I love to cook with the seasons. I've really put in the effort to do so years ago and now it's a normal part of life. For us, living up north where we get months of subzero snow, the seasons are very pronounced. That obvious change outside is just as noticeable in the kitchen too.
The late fall and winter months feature a lot of root vegetables, winter squash and dense bread. Spring shows fresh greens, dandelion and nettles, early vegetables like radishes and peas. Summer and leading up until late fall the garden is in full swing and the variety of fresh vegetables and herbs really makes cooking exciting.
Meat is a year round staple in all of our meals. We do most of our butchering late in the fall when the air is cool and the flies are gone. Poultry and beef. Then deer hunting begins, with any luck we are able to add venison to the table too. Our pork comes from a farm just down the road a few times a year.
Eggs and dairy are produced year round on our farm too. We have a coop full of hens and Ms. Ingrid, the milk cow. There are also a few dairy goats that the children will start to milk this spring.
I don't use much for sugar in the house. Honey from our hives or maple sugar from the neighbors is used in moderation.
I put a lot time and thought into the ingredients that go on our plate, I put little, to no time into measuring said ingredients. You may notice that as you look at the recipes I share. It's not to upset those that insist of exact measurements, its because that's how I learned to cook. I can easily adjust what I'm making if we have an unexpected dinner guest or if I want leftovers to serve the next day.
As you make any of these recipes, just take it slow, taste as you go and listen for the call of your ancestors and measure with your heart.