Are you looking to shop local? One category I thought would be a challenge this time of year for us in Ontario is to focus on regionally grown produce. So I consulted the availability guide on the Foodland Ontario site to discover what’s seasonal.
I learned this month’s crop includes beets, cabbage, parsnips and rhubarb. But there’s a bounty of year-round options, too: apples, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, rutabaga, and from the greenhouse, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and strawberries. Speaking of bounty, there's a trove of recipes on the Foodland Ontario site too!
Here are 10 ideas using fresh and seasonal Ontario produce that not only taste great but look beautiful on your table in a handmade serving bowl. Now that’s shopping local!
10 ideas for using April's seasonal produce
- Roasted red pepper and mushroom tapenade
- Spinach strawberry salad with sliced almonds and poppyseed dressing
- Cherry tomato and mini-cuke salad with feta chunks and oregano dressing
- Potato, cucumber and dill salad
- Warm roasted sweet potato salad
- Maple roasted carrots
- Roasted mini potatoes with rosemary and olive oil
- Strawberry quinoa salad
- Mixed salad greens with roasted beets, fresh apple chunks and chevre slices
- Or check out my recipe for rhubarb sauce and pairing suggestions.
Photo of Shop Local sign by Sarah Pflug.