Eat the Season – Fried Goat Cheese with Beets, Apples, and Toasted Walnuts

It may seem obvious, but we should eat the season. In other words, we should eat fruits and vegetables that are in season locally rather than eating produce that has travelled from halfway around the world or all the way across the country. Our food will taste better, and it will be far more environmentally friendly.

Fruits and vegetables have much more flavor when they are harvested when ripe; but those that are picked at their peak usually cannot travel long distances. Many varieties are selected by farmers for ease of transport rather than taste. Think supermarket tomatoes. They were not bred for their incredible tomato flavor, but to make it to market looking pretty, without a blemish. Same with strawberries. The sugars in summer sweet corn develop while still on the stalk, and corn that has travelled will never be as sweet; the sugars begin to convert to starch the second it is harvested. By the time it gets to you, your corn on the cob will be a bland mushy mess. Local, in-season corn, strawberries, tomatoes, and other produce will always be fresher and taste better.

The transport of food is a huge contributor to our environmental footprint. In a 2022 study, scientists estimated that 19% of food-related greenhouse gas emissions are from transport, especially in more affluent countries. And it’s not only emissions related to moving fresh produce (and meat) from place to place, but also from fuel needed for refrigeration that is necessary to keep food fresh. Eating produce that’s not in season locally means it had to come from somewhere on the planet where it is in season, thus greater transport distances and increased environmental impact. As a result, eating locally grown food – eating the season – is one important tool among many in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

If we eat the season, then we may not always get to eat exactly what we want, when we want it. Caprese salad with aromatic tomatoes is a late summer dish, while butternut squash ravioli should be reserved for fall. Asparagus and peas are available in spring, while we should skip cucumbers, zucchini, and corn in the dead of winter. Lettuce is a cool weather crop, at its peak in the spring and fall, while cabbage, kale, and other brassicas are best as fall leads to winter.

Of course, there are ways of prolonging the in-season harvest so that it can be consumed at other times of the year. I store garlic, carrots, cabbage, beets, and winter squash for several months after harvest to enjoy throughout the winter, and pickling, dehydrating, freezing, or otherwise preserving extends the season even more. In addition, preservation of produce may add diversity of flavor to off season meals.

Now none of us are perfect. In late winter when we are sick of root vegetables, we will all eat some out of season produce from the supermarket that has travelled great distances, and some fruits – citrus and mango, for example – may not grow at all where we live and therefore must travel, even though there is a seasonality to their availability. But if we do our best to eat the season, we will be more satisfied when we dine and we will be doing our small piece to reduce our environmental impact. Every little bit helps.

So, what can you do? If you grow a garden, eating the season becomes second nature. But that’s not realistic for everyone. However, there are other things you can do. I have friends who post a card on their refrigerator, right next to their shopping list, that identifies locally grown produce availability by month. It is a simple but constant reminder of what to buy – and what not to buy – each season where they live. Another good way to know what is in season locally is to pay attention to your local farmer’s market and some (but not all) farm stands. Stalls at the farmer’s market only sell what’s being harvested at the time. And check at the supermarket. While most of their produce may be shipped from California, Florida, or other locations around the country and world, many now make a habit of selling some locally farmed items and posting the location of their source.

No matter how you slice it for the best quality and to reduce your environmental impact, eat the season.

Fried Goat Cheese with Beets, Apples, and Toasted Walnuts

This is the perfect autumn appetizer, which we sampled on a recent trip to Scotland. Fall apples are fresh and crisp, and beets are at their sweetest as leaves change color on the trees. And goat cheese naturally pairs with toasted walnuts and a drizzle of honey. While breading and frying the goat cheese falls into the not strictly necessary category – it would be delicious here simply crumbled – frying it until warm and crunchy adds a flare to the dish.

Serves 4, about 1¼ hours, mostly unattended

½ lb. small or baby beets

½ cup raw walnuts

1 crisp sweet and tart fall apple

8 oz. goat cheese

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

1 Tbsp. milk

¼ cup breadcrumbs

oil for frying

¼ tsp. kosher salt

2 Tbsp. honey or to taste

1. Roast the beets. Preheat oven to 350 ^oF. Seal washed and trimmed, but unpeeled beets in aluminum foil. Cook in oven for about 1 hour, depending on size, until a knife easily pierces them. Remove from oven, unseal, and allow to cool until able to handle. Using a paper towel to rub off skins, peel beets and cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. While beets are roasting, place walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until lightly brown, stirring once or twice, about 7 to 10 minutes, checking frequently. Set aside to cool.
3. Shortly before serving (so it does not brown) slice the apple into thin wedges or bite-size pieces.
4. Cut logs of goat cheese into ½-inch thick coins. Dredge in flour and shake off excess. Beat the egg and milk together in a small bowl. Dip goat cheese in egg mixture and allow excess to drip off. Dredge in breadcrumbs. Set aside until ready to fry.
5. Heat ¼-inch of oil in a skillet or heavy bottom saucepan on high until a few breadcrumbs immediately sizzle. Carefully add breaded goat cheese coins, frying until golden brown on one side. Flip coins using a spider or slotted spoon and cook until golden. Remove to a paper towel-covered plate and immediately sprinkle with kosher salt. Fry in batches if necessary.
6. Stack the goat cheese coins neatly in the center of four plates. Surround by roasted beets and sliced apples, and evenly distribute toasted walnuts on top. Drizzle with honey and serve.

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