Food wheel: What’s in season in Southern California

In California, artichokes are seasonal during spring but they also pop up again in early fall. Grapefruits, although considered a winter fruit, are available during the spring and summer too. Apricots are better in early summer but pears are better in late summer, or is it the other way around? And what about asparagus? Thankfully, you don’t have to memorize any of this. Save yourself the headache with the Southern California Local Foods Wheel.

The Local Foods Wheel, created by Jessica Prentice, Sarah Klein and Maggie Gosselin, is a nifty little resource, perfect for anyone interested in local food. These nicely designed and practical wheels are available online for $12.95 and at the General Store in Venice.

The wheel consists of two laminated circles; the top circle lists foods that are available year-round and can be spun to reveal the bottom circle, which lists available produce by season. Each item on the wheel is represented by a labeled illustration so you can recognize it in the market. On the back of the wheel, there is a written seasonality reference guide with more details.

Wheels have already been made for the Bay Area, New York City and the Upper Midwest, each one hyper-specific to its region. For example, the Southern California wheel, released earlier this year, emphasizes our abundance of avocados, citrus, olives, dates, nuts and seafood. This new wheel includes information for Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial and San Diego counties, but can still be used as a general guideline even if you live a little outside of these areas.

Prentice, who is one of the co-founders of Locavores and the Eat Local Challenge, came up with the idea as a way to encourage others to fearlessly explore their local foodshed. With the wheel’s help, you’ll never be confused about the availability of Brussels sprouts again.

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isabella.alsobrook@latimes.com

@IsaAlsobrook