What is in season in Greenville. and what to order when the market changes.
Spring
- Strawberries and asparagus: Upstate strawberries from Greer and Pickens come into TD Saturday Market by mid-April. Asparagus follows a few weeks later.
- Soft-shell crab: May to early June. The South Carolina coast ships up to Upstate kitchens for a short window: Halls Chophouse and Larkin's tend to run a feature plate.
Summer
- Gaffney peaches: South Carolina grows more peaches than Georgia. The Gaffney Peachoid water tower sits an hour northeast; orchards peak late June through early August. Peach cobbler shows up on most Southern menus.
- Boiled peanuts: Roadside stands run Memorial Day through Labor Day. Green peanuts boiled in salty brine, sold by the bag.
Autumn
- Country ham and sweet potatoes: Country ham and sweet potatoes carry through Thanksgiving and beyond. Cured ham from the Appalachian foothills shows up on biscuit menus from October.
- Apples from the foothills: Hendersonville (a forty-minute drive north into North Carolina) is the apple basket; orchards ship to Greenville markets through October.
Winter
- Oyster roasts: December through February: backyard oyster roasts are a Lowcountry tradition that travels Upstate via friends-of-friends. Restaurants run oyster specials when the cold snap hits.
- Collards and hoppin' John: Collards stew slow through winter. New Year's Day is hoppin' John (black-eyed peas and rice) plus collards for the year ahead. OJ's Diner is the Pendleton-Street touchstone.