Why is it important to eat seasonally? – Cherry French dessert recipe

What does seasonal mean?

Every fruit and vegetable variety has specific needs for ideal growth and proper development. Because of this, different fruits and vegetables are grown and harvested in different locations and seasons throughout the year. For example, citrus fruits are climate-sensitive plants and grow better in places with hot, dry summers, such as Spain and Italy, while apples are less sensitive, so they can grow almost year-round in Hungary. The term seasonal has no precise definition – some consider seasonal a synonym for locally harvested food, others closely link it to cultural events, while a third group sees learning about the origin of food as the definition of seasonal. According to a globally accepted classification, we can distinguish two types of seasonal consumption: 1. Global seasonality: This refers to foods that are produced in a given season but are not necessarily consumed where they are harvested. For example, bananas grown and harvested in South America during summer, which are consumed in Hungary. 2. Local seasonality: Refers to foods that are harvested and consumed locally during the natural growing season. For example, Hungarian strawberries grown in spring, consumed by Hungarian people in spring. The heart and soul of local seasonality is local farmers' markets, pick-your-own movements, and goods labeled with the Hungarian Product mark.

Seasonal fruits and vegetables in June

In June, many delicious vegetables and fruits are in season, so we have countless options to choose from if we want to cook something tasty. Asparagus: these are the last moments to buy fresh asparagus, as we won't have the chance to get it fresh for the rest of the year. Rhubarb: rhubarb works great for pastries, compotes, or creamy soups. Cantaloupe: the Hungarian cantaloupe season starts earlier than watermelon, so we can already get fresh, sweet Hungarian cantaloupe in June. New potatoes: their season runs from May to July, so it's worth buying now and preparing them as a puree or even baked in their skin. Cherries and sour cherries: their season really starts from the second half of June and has become even more popular in recent years due to pick-your-own events. In many places around the country, you can pick your own cherries and sour cherries, which can also be a great family activity. We at Munch love cherries, and we even have partners where you can save them, so we've prepared a cherry recipe for you!

Cherry clafoutis

Clafoutis is a French dessert made from thick pancake batter and unpitted cherries. (isn't it great that you don't have to pit the cherries separately) According to the original recipe, the pit is particularly important, as during baking the pits flavor the batter with their aroma. The locals are so proud of their own recipe that they even managed to convince the French Academy that only desserts made from black, unpitted cherries can be called authentic clafoutis. Regardless, it is made all over the world, and not just with cherries.

Ingredients:

• 50 dkg cherries (so we don't have to pit them)
• 10 dkg sugar
• 125 grams flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 pinch of salt
• 3 dl milk
• 1 tablespoon butter

Wash and dry the cherries and remove the stems. Then sprinkle with 5 dkg sugar and let sit for at least half an hour. Meanwhile, sift the flour and mix with the sugar, salt, and beaten eggs. Then slowly add the milk. Butter a baking dish, pour in the cherries, and pour the thick pancake batter over them. Place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees and bake for 30-40 minutes.