Sometimes, you get a fruit or vegetable and are not sure what to do with it. Don’t worry, you’re not alone! This guide will help you learn which fruits and veggies grow in each season and show you simple ways to use them, some of which you might see at Loudoun Hunger Relief. We’ll share easy tips, fun facts, and quick recipes to help you turn fresh produce into tasty meals for you and your family.
SPRING/SUMMER
Spring and Summer produce usually starts showing up in March and lasts through August. These fruits and vegetables are fresh, colorful, full of flavor, and are great for light meals like salads, stir-fries, or snacks. This is the best time to enjoy things like berries, tomatoes, cucumbers, and leafy greens.
Vegetables
Arugula
Arugula is a leafy green with a strong, peppery taste. It’s great in salads, on sandwiches, or added to pasta and pizza for extra flavor.
Asparagus
Asparagus is a green vegetable that grows like a tall, thin stalk. It has a mild, slightly earthy taste and is tasty when roasted, steamed, or added to stir-fries and pasta.
Beets
Beets are round root vegetables that come in red, golden, or striped colors. They have a sweet, earthy flavor and can be roasted, boiled, or shredded raw into salads.
Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are colorful vegetables that come in green, red, yellow, and orange. They have a sweet, mild flavor and are great raw in salads, cooked in stir-fries, or stuffed and baked.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a green vegetable with a tree-like shape and a slightly bitter, fresh taste. It’s delicious steamed, roasted, or added to casseroles, pasta, and stir-fries.
Cabbage
Cabbage is a round, leafy vegetable that can be green, red, or purple. It has a mild, slightly sweet taste and works well raw in coleslaw, cooked in soups, or sautéed as a side dish.
Carrots
Carrots are crunchy root vegetables that are usually orange but can also be purple, yellow, or white. They have a sweet, mild flavor and are great raw as a snack, roasted, or added to soups and stews.
Collard Greens
Collard greens are large, dark green leaves with a slightly bitter, earthy taste. They’re often cooked low and slow, usually with broth or a bit of meat, and make a hearty side dish.
Corn
Corn is a sweet, yellow vegetable that grows on a cob. It can be eaten off the cob, added to salads, soups, or casseroles, or cooked into dishes like cornbread and fritters.
Eggplants
Eggplant is a purple vegetable with a mild, slightly bitter taste. It absorbs flavors well and is perfect when grilled, roasted, or used in dishes like eggplant parmesan or stir-fries.
Kale
Kale is a dark green, leafy vegetable with a slightly bitter and earthy taste. It’s great in salads, smoothies, or sautéed as a side dish, and can also be baked into crispy kale chips.
Mustard Greens
Mustard greens are leafy vegetables with a spicy, peppery flavor. They’re delicious when cooked in soups, stews, or sautéed with garlic and olive oil for a flavorful side dish.
Okra
Okra is a green vegetable with a slightly sticky texture and a mild, grassy flavor. It’s often fried, added to gumbo, or used in stir-fries and stews.
Potatoes
Potatoes are starchy root vegetables that come in many varieties, including white, red, and sweet potatoes. They have a mild, earthy flavor and can be baked, mashed, roasted, or fried for a variety of tasty dishes.
Radishes
Radishes are small, round vegetables with a crunchy texture and a peppery, slightly spicy flavor. They’re great raw in salads, as a snack, or roasted for a milder taste.
Spinach
Spinach is a leafy green vegetable with a mild earthy flavor. It’s delicious fresh in salads, sautéed as a side dish, or added to soups, smoothies, and pasta dishes.
Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is a leafy green with thick, colorful stems and a slightly bitter, earthy flavor. It’s great sautéed, added to soups, or used in salads for a nutritious boost.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are juicy, red (or sometimes yellow or orange) fruits with a sweet, tangy flavor. They can be eaten fresh in salads, used in sauces, roasted, or added to soups and sandwiches.
Yellow Squash
Yellow squash is a mild-flavored, tender vegetable with a bright yellow skin. It’s delicious when sautéed, roasted, or added to casseroles and stir-fries.
Zucchini
Zucchini is a mild-flavored, green summer squash with soft, edible skin. It’s great when sautéed, grilled, baked into bread, or used in stir-fries and salads.
Fruits
Berries
Berries, including strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, are small, sweet, and tangy fruits. They’re perfect for eating fresh, adding to yogurt, mixing into smoothies, or baking into desserts like pies and muffins.
Peaches
Peaches are sweet, juicy fruits with soft, fuzzy skin that can be yellow or white. They’re great fresh, baked into pies, made into jams, or grilled for a delicious summer treat.
Plums
Plums are small, round fruits with smooth skin that can be red, purple, or yellow. They have a sweet, tart flavor and are great fresh, in jams, or added to baked goods like cobblers and tarts.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a tart, red stalk vegetable often used as a fruit in desserts. It’s great for making pies, jams, or compotes when combined with sugar to balance its tartness.
Melons
Melons, including watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew, are large, juicy fruits with sweet, refreshing flavors. They’re perfect for eating fresh, adding to fruit salads, or blending into smoothies.
FALL/WINTER
Fall and Winter produce grows from September through February. These fruits and vegetables are usually heartier and take a little longer to cook. They’re great for warm meals like soups, stews, and roasts. This is the best time to enjoy things like apples, sweet potatoes, squash, and cabbage.
VEGETABLES
Brussels Sprouts
Brussel sprouts are small, green, cabbage-like vegetables with a slightly bitter flavor. They’re great when roasted, sautéed, or steamed, often tossed with olive oil, garlic, or bacon for extra flavor.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is a mild-flavored, white vegetable with a dense, firm texture. It can be roasted, steamed, or mashed as a low-carb alternative to potatoes, and it’s also great in soups, stir-fries, or as a pizza crust base.
Parsnips
Parsnips are root vegetables with a creamy white color and a sweet, nutty flavor. They’re great when roasted, mashed, or added to soups and stews for a rich, earthy taste.
Rutabagas
Rutabagas are round root vegetables with a mild, slightly sweet, and earthy flavor. They add hearty flavor to any dish, roasted, mashed, or added with other vegetables.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are starchy root vegetables with a naturally sweet flavor and orange or purple skin. They’re delicious when baked, mashed, roasted, or used in pies, casseroles, and soups.
Turnips
Turnips are firm root vegetables with white or purple-and-white skin and a mildly peppery, earthy flavor. Both the root and leafy greens are edible and versatile in cooking.
Winter Squash
Winter squash, including varieties like butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squash, has a sweet, nutty flavor and a tough outer skin. It’s perfect for roasting, making soups, or stuffing, and can also be mashed or pureed for casseroles and pies.
FRUIT
Cranberries
Cranberries are small, bright red, tart berries that are often used in sauces, jams, and baked goods. They’re great fresh for making cranberry sauce, or dried for adding to salads, granola, or snacks.
Pears
Pears are sweet, juicy fruits with a smooth texture and a slightly grainy feel. They’re delicious fresh, baked into desserts like pies, or sliced into salads and cheese plates.
Pumpkins
Pumpkins are round, orange squash with a sweet, earthy flavor. They’re perfect for making soups, pies, or roasted dishes, and their seeds can be roasted for a crunchy snack.
