Clyde's Restaurant Group in Washington, DC takes the season's bounty seriously; for the last 14 years, the company has trucked produce from area farms straight to its 9 restaurants, which include Clyde's of Georgetown and 1789. By mid-April, the restaurants' menus reflect the harvest. As asparagus, strawberries, and sugar snap peas ripen, they start showing up on plates. In summer, menus change daily to use the beans, corn, tomatoes, greens, peaches, and cherries that arrive fresh and comprise about 75% of all produce used. Clyde's contracts with several farms in Virginia, and an organic co-op of about 30 farmers in Pennsylvania. Tom Meyer, VP of Clyde's, notes that over the years they've really learned how to purchase produce locally, and the new challenge has become training the kitchen staff at all 9 restaurants to deliver the delectable fruits and vegetables to diners in the best possible way. Meyer points out, "We've got nine restaurants, so what we do isn't like what, say, Union Square Cafe (in NYC) does." Most of Clyde's restaurants are "big American saloons," and during the summer months, instead of fries with that burger, you can get a cucumber salad, or a tomato salad, or a salad of whatever has just arrived. "Believe it or not," Meyer says, "it's much more complicated to put together a really good cucumber salad than it is to put out a side of fries." Since the growing season in the Washington area is relatively long, the restaurants are able to use local produce through Thanksgiving. And during the winter? They serve winter vegetables ­ turnips, hearty greens like Swiss chard and collard greens. Says Meyer, "we wouldn't try to sell tomato and corn salad in February."