This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of California Restaurant Month for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
As many of you know, I’m a true California girl at heart. My parents moved here when I was just a few months old, and I could not possibly imagine calling anywhere else home! Part of this is definitely due to the fantastic food and great selection of seasonal fruits and veggies the state has to offer. My heart swoons over plump, juicy oranges and goes haywire over the fresh avocados that are constantly making appearances in my salads, on top of my burgers, and even in some of my desserts to add in that extra delicious creaminess! And that’s just the fruit side of things. We can’t forget spicy and flavorful arugala or those gorgeous golden and blood red beets. Both come together in the most delicious of salads that quickly became a family favorite and has my meat-loving dad eating likes it’s his last meal!
Eating seasonally not only makes for a great meal, but also provides health end environmental benefits. Since fruits and veggies are picked when they’re in their prime ripeness, they have higher nutritional value in things such as their vitamin and antioxidant content. Along with that, when you buy seasonally, your food doesn’t have to travel as long of a distance to reach your plate- meaning less fuel used in transportation and less pollution in our environment.
Spending my Sundays perusing the local Farmer’s Market is one of my favorite ways to relax, support my local farmers, and get inspiration for the fantastic recipes I can create for my blog!
Want to join in all the delicious eats California has to offer? Why not take a trip over to enjoy some of the month-long restaurant specials! Visit California and California Restaurant Month will give away five OpenTable gift cards, each valued at $100. Enter the “Dine On Us In CA Contest” to have the chance to win!
See the Participating Destinations!
Need more info on the seasonal fruits and veggies of January in California? Here’s a quick list!
Fruits:
Avocados
Citrons
Grapefruit
Lemons
Limes
Mandarins
Olives
Oranges
Vegetables:
Arugala
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Fennel
Garlic
Herbs
Kale
Mushrooms
Onions
Parsnips
Radishes
Spinach
Turnips
This salad is incredible beautiful and I fully support the cause. I’m a huge proponent of eating locally and seasonally. So much so, I try to live off my CSA spoils in the winter just as much as the summer. Granted, I’m no longer getting greens in Ohio, but I do have all sorts of squashes, and I froze a ton of fruit and veggies in their prime (think strawberries, zucchini, peppers and the like).
Mmm, all those fresh carrots look beautiful and delicious! I love checking out the farmer’s market. My running buddies and I sometimes run there on a Saturday morning, browse the market, and then run back. Great post, Christine!
Can I just have all of those carrots NOW?! Let’s just say I like carrots. And I always try to eat as seasonally as I can, mostly to save money. But fruits and veggies just taste better when they’re eaten while in season. Supporting the local farmer’s markets is a big hobby of mine!
Thanks for sharing! One of my goals for 2015 is to shop more locally and therefore in season… I do hit up farmer’s markets in the summer but I’m pretty inconsistent with it. Plus we do have a great winter market in Vancouver I’ve never taken advantage of. Thanks!
I always try and eat seasonally and locally, which is made super easy when I get to do my groceries at the local farmers market. That way I know the food has been picked recently and hasn’t traveled miles and miles to get to my plate, so it retains more nutrients than if it had been flown for days and stored in a warehouse!
{Teffy’s Perks} X