June in Utah: What is Seasonal Food?
We welcome back farmer's market season by explaining what Utah's seasonal foods are. Plus, a handy calendar of events for the month!
It’s June, and the farmers markets are making their return, and so are all the seasonal fruits, veg, and products that locals make with them. But what is seasonal food? We can get all sorts of fresh produce at the grocery store any time of the year, from tomatoes to peaches to asparagus. But maybe you’ve noticed that even supermarket fruit and veg in the summer hits different than what you can buy in the winter—that’s because every fruit and vegetable grows at a specific time of year, and when they’re harvested when ripe, they’re at their peak of freshness, flavor, and nutrient content. Having year round supermarket access to produce grown in and shipped from warmer places has interrupted our knowledge of what food grows where and when. And while Utah has lost its footing when it comes to self-sufficiently produced food in recent decades (we produce just 2% of our own vegetables, 3% fruit), there are still plenty of farmers growing Utah’s special foods in Utah soil.
So let’s look at what’s growing right now, right here, and what you can look forward to seeing at whatever farmer’s market you go to, or in whatever CSA you subscribe to … or in whatever extras your neighbor is going to start handing over the fence.
With May wrapping up, you may still be able to find:
Asparagus
This spring delicacy also grows wild in Utah, preferring full sun around agricultural fields and ditches.
Mint
Mint is abundant! This plant grows like crazy (it is kind of a weed, though a useful one) and if you snoop around in any mangy backyard (hello apartment people with landlords who haven’t been to the building in years), there’s a good chance you’ll find a crop of peppermint or spearmint. Mint will grow into the summer, so look for it throughout the season in your yard or at the market.
Radishes
Pretty as a radish is (and a radish quick pickle), their prickly leaves can be eaten too. If you like collards, chard, or cooked kale, think of radish (and beet and turnip) greens as a culinary cousin of these, and put the greens in sandwiches, breakfast bowls, or soups.
Rhubarb
This weird veg (the leaves are poisonous) is known for being used in pie, but you can also make pickles, jam, simple syrups, scones, or other baked goods out of rhubarb stems.
Spinach, lettuces, lots of leafy salad greens
The delicate greens are funnily enough some of the first things you can get your hands on during the early growing season. Lately I’ve been chomping on tiny purplish kale leaves and vaguely spicy mustard greens from Top Crops’ online store.
Peas
Sweet and tender flavor babies with a typically short season, get these while you can!
Okay, and here’s what you can expect in June:
Basil
This aromatic fav favors warm soil, so now that the temps are rising, it can be found all summer long.
Berries!
We’re talking raspberries, blackberries, strawberries! No need to buy the plastic cartons from the grocery store this month.
Cherries
The first of Utah’s delicious stone fruits to start bearing, cherries are also one of Utah’s top crops—we are the second largest producer of tart cherries in the country! If you take a stroll through hilly areas like the Avenues in SLC, you can spot cherry trees everywhere.
Beets
As mentioned above, did you know you can eat the greens of beets as well as the earthy bulb itself? Or, go beyond just roasting for dinner and make them into kraut? (I just tried this, it’s a game changer if you love vibrant fermented veggies)
Broccoli
This crop doesn’t like to grow in the warmer weather, so expect it now during spring and early summer, and also perhaps in late summer as the temperatures begin to drop.
This is not an exhaustive list of all the seasonal foods popping up now in Utah—there are too many leafy green varieties in one of my friend’s CSA bundles alone to list here productively. But we hope this gives you an idea of what is springing from the ground right now in our funky Utah climate, and some ideas on how to start eating with the seasons in mind if you don’t already!
Some sautéed radish greens from a bunch of radishes donated from a friend’s abundant Stagl Farms’ CSA.
Events coming up in June:
Saturday, June 4
Downtown Salt Lake City Farmer’s Market returns to Pioneer Park
If you’re a reader here in Salt Lake, you probably already know that this weekend the buzzy downtown farmer’s market returns for the summer. We recommend getting down to Pioneer Park as early as you can because parking is truly wild—though these first early weeks should be a little more chill. Find more info on what vendors to expect here.
Backyard Composting with Wasatch Community Gardens
Learn to make your own “black gold” out of your food scraps, and grow more food with the resulting compost. Find info and register here.
Vermicomposting with Red Wigglers with Wasatch Community Gardens
Learn a more… wiggly method for handling your food waste, especially suitable if you don’t have room for outdoor compost. Find info and register here.
Sunday, June 5
Earth Skills with Mobile Moon Co-Op
Our Food Skills workshops get a twist thanks to Mobile Moon Co-Op, who specialize in getting back to the earth in too many ways to count—apothecarists and educators, they’re inviting folks to come out to their Moonstead (an amazing herb farm and community space) to learn about building an earthen pizza oven… by building it with them! The workshop is free at the Moonstead on 2551 S. Hempstead St. in Salt Lake City. Sign up here.
Thursday, June 9
Films on Food at Farms with Slow Food Utah and Wasatch Community Gardens
Don’t miss your chance to enjoy a summer movie in the calm of a garden, and come to this free screening of Follow the Drinking Gourd, courtesy of Utah Film Center. Film starts at 7:30 p.m., and you can either bring your own snacks or order food from the Spice Kitchen. Chairs are encouraged over blankets since they take up less space in the garden rows. The event caps at 60, so register here soon if you’re interested!
Thursday, June 16
Liberty Park Market returns
If you want to avoid the crowds and the daytime heat of the Saturday Market, try out the Liberty Park farmer’s market that goes on from 4 p.m. to dusk Thursday evenings. Find info here.
Saturday, June 18
Tomato Caging and Trellising with Wasatch Community Gardens
Struggle with wiley tomato plants no more! Attend this in-person class from WCG and learn all about installing cages and other methods to keep your tomatoes growing upright and fruitfully. Find info and register here.
Thursday, June 23
Local Food Advisory Council Meeting
Learn about what’s going on with local food by sitting in on the next food advisory council meeting. They are open to the public and to hearing locals’ thoughts and ideas about food issues in our community. A virtual option will be available too, and you can find more info on attending here.
A few more things
Outdoor yoga enthusiasts should sign up to Stagl Organics mailing list to get info on their Saturday garden yoga sessions—and a look around at an awesome local farm.
While we just linked to some SLC-centric first market dates, there’s also this handy guide to finding farmers markets around the state if you’re reading from somewhere outside Salt Lake (we hope so!)
We hope you enjoyed this newsletter and that you found it informational! Did we miss anything? Do you want to help us out? Do you have ideas about questions we should answer, issues we should cover, or other aspects of the food world that deserve to be talked about? Shoot us an email at utahfoodcoalition@gmail.com, or follow us on Instagram at @utahfoodcoalition.