The Sweet Taste of Summer
The summertime bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables has arrived! We dare you to find something more fulfilling than eating fresh veggies off the grill or a salad topped with local tomatoes or juicy strawberries. If you’re not up for growing your own food, several local markets offer fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and meat – much of which comes from local and regional growers.
Here’s a roundup of some local farmers markets:
– Saturdays: Downtown Charleston at Marion Square from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
– Saturdays: Summerville next to Town Hall from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
– Saturdays: Towne Centre in Mount Pleasant from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
– Sundays: James Island at 2113 Medway Road from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. through July.
– Mondays: Freshfields Village on Johns Island from 4-8 p.m. through Aug. 26.
– Tuesdays: Mount Pleasant at Simmons & Coleman streets from 3:30 p.m. to dusk.
– Thursdays: Daniel Island at the Family Circle Tennis Center from 4-7 p.m.
Another aspect of shopping locally for food is understanding what’s in season and what’s available in our area. Most of us are in the habit of buying bananas year-round or finding berries in the off season but truly eating local means eating in season.
So, here’s what’s in season in South Carolina over the summer.
June: Beans, beets, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupes, cucumbers, eggplant, green onions, kale, peaches, peas, peppers, potatoes, radishes, yellow squash, spinach, strawberries, sweet corn, tomatoes, watermelon and zucchini.
July: Beans, beets, blackberries, broccoli, butter beans, cantaloupes, cilantro, eggplant, mixed leafy greens, okra, peaches, peas, peppers, radishes, yellow squash, sweet corn, tomatoes, watermelon and zucchini.
August: Beans, beets, butter beans, cantaloupes, cilantro, eggplant, mixed leafy greens, okra, peaches, peas, peppers, yellow squash, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, watermelon and zucchini.
For more resources, check out Lowcountry Local First’s Eat Local page for information on growing your own food and local farm resources.