Seasonal shopping in December. There are three weeks left before winter enters the scene, and nature continues to give us warm colors and flavors rich in vitamins and minerals.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousSeasonal shopping in December. There are still three weeks to go before the grand arrival of winter, but this does not mean that we can no longer find fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables, on the contrary nature continues to give us warm colors and flavors rich in vitamins and minerals. So let's see specifically with which fruit and vegetables we can fill our plate, and cheer up the evenings of this month of December.
Index
Vegetable
Beetroot
Plant with multiple nutritional properties, the beet, unfortunately, however, it is not particularly appreciated in our peninsula, unlike other countries, such as France and Germany, which are moreover the major producers. In addition to being rich in sugars, minerals and vitamins, beetroot has dietary properties, facilitates the elimination of toxins from the body, is purifying, restorative, favors the digestion and strengthens the gastric mucosa, stimulates the production of red blood cells, thereby treating anemia. To be eaten fresh in salads or cooked in soft and tasty soups, this plant with a little imagination could be the key, secret ingredient of delicious and particularly nutritious recipes.
And if you've never tried it, you will be pleasantly surprised by the fresh taste of beet juice, especially if enriched with orange or apple juice.
Broccoli and cabbage
With a bright green color, so beautiful to look at but also so good to taste, broccoli, together with cabbage, belongs to the cruciferous family. Better if steam cooked, this totally edible vegetable, is a very rich source of Vitamin C and mineral salts, in particular iron. With its antioxidant properties, it should be consumed regularly, especially in this period, as it is excellent remedy to prevent any type of tumor and particularly effective in treating the thyroid gland.
READ also: Cabbage: the most nutritious vegetable in the world. Here because
Chicory
Harvested fresh, washed and cleaned, fried in a pan with a little garlic, chicory is one of the delights that the winter countryside offers us, and which should not be missing on a "green" table. Purifying, detoxifying, diuretic and even slightly laxative, chicory protects the liver, improving its functions.
For a fast and low-cost recipe (ingredients for 4 people)
- 300g of chicory (washed and cleaned);
- 400g of wholemeal fusilli;
- 1 clove of garlic;
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil;
- salt;
- pecorino;
Cut the chicory into thin strips. Let it blanch for about ten minutes. In the meantime, fry the garlic in the oil in a pan, add a little salt and pour the chicory. Cook over medium heat for five minutes to allow it to flavor. Cook the pasta and once drained pour it into the pan with the chicory. Brown lightly. Serve with a sprinkling of pecorino cheese and a drizzle of raw oil.
And again in your vegetable basket for this month you could put:
- carrots
- thistles
- Brussels sprouts
- cauliflower
- artichokes
- celery
- celeriac
- radishes
- beans
- mushrooms
- pumpkin
- chicory
- endive
- leeks
- jerusalem artichokes
- fennel
- spinach
Fruit
oranges
It is surprising that this sunny-looking fruit actually expresses itself at its best, precisely during the darkest season of the year. In addition to being the main ingredient, or even better exclusive, of sweet and nutritious fruit juices, orange can be used in an unlimited number of recipes: sauces, condiments and above all fabulous desserts, which when embellished with chocolate give surprising tastes.
Imported by the Romans directly from China to Europe, where this fruit was used more than for its food qualities, for its scent, today it is one of the most important crops in our country, especially in the South.
Thanks to 'high Vitamin C content the orange has anti-anemic properties, as it is able to promote the absorption of iron, useful for the formation of red blood cells.
Tangerine
Belonging to the Rutaceae (citrus) family together with cedar and grapefruit, mandarin is actually the only sweet fruit among the three. With its sugary and juicy pulp, usually eaten fresh, the mandarin can however also be appreciated eaten in the form of soft jam or even candied. Its beneficial properties are innumerable to say the least, and like the orange, a good feast should be made of it, in the winter months, to give strength to our immune defenses, severely affected especially in this period. In addition to Vitamin C, A and B, mandarin has a remarkable content of fiber, mineral salts and folic acid. According to recent studies, it appears that this fruit also has anticancer properties as well as those of protecting the heart.
And after having peeled and eaten a lot, try to prepare a fragrant decoction of mandarin to deodorize the air at home, and to relax your nervous system with its pleasant aroma.
READ also: Dehydrated tangerine peel: how to prepare it, the benefits and the many uses
Throughout the month of December we can still find
- pears
- Kiwi
- lemons
- pomegranate
- khaki
- chestnuts
- apples
- Quince
- dried fruit
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Month of December: sowing, harvesting and work in the garden
