Since the advent of refrigeration and air transport of foods across the globe, you can pretty much get any fruit or vegetable you desire any time of the year here in the US. However, there is a vast difference between commercially grown strawberries, plucked before they are actually ripe and shipped halfway around the world, and the first berry from your local farmers' market (or if you are exceptionally fortunate, from your own backyard). With few exceptions, this is true for most produce. There are certain foods I eagerly anticipate with each change of season, devouring as much as I can before the bounty runs out.

We are experiencing a polar vortex here at the moment, with daytime highs below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, so I'm dreaming of spring delights to get me through this cold snap. I usually throw some peas into the garden just before the spring thaw, anticipating the delicate flowers to be followed by thin pods that grow more plump with each passing day (much like me during the winter months). I have never grown enough peas to cook with because I can't stop myself from munching them right there in the garden. The dill patch that grows next to the peas is self-seeding, and the feathery fronds I gather in early spring while thinning the bed find their way into as many dishes I can think of. I am particularly fond of Sabrina Ghayour's Green chicken (pictured above), which uses an abundance of fresh herbs to brighten up a bland chicken breast.

As the days grow longer and hotter, most of my friends anticipate the first tomato of the summer but I look forward to cucumbers. They grow with astonishing speed, finger-sized one day and ready to eat the next. The flavor and crunch of freshly picked cucumbers are incomparable to that of their unnaturally flexible greenhouse-grown cousins. Plus, there are so many different varieties available, each with their own quirky attributes. I appreciate pickling cucumbers, with their bumpy skins and slightly curved shape. They are especially crisp when eaten raw, and if picked small, are essentially seedless, meaning mega crunch and no calories - the ideal snack.

When the summer heat becomes oppressive, I think about how quickly it will be gone, replaced by brisk mornings and trips to the local orchard for juicy, crisp apples. It's my husband's favorite season because he loves everything apple and I only like them when they are just picked. This season is fleeting, and too soon autumn turns over to winter. That's when visions of homey butternut squash fill my mind. Their vivid orange flesh provides a stark contrast to the dullness of the brown and gray landscape. This is also when I appreciate living in an era where I can get fresh citrus even though I live a thousand miles from where it's grown. Seeing plump Meyer lemons brightens my day and makes me realize that spring is, after all, just around the corner - and with it those tender peas. What are your favorite seasonal foods?