Spotlight On Produce: Cranberries

Halloween is over, officially kicking off the holiday season. You know what comes next...family dinners! Thanksgiving! Christmas! Feasts!

It's the best time of year to buy fresh cranberries, just in time to turn them into breads and sauces for the holidays.

Cranberries are a cousin of the blueberry. Bright red with a tart flavor, cranberries grow wild on shrubs, and on vines when cultivated. American cranberries are larger than the European variety.

A nutritional powerhouse, the cranberry has long been valued to treat and prevent urinary tract infections. More recent research indicates that cranberries are an invaluable asset in promoting gastrointestinal health, have positive effects on cholesterol, prevent formation of kidney stones and may prevent cancer. They are also high in Vitamin C and dietary fiber.

The peak growing season for cranberries is October through December. Dried or frozen berries are available through out the year. When buying fresh cranberries, look for firm fruit with a bright, uniform color. The best berries will have the brightest hue. Fresh cranberries can be stored in the refrigerator for several months, and once frozen, will keep for several years. Once thawed, the berries will be soft and should be used immediately.

Use cranberries in fruit salads. Balance the tartness of the berries by combining with sweet fruits. Replace the vinegar in salad dressings with a handful of cranberries. Replace raisins in breads and muffins with dried cranberries, and be sure to enjoy that Thanksgiving staple, cranberry sauce!

What are some of your favorite ways to cook with cranberries?

Spotlight On Produce: Apples

If there is one sure sign that fall is here, it's the scent of baking apples. When I was a kid, my family used to camp in the mountains and stop for homegrown apples on the way home. The smell of crockpot applesauce is one of the strongest scent memories of my childhood, and now that I'm grown, I make my own applesauce every fall.

Apples are a white-fleshed fruit with red, yellow or green skin and a crisp texture. Apples range in taste from sweet to tart, depending on the variety. The apple is a member of the rose family.

Apples are an excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, as well as antioxidants and Vitamin C. Apples contain fructose, a natural simple sugar, that helps stabilize blood sugar.

Apples are in season in the northern hemisphere from late summer to early winter, but are available year round due to importing fresh fruit or cold storage. Try adding diced apples to fruit salads or dipping raw apple slices in caramel sauce for a sweet treat. Add apples to breads and muffins, or pair apples with cheese for a European-style dessert. Bake an All-American apple pie, or use applesauce to replace most of the oil in baked goods for a healthy alternative.

When selecting apples, look for rich, vibrant color and firm flesh. Pass on apples that are soft, those that have broken skin or those with bruises. Whether you choose sweet or tart apples is up to your personal preference, but tart apples, such as Granny Smith, retain their texture the best when cooked.

What are some of your favorite ways to cook with apples?

Spotlight On Produce: Leeks

Since I live in a large city and have several grocery stores to choose from, the chains tend to try and outdo each other with what they can offer, as to draw customers away from that other store. One store always has a hot dog and soda stand operating out front; another boasts a coffee shop, a bank and a dry cleaner inside. Most of the extras aren't thing I care about, but I have benefited from the expanded organic choices and a better variety of produce. One of my personal goals for this year was to try new foods, so this week I chose leeks.

Leeks are a root vegetable related to onions, shallots and scallions. In appearance, they look like overgrown scallions, with a small, white bulb and green leaves. In taste, they are sweeter and milder than onions, so they are perfect for adding a subtle taste to recipes without overwhelming the other flavors.

Leeks are a very good source of manganese and a good source of vitamin C, iron, folate and vitamin B6. Leeks have been shown to reduce bad cholesterol and improve good cholesterol.

When buying leeks, look for firm, white bulbs with straight, dark green leaves. and straight with dark green leaves and white necks. Leeks are available throughout the year, although they are in greater supply from the fall through the early part of spring. Fresh leeks will keep in the refrigerator for one to two weeks. Cooked leeks are highly perishable and should be consumed within a day or two.

Try sauteing chopped leeks in garlic and oil for a healthy side dish. Chop them and add to soups and stews and omelets for extra flavor.

What are some of your favorite ways to cook with leeks?

Spotlight on Produce: Pumpkin

Autumn is upon us! As we lead into 3 months of fall weather with Halloween and Thanksgiving just around the corner, plan your festivities around the pumpkin, a healthy, delicious and versatile member of the squash family!

In fact, many of your squash recipes can be substituted interchangeably with pumpkin! For those who are interested in saving money, watch for pumpkins to go on sale, and then serve them up mashed with gravy, cooked into soup, baked with butter & salt & pepper, or candied like yams for a delicious dish high in fiber, potassium, and alpha and beta carotene.

Pumpkins are believed to have originated in North America. Seeds from related plants have been found in Mexico dating back to 7000 to 5500 B.C.

Native American Indians used pumpkin as a staple in their diets centuries before the pilgrims landed. They also dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats. Indians would also roast long strips of pumpkin on the open fire and eat them. When white settlers arrived, they saw the pumpkins grown by the Indians and pumpkin soon became a staple in their diets. As today, early settlers used them in a wide variety of recipes from desserts to stews and soups. The origin of pumpkin pie is thought to have occurred when the colonists sliced off the pumpkin top, removed the seeds, and then filled it with milk, spices and honey. The pumpkin was then baked in the hot ashes of a dying fire.

Pumpkins and Halloween
The origin of Halloween dates back at least 3,000 years to the Celtic celebration of Samhain (pronounced "sow-ain"). The festival was held starting at sundown on October 31st and lasted until sundown on November 1st. It was similar to the modern practice of the New Years celebration.

On this magical night, glowing jack-o-lanterns, carved from turnips or gourds, were set on porches and in windows to welcome deceased loved ones, but also to act as protection against malevolent spirits. Burning lumps of coal were used inside as a source of light, later to be replaced by candles.

Samhain was not the name of a "Lord of the Dead", no historical evidence has ever been found to back this up, it was simply the name of the festival and meant "Summer's End". It was believed that the souls of the dead were closest to this world and was the best time to contact them to say good bye or ask for assistance. It was also a celebration of the harvest. It is still treated as such today by those who practice Wicca or other nature based religions. It has absolutely nothing to do with Satan, this inference was a creation of the Christian church.

When European settlers, particularly the Irish, arrived in America they found the native pumpkin to be larger, easier to carve and seemed the perfect choice for jack-o-lanterns. Halloween didn't really catch on big in this country until the late 1800's and has been celebrated in many ways ever since!

Fun Facts About The Pumpkin!

• Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A.

• Pumpkin flowers are edible.

• The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.

• In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.

• Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.

• The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.

• The Connecticut field variety is the traditional American pumpkin.

• Pumpkins are 90 percent water.

• Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October.

• Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins, dried them and made mats.

• Native Americans called pumpkins "isqoutm squash."

• Native Americans used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine.

Cooking With Pumpkins

Pumpkins can be used to make breads, cookies, cakes, cheesecakes and even main dishes! Soups and stews can be brewed or baked right in a pumpkin shell.

What is your favorite thing to do with pumpkins?

Spotlight On Produce: Blueberries

One of my favorite seasonal fruits to eat is the blueberry, and I look forward to having them fresh in my cereal all year long. I also love blueberry muffins, or mixed with yogurt, or eaten plain.

Blueberries are the fruits of a shrub and are related to cranberries, as well as azalea, mountain laurel and rhododendron. Blueberries grow in clusters and range from pea-sized to marble-sized. They are deep in color, ranging from blue to maroon to purple-black. Blueberries are available frozen all year long, but are at their best during the growing season of May through October.

Blueberries are a nutritional powerhouse, fairly bursting with nutrients for very few calories. Blueberries are packed with antioxidants and are a good source of Vitamin C, manganese and dietary fiber.

When choosing blueberries, look for fruit with a bright, uniform hue. Shake the container; if the berries do not move freely, this may be an indication that they are soft and damaged or moldy. Avoid berries that appear dull in color or are soft and watery in texture. When purchasing frozen berries, shake the bag gently to ensure that the berries move freely and are not clumped together, which may suggest that they have been thawed and refrozen. Fresh blueberries can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Don't wash the berries until right before you eat them, as washing and storing can remove the protective film on the surface of the fruit and speed spoilage.

What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy blueberries?

Spotlight On Produce: Watermelon

As the dog days of summer are upon us, I thought this week's spotlight should be an item that is essentially summer. I'm not a fan of hot weather, for more reasons than I can list, but one of the things I look forward to is the bounty from the vegetable garden, and the pure and simple pleasure of eating a nice, juicy watermelon.

My favorite way to enjoy watermelon is sliced with the rind on, but it also performs well in fruit salads, or pureed and frozen as a sorbet.

Watermelon grow on vines on the ground and are related to cantaloupe, squash and pumpkin. They can be round, oblong or spherical with a green rind and range in size from one pound to over ninety pounds. Watermelon can be found year round, but they are sweetest and of best quality in the summer.

Watermelon is high in Vitamins C and A, as well as the antioxidant lycopene, which has been studied for it's cancer fighting properties. One cup of watermelon contains only 48 calories and is over 90% water, making it an excellent choice for quenching thirst.

When choosing a whole watermelon, look for one that is heavy for its size with a rind that is relatively smooth and that is neither overly shiny nor overly dull. In addition, one side of the melon should have an area that is distinct in color from the rest of the rind, displaying a yellowish or creamy tone. This is an indication that the melon was harvested at the proper time. When choosing cut watermelon, look for flesh with a deep color and no white streaks. If there are seeds, they should be deep in color as well. To prevent foodborne illness, wash the rind of the watermelon with soap and water before cutting into it.

What are some of your favorite ways to prepare watermelon?

Spotlight On Produce: Broccoli

Growing up, my younger brother was well known for being an extremely picky eater. As my mom wouldn't make special meals, if he didn't like what she had cooked, he could fall back on cereal. He ate a lot of cereal!

Now that he's an adult, he's still a pretty picky eater, but one of his most favorite foods is broccoli, which has a reputation as being one of those green things that moms push on their kids. We like to tease him that he's going to turn into broccoli one of these days, but the truth is he couldn't have chosen a healthier favorite food.

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable of the cabbage family, with fleshy green flower head that grow from an edible stalk. Broccoli is high in soluble fiber, vitamins C, K and A, as well as calcium. One cup of broccoli contains only 43 calories.

Broccoli is readily available year-round, but the prime season for fresh broccoli is October through April. When choosing fresh broccoli, look for lively green leaves and firm, thin stalks. The florets should be compact, firmly closed, and of a deep green color. Broccoli is also available frozen.

Broccoli makes a colorful addition when served raw with vegetable platters, and is a mainstay in stirfrys and vegetable soups. Try adding it to lasagna or finely chopped in sauces, or serve it steamed with melted cheese sauce on top.

What are some of your favorite ways to prepare broccoli?

Spotlight On Produce: Green Onions

As a self-proclaimed picky eater, onions were always something that I didn't care for. As an adult, I experimented with onions and discovered that if properly chopped and cooked, onions provide immeasurable flavor to any number of dishes.

Once I started trying new recipes, I found that a lot of them called for green onions, so I gave those a try too. They have become a staple in my kitchen. I put them in dips, salads, soups and stews. I like that they are mild, but still have a pronounced onion flavor.

Green onions, also called scallions or spring onions, are a variety of onion harvested immature before the bulb has formed. Both the green leaves and white bulbs are used raw or cooked. Onions are high in Vitamin C, fiber, and a trace mineral called chromium, which has been implicated in lowering blood glucose levels. Onions are used in every style cuisine imaginable and are available in most forms year-round.

When purchasing green onion, look for those that have green, fresh-looking tops that appear crisp, yet tender. The base should be whitish in color for two or three inches. Avoid those that have wilted or yellowed tops. Store green onions in the refrigerator, where they will stay fresh for about one week.

What are some of your favorite ways to use green onions?

Spotlight On Produce: Eggplant

This weeks spotlight on produce is eggplant.

I have to admit that I am not an eggplant lover. I've tried it many times, and unlike zucchini, it has not grown on me. My husband, however, is of Italian descent and he and his family love it. It's a versatile vegetable, so I have picked up quite a few recipes with eggplant as an ingredient.

A staple in Mediterranean cuisine, eggplant is an annual warm-season vegetable with smooth, glossy skin. A cousin of the tomato and the pepper, eggplant can range from 5-12 inches in length and a single eggplant can weigh up to two pounds.

Eggplant is low in calories and an excellent source of fiber and protein. It blends well in Greek and Italian dishes featuring cheese, tomatoes, onions and garlic, and is a common substitute for pasta in lasagna and other casserole dishes.

Select an eggplant that's heavy for its size and has a firm, smooth skin. Avoid those with brown or soft spots. Eggplants are very perishable and become bitter with age. Store them in a cool, dry place and use within a day or two of purchase.

What are some of your favorite ways to prepare eggplant?

Spotlight On Produce: Jicama

I have to admit, I'm pretty much a meat and potatoes kind of girl. There are a lot of foods I do not like, and a lot of things I consider too exotic to even try.

Then I married a foodie who will try anything once, and it didn't seem fair to feed him spaghetti, roast beef and lasagna all the time. So I started cooking him special meals. After awhile, making two different kinds of food got old, so I tried some of the dishes I made for him. While there are still some foods I will not eat (like eggplant), I did learn that zucchini isn't half bad, that you can barely taste mushrooms if you put them in some sort of sauce, and I cultivated a taste for black beans, which are one of the healthiest beans you can eat.

Now that I have children, one of them being a picky eater, I continue to try "different" foods with the hope that he will eat them. He still won't touch broccoli, but he does like lentils, edamame and brown rice.

Take a look around your grocer's produce section, and chances are you will see something you have not tried. What's the worst that could happen? You might not like it, in which case you just don't buy it again, but you also might discover a new favorite.

This week's spotlight on produce is jicama.

Jicama, also known as yam beans or Mexican potatoes, is an annual vine that is grown for its root. The root has a brownish-gray skin and a white flesh. The interior is crisp, which makes it perfect to be eaten raw in salads, or as vegetable sticks (peel the skin off first); it can also be added to sauces, soups and stir-frys.

Jicama is high in Vitamin C, low in calories and sodium, and fat free. You can buy jicama in specialty stores or in the produce section of larger chain grocery stores. Look for an unblemished skin and no bruising, and choose only those with firmness and dry roots.

Have you tried jicama? What are some of your favorite ways to cook with it?

Spotlight On Produce: Edamame

Recently, the more I read recipes and publications about healthy eating, the more I see edamame as a cooking option. McDonald's has even added it to one of their salads. But what is edamame, exactly?

Edamame, a Japanese word meaning "beans on branches," is more commonly known as the soybean. The soybeans are harvested at the peak of the green season and boiled in the pod. You can buy either whole edamame or shelled varieties.

My local grocery store sells an organic variety in the frozen vegetables section, and it's added a lot of options to my repertoire of healthy foods to offer my picky toddler. I steam the beans in the microwave, then sprinkle cheese on top, and he eats them up. This is a great option for us, because my son is not a big meat eater, and soy products are high in protein.

A versatile item, edamame can be added to a large number of dishes. Try tossing a handful into stirfry, or add to salads. Mash them well and add to guacamole or mashed potatoes. Add to sauces, soups, or homemade hummus. The flavor is mild, so if you have vegetable-hating kids, this is a good option for disguising in other dishes.

Have you tried edamame? What are some of your favorite ways to cook with it?