June/July/August: Summer of 2019
Monday, June 3rd, 2019Summer isn’t here quite yet, but I usually put these three months together, since school lets out for the summer in June (earlier for colleges), the pools open on Memorial Day, right before June, and people start planning vacations.
Because I have been working for the last 9 months on editing Cherie Goren’s wonderful memoir, A Time to Keep, and we are going to see family from June 5th- June 14th, I will be taking a break from blogging/writing/editing and post-date recipes from previous blogs or have some petitions for your to read and hopefully sign.
I found a chart from GRID Magazine (Philadelphia-based) listing foods that are available in June locally that I will match with some of my recipes in my archives and re-post them, either before I go away or when I return. There will be some variations in availability in colder climates and warmer climates, but I think this list is fairly representational of a large part of the US.
Here are the foods for June from the chart:
Asparagus, Beans and Limas, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Collards, Corn, Cucumber, Lettuce, Peas, Potatoes, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnips.
Eating foods in season is ecological and economical, so I also put it in the Earth Day Every Day category for this posting. Additionally, I buy almost all my produce organically grown, using the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen that the Environmental Working Group posts on their website: www.ewg.org. Here is their latest list:
EWG’s 2019 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ (Complete Guide)
Full List of foods highest in pesticide residues. Buy these organically.
EWG’s 2019 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™
1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Kale
4. Nectarines
5. Apples
6. Grapes
7. Peaches
8. Cherries
9. Pears
10. Tomatoes
11. Celery
12. Potatoes
13. Sweet Bell Peppers
14. Cherry Tomatoes
15. Lettuce
16. Cucumbers
17. Blueberries
18. Hot Peppers
19. Plums
20. Green Beans
21. Tangerines
22. Raspberries
23. Grapefruit
24. Winter Squashes
25. Snap Peas
26. Carrots
27. Oranges
28. Summer Squashes*
29. Mangoes
30. Bananas
31. Sweet Potatoes
32. Watermelons
33. Honeydew Melons
34. Mushrooms
35. Broccoli
36. Cantaloupes
37. Cauliflower
38. Cabbages
39. Kiwis
40. Asparagus
41. Eggplants
42. Papayas*
43. Onion
44. Sweet Peas Frozen
45. Pineapples
46. Sweet Corn*
47. Avocados
* A small amount of sweet corn, papaya and summer squash sold in the United States is produced from genetically modified seeds. Buy organic varieties of these crops if you want to avoid genetically modified produce.
EWG helps protect your family from pesticides! Donate $10 today and EWG will send you our Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ wallet guide FREE to say thank you.