Nourishment

A Year of Eating Seasonally: Meal Ideas for Using Lots of Produce

The steady stream of harvest last year changed the way I thought about cooking and eating seasonally. I became much more creative with the way I incorporated vegetables from meal to meal, and this made me a better cook, and a healthier person overall.

A Year of Eating Seasonally: Meal Ideas for Using Lots of Produce

2025 was the year I became a "true" gardener - from Spring to Winter I tended beds, pulled weeds, harvested the literal fruits of my labor and managed to actually cook and eat a large portion of the produce I grew in my own backyard. It was the first year I came back into true awareness that all things are cyclical, seasonal, in a constant cycle of growth and decay. You can forget about seasons when everything is artificially available all year round. In previous years i've tried gardening and I had had some small success; but a garden requires tending and it mustn't be left alone too long, else nature will assume you're done, and it will come and claim the space back. A garden requires awareness - not constant oversight, but steady and determined commitment. There were times it felt overwhelming, and I almost grew bitter towards the abundance (of weeds, that is) - but it gave me a deep understanding of myself and of the world.

That may sound grandiose, and I suppose it is. This blog post was mainly to share some simple recipe ideas from last year, but a bit of reflection does the body and mind good, and so I shall continue. I was very grateful for the garden, and there were times I was handed more abundance than I knew what to do with. We gave away quite a lot of produce to friends and neighbors, and some to the compost bin, but the steady stream of harvest changed the way I thought about cooking and eating seasonally. I became much more creative with the way I incorporated vegetables from meal to meal, and this made me a better cook, and a healthier person overall. I became more interested in my local community and what the chefs and cooks around me were doing - reading menus and taking ideas from my favorite restaurants also became a field rich with harvest. I'm very much looking forward to stretching myself further this year, growing more interesting varieties of vegetables not available in your average grocery stores, and incorporating them into meals in more creative ways, that honor the labor and the magic involved in cultivating food. Hopefully some of these recipes will provide the seed of some inspiration for incorporating more seasonal vegetables into your own meal plan. When in doubt, just chop some vegetables and throw them into your eggs for breakfast, or into some rice or another grain for lunch or dinner. At the end of summer last year, I was having scrambled eggs with tomatoes for breakfast, tomato sandwiches for lunch, and tomato rice for dinner. Oddly enough, I miss it.

Spring

Cucumbers, Green Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Kale, Arugula

Gochujang Honey Wings with Kimchi, Rice, and Cucumber
Korean Beef with Cucumber, Carrot, and Cabbage Sautéed with Onion and Bell Pepper

Chicken Teriyaki with with Green Beans and Broccoli (Left) and Sautéed Cabbage, Onion, and Bell Pepper (Right)

Sun-dried Tomato and Chicken Flatbread with Arugula Salad
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken with Carrot, Cucumber, Cabbage, Cilantro, and Mint on Rice Noodles
Honey Chicken with Tomato Rice and Sautéed Snow Peas, Shishitos, and Broccoli

Venison Larb with Dragon's Egg Cucumber, Cabbage, Carrot, and Herbs (Left) and Chicken Larb Lettuce Wraps (Right)

Dinosaur Kale Chicken Caesar Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing
Lazy Tiger Steak with Cabbage and Dragon's Egg Cucumber

Summer

Spaghetti Squash, Tomatoes, Tomatillos, Peppers, Beans, Corn, Zucchini

Thai Basil Ground Chicken with Peppers and Green Beans
Green Goddess Salad with Rotisserie Chicken, Corn, Tomatoes, Avocado and Garden Lettuce
Greek Lemon Chicken with Couscous, Yogurt, and Cucumbers & Tomatoes
Pozole Verde with Tomatillos, Jalapeño, Cabbage, Red Onion, Cilantro & Lime
Peruvian Chicken with Mixed Rice, Black Beans, and Green Sauce made with Greek Yogurt, Jalapeños, Lime, & Cilantro
Yakitori Chicken Skewers with Shishito Peppers, Edamame, and Japanese Sweet Potato
Steak Tacos with Corn Tortillas, Onion, Cilantro, Jalapeños and Lime

Turkey Burger with Fingerling Potatoes, Shishitos, Tomatoes, Pickles (Left) and Caramelized Onions, Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Corn (Right)

Million Dollar Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella & Parsley
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken with Avocado, Lettuce, Tomato, and Biquino Peppers
Pizza Bagels with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, and Basil
Brown Sugar & Herb Grilled Chicken with End of Summer Succotash

Fall

Tomatoes, Mixed Greens, Potatoes, Peppers, Broccoli

Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti Squash and Homemade Tomato Sauce, and Salad
Trout Matacumbe with Tomatoes, Basil, Shallot, Capers and Mixed Rice
Yakitori Steak with Sautéed Mushrooms, Swiss Card, and Japanese Sweet Potato
Ground Pork Stir-fry with Broccoli, Carrots, Bell Pepper, Swiss Chard, and Onion
Italian Chicken Sausage sautéed with Tomatoes, and Mixed Greens and Heirloom Tomato Salad
Green Goddess Salad with Steak, Corn, Heirloom Tomatoes, Mixed Greens, and Microgreens
Seared Pork Tenderloin with Baked Potato and Salad

Thanks for reading :*

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