Although I support the movement to ‘buy locally produced foods as much as possible‘ and to ‘eat according to what’s in season’, I think British chef Gordon Ramsay’s suggestion (as reported on The Daily Telegraph’s website) to fine chefs who use out-of-season, not locally produced fruits and vegetables in their restaurants is rather extreme. In fact, the idea is as outrageous as Ramsay himself. According to the article, he’d be among the chefs who would have to pay up as apparently he doesn’t always practice what he preaches.

Educating chefs, culinary students and the general public about the environmental and economic benefits of eating what is seasonally available, not to mention promoting the generally superior quality, freshness and taste of locally produced food, would be a more civilized and sensible way to encourage buy-in of this concept.

I suspect Ramsay’s idea was just Gordon Ramsay being Gordon Ramsay! Bold, brash and controversial.

Asparagus and rhubarb are two spring crops just coming into season here in southern Ontario. If you’d like to know what other produce is seasonally available right now, visit Foodland Ontario’s website.