National Carrot Day

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By Chef Diane

We have been having some unseasonably warm weather lately, so when it turned a little chilly, I decided to make a pot of chili for me to eat.  Every time I fix chili, it reminds me of a friend of mine who's wife made him some chili, and put carrots in it.  He loves carrots, but not necessarily in chili.  Carrots are a root vegetable, usually orange in color.  The can be purple, red, white or yellow as well.

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They are very nutritious and crunchy, and every time I think of them, I can see Buggs Bunny asking "What's Up Doc?"  Carrots contain beta-carotene and are rich with Vitamin A. According to Wikepedia.com, Massive overconsumption of carrots can cause carotenosis, a benign condition in which the skin turns orange. Carrots are also rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants and minerals. Ethno-medically, the roots are used to treat digestive problems, intestinal parasites, and tonsillitis or constipation.

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Lack of vitamin A can cause poor vision, including night vision, and adding it back into the diet can restore vision.

My husband loved the baby carrots cooked in brown sugar, I prefer eating them shredded and raw as in a salad like carrot raisin salad, or just sprinkled on salad greens. My favorite way to eat them is hidden in a Carrot Cake!

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Today is National Carrot Day, so increase your eye site and much on a few with some dip or cook them in a stew, or bake a cake - the uses are endless!

Did you know that: The average person will consume 10,866 carrots in a lifetime!

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Dream of carrots - it portends prosperity and health; For a young woman to eat them denotes she will contract an early marriage and be the mother of several hardy children!

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June is National Fruit and Vegetable Month - 2012

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By Diane Forrest, RN

The other night my aunt came in from Texas for a visit.  My mother invited me over for dinner.  My father grilled burgers out on the grill, and we had home grown tomatoes and homemade bread and butter pickles made with cucumbers from his neighbor's garden.  We also had some steamed squash, zucchini, and onions from that garden, and fresh corn on the cob that was a gift from another friend.   I just have to say, there is nothing better than a grilled burger with home grown tomatoes.  It's one of my favorite meals.   It would have even been better with some strawberry short cake for dessert, but we didn't have any.  Luckily a friend of mine was telling me all about the delicious strawberries he had topped his ice cream with, so it was almost as if I could taste them too.

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June is National Fruit and Vegetable Month.  It’s the perfect time to celebrate, because there are alot of family gardens popping up all over town.  The most popular crop here is tomatoes.  I have never grown any, because people, who do grow them, always have more than they can eat. Other popular crops include: squash, bell peppers, onions, jalapeno peppers, okra, beans and peas.  I don't know of too much fruit grown around here, there are watermelons, cantaloupe, and occasional strawberries and blueberries.

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Fruits and vegetables are a great way to get the most nutrition out of your calories. They are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients.  Compared with people who consume a diet with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts as part of a healthful diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers.

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I have to confess I don’t have enough fruits or vegetables in my diet, so here are some tips to help sneak some extras into your meals:

• Wake up to fruit: make a habit of adding fruit—fresh, frozen or dried—to your morning oatmeal, ready-to-eat cereal, yogurt or toaster waffle.
• Stock up: Fill your fridge with raw vegetables and fruits—"nature's fast food"—cleaned, fresh and ready to eat.
• "Sandwich" in fruit and vegetables: Add pizzazz to sandwiches with sliced pineapple, apple, peppers, cucumbers and tomato as fillings.
• Top your pizza with lots of veggies. Try broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini.

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So while the veggies are popping up in your area, stock up and learn how to freeze them to save for the winter months, and if you can't eat enough veggies or fruits, you can always have a V-8!

Watermelon and Quince

By Diane Forrest,

Watermelon
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I was just sitting here planning what I would do today, thinking...I should go to the ball park, grill some hot dogs and have some ice cold watermelon. Then I remember.....its December 8th, and its 32 degrees outside. What am I thinking?  No, I haven't fallen off the deep end....yet! (This has been repeatedly disputed by my family)   December is watermelon and quince month.  Typically watermelon is a summertime favorite, but did you know that it is grown all year round?  In fact, I just found out that watermelon is actually the fruit that is really a Vegetable. Watermelon can be traced back to Africa and is part of the cucumber and squash family. Early watermelons were mainly rind and seeds. Today's varieties are larger, the flesh sweeter, the seeds smaller and the rind thinner. It is perhaps the most refreshing, thirst quenching fruit of all.

My son always laughs when I tell him stories of working at the grocery store while I was in high school.  I worked in the produce apartment occasionally, and had to help unload the trucks, even the watermelon truck.  I would be on the ground as the person in the truck would drop watermelons down to me, I would catch them and put them in a buggy.  You just haven't had fun untl you catch about 200 watermelons.

In selecting a watermelon, choose firm, symmetrical, fruit free of cracks, bruises, soft spots or mold. Ripe watermelon will have a healthy sheen, a dull rind, dried stem, and a buttery yellow underside where it touched the ground. There should be a melon like smell or fragrance. Thump if you must, sound should be dull and hollow. Lift them, weight should be heavy for size.  Avoid watermelons that are very hard, white or very pale green in color on the underside, indicating immaturity. An immature watermelon will be slightly acidic.

Quince
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On the other hand, the quince is a relative of the apple and pear and belongs to the pome fruit family. Quince is one of the earliest known fruits. For over 4,000 years, quince trees have grown in Asia and the Mediterranean. Today, quince is also found in Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States. The quince as we know it in the United States is a different fruit from that found in Western Asia and tropical countries, where the fruit is softer and juicier. In colder climates, the fruit has a fine shape, a rich golden color when ripe, and a strong fragrance, judged by some to be heavy and overpowering.

Quinces only available from September to January.  Quinces are not eaten fresh because of their astringency (due to high tannin content). Because of its high pectin content, it’s particularly popular for use in jams, jellies, and preserves. Quinces tend to hold their shape, so they are ideal for poaching, stewing, or baking as a dessert.  Select fruit that are large, firm, and yellow with little or no green. Quinces should be picked when full-yellow and firm. Quinces must be handled carefully as they bruise easily.

With their naturally pleasing aroma, quinces make ideal bases for pomanders studded with cloves and hung as decorations or given as gifts during the Christmas season.

Sliced Watermelon
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Did you know that is it believed that the fruit eaten by Eve in the Garden of Eden was a quine?

Quince
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