy to follow, and there is a fair balance of meat and vegetarian dishes. Each chapter also has recipes for "extras" like jams and chutneys, pesto, pizza sauce, yogurt, granola and hummus. These are the kinds of things that make wonderful gifts and can save a smart cook a lot of money. It's not a militant local foods cookbook, nor should it be. The emphasis is on reclaiming our seasonal traditions: fresh tomatoes in the summer, canned in the winter; peas and spinach in spring, winter squash and root vegetables in autumn and winter.

Simply in Season Children's Cookbook
by Mark Beach and Julie Kauffman (Herald Press, 2006)

This cookbook is a fabulous companion to the grown-up guide, and also stands well on its own. Authors Mark Beach and Julie Kauffman offer well-written recipes created for kids six and up, with easy-to-follow instructions and brilliantly colored photographs, plus an abundance of fun facts related to the recipes. For instance, on the page for "Strawberry Dream Cream," an ice cream-like dessert without the ice cream maker, kids will learn "strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside." The book is a fun and enriching invitation for kids to play with their food, as long as their hands are clean.