I've always favored fresh fruits and vegetables over those that are canned. Maybe it's because I grew up on a farm where fresh carrots, lettuce, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet corn, cherries, blackberries, apples and pears were readily available and taken for granted.

Many Americans who enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables follow a raw foods diet, replacing meat with nuts, seeds and avocados.

Nadhirrah, a Provo woman who had severe depression and mood swings, decided to drop refined sugar from her diet and tried eating natural foods. After adhering to a diet of unprocessed food, she found she was healthier. Later, she experimented with recipes and in 2004 published her book "In the Season Thereof," (Nadhirrah Publishing, $15.95).

Her premise is each season of food prepares us for the next season. For example, the berries and greens ripening in the spring prepare our bodies for hot summer months. The melons, fruits, vegetables and herbs of summer help us withstand summer heat. In the autumn, apples, pears, tubers and starchy vegetables are plentiful -- these ready us for cold winter months ahead. In the wintertime, nuts, seeds, root vegetables, sprouts and dried fruits and vegetables sustain our bodies.

In the index of "In the Season Thereof," Nadhirrah has divided her recipes into spring, summer, fall and winter. Recipes include Adam's Apple Pomegranate Salad, Cool Cucumber Soup, Carrot Brownies and Harvest Casserole.

Her Fiesta Salad and its accompanying dressing drew my eye because it wasn't a big change from the types of foods I regularly eat. Now, the Banana Bon Bons will stretch me a little. ...

Fiesta Salad

Dressing:

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar

1 green onion, chopped

1 tablespoon lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

3 cups spring mix (bagged baby greens and purple lettuce)

3 cups red leaf, iceberg, butter leaf or romaine lettuce

4-5 artichoke hearts, fresh or water packed

1 cup cherry tomatoes

cup olives, optional

lime slices, optional

1 avocado, cubed

In small bowl, mix dressing and set aside. In large bowl, prepare all ingredients except lime and avocado. Pour dressing over salad and let it mingle 30 minutes. Add avocado just before serving. Garnish with lime slices.

Yield: Serves 4-6

Banana Bon Bons

1-2 large bananas

2 teaspoons water

2 tablespoons raw carob powder

4 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Peel and cut bananas into chunks and freeze them on cookie sheet. Mix other ingredients, except nuts, in bowl. Dip banana pieces in carob mix, then roll them in nuts. Put them back in freezer. Serve frozen.

For information about purchasing the cookbook, e-mail Nadhirrah@care2.com.

New restaurant: New Burger, 690 W. State Rd., Pleasant Grove. The restaurant features a selection of charbroiled burgers, gyro sandwiches and shakes. Info: 785-3780.

Closed: ChefPlex, 1775 N. State St., Orem

Getting in the paper: Keep us updated on your restaurant or culinary business. Send us your news for publication in the Life & Style food section. Information must be submitted by the previous Wednesday to Karen Hoag at khoag@heraldextra.com, faxed to 373-5489 or mailed to the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 717, Provo, UT 84603.

Karen Hoag can be reached at 344-2540.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B1.