Now We're Cooking: Fall Fruit

This weekend, we know you’ll be in the kitchen. That’s why JET cooked up a way to spotlight celebrity chefs from around the country who will stop by and offer some practical advice to help you perfect your dishes and open your eyes to healthy ingredients. This week, Chef Cordell shares tips on what’s fresh this fall.

Football has kicked off, the children are back in school, “cuffing” season is around the corner, and “Blurred Lines” is sounding as overplayed and Marvin Gaye-ish as ever. Yes, dear friends, our beloved summer is coming to a close. As the seasons shift, so too does the quality, availability and price of fresh produce.

Honestly, not being able to get good quality fresh pineapple makes me sick to my stomach.Fruits and vegetables all have their peak seasons, and shopping within their cycle can help you receive the best quality product and the best price when compared to purchasing the same item outside of its peak season.

Sure, within a global economy we can access certain produce items year-round from around the world due to warmer climates and longer growing seasons. Conversely, getting it from far away not only affects the overall quality, as it may have to be harvested early to account for travel-time, but you also have no firm idea what the health standards and codes aare from where the food is coming. (Had any tilapia recently that came from any place other than China or the Philippines? THAT article is coming soon.)

But I digress:

As we wave goodbye to berries, melons, cherries, nectarines and peaches, Iet us gladly welcome turnips, apples, pumpkin, kale and a host of other fresh produce (listed below). During this autumn season, we will highlight a few of these in my Fall Fruit List, and provide accompanying recipes to get you (and your potential “cold weather” boo) going in the kitchen.

NOTE: As it varies from region to region, use this as a GENERAL GUIDE (local lists may be different).