FRUIT AND VEGETABLES IN SEASON IN DECEMBER

For those who enjoy produce in season, who want to respect its consumption, who like to promote the importance of not having a product available all year long because they prefer to look forward to it first and then say goodbye to it afterwards, December is the ideal month.
Not bending nature to our own convenience, in fact, allows us to look back at old photographs where, under the Christmas tree, children found fragrant mandarin oranges as gifts and what stood out in the fruit bowl was a lovely pomegranate, open perhaps and showing off its ruby-red seeds.
And too, persimmons, grapefruit, oranges, pears: so much fruit that December can offer us! Between the sweet and the acidic tastes, the table is a delight for the eye and the palate.
While fruit warms us up with its touches and shades of orange, the many fresh and cooked vegetables available are good for our health. Leeks, broccoli, fennel, cabbage, chard, spinach, artichokes: a riot of green and white takes over our kitchen at lunch and dinner with produce ready to be washed, chopped, transformed into great side dishes or steaming-hot soups. And if we add legumes such as beans, chick peas, spelt, pearl barley, then our energy input is guaranteed.
Of course, this is the most difficult time of year for slight illnesses related to the cold and the bad weather. Food is the ideal medicine, like gentle and natural treatments, not only to prevent seasonal illnesses but also to help us face winter with an iron constitution.
And so, in December we can really indulge in tasty and nutritious dishes to warm our bodies and our table.