GARDEN TALK

Eat your fruits & vegetables

The month of July and mid-year means summer is in full swing. With that in mind, there are so many highlights that describe this busy time of year. Hot sunny days with occasional thunderstorms are the norm. Family beach vacations and outdoor recreational activities like hiking, camping and picnicking are at their peak. Water sports, including kayaking, boating and swimming, are favorite pastimes.

And wonderful food and treats are abundant as summer garden harvests and local farmers’ markets flourish. It’s just a great time to have fun and eat! Many people look forward to having and eating juicy, fresh summertime fruits and vegetables. Seasonal foods are much more available than in years past, but it is different when you grow them yourself or buy them from a neighboring farm. Folks claim fresh produce just tastes better, and experts tell us they are good for us too. Mama always said, “Eat your fruits and vegetables.” Although, I didn’t always

Garden listen or adhere to that

Talk advice so much as a child, I definitely do so as an adult. It seems funny that adults get excited about picking and eating a ripe backyard tomato or fresh basket of peaches. It’s interesting how our taste buds change over time, broadening the pallet, making what we used to despise now a favorite. So many more food choices and eating opportunities are what make the summer gatherings memorable. Many fruits and vegetables make their way to the table and are summer icons simply because they are in season. When I think of the peak summer harvests and meals – watermelons, corn, peaches, tomatoes, okra, Shane Harris beans and peas, yellow squash and peppers – these are worthy of such recognition.

The peak summer highlight and top fruit treat is most definitely the watermelon. It is readily available to buy at roadside stands or markets. Depending on who you talk to, the biggest and best watermelons seem to always be ready around July 4.

Some people are indeed loyal to the big old Jubilee ones or round Crimson Sweets. Others are really partial to the yellow meat versions and swear they are better than the red ones. I like them all, as long as they are sweet and have seeds.

Most picnics and summertime meals are not complete unless there is fresh corn on the cob. The kid in us all comes out when nibbling on that delicious corn on the cob. It doesn’t really matter what is on the menu, burgers or fish, as long as corn on the cob is there, too. It seems like the messier it is, the better it tastes. Try it grilled, try it boiled, try it cut off the cob, just try it. With so many corn types today, you’ll find one you like best.

The summer’s biggest and favorite crop that folks will drive long ways to get is fresh peaches. Peaches are my favorite fruit. Unfortunately, it seems like each year, I do not get to enjoy them as much as I should before they are all gone. The mid-summer peaches are usually free-stone and are the ones most people like to eat.

The peach flesh is not attached to the pit, so they are much easier to eat fresh or process if canning, freezing or making desserts. Peach pies, peach cobblers,

Healthy, Nutritious Facts

Here are some benefits of our favorite summer fruits and veggies that SNAP-Ed programs teach about: • Watermelon is high in antioxidants and helps fight toxins in our bodies. It is 92 percent water, so it›s a great way to hydrate and is a cool snack for a hot day. • Corn is a grain that is an excellent source of fiber. • Peaches provide us with Beta-Carotene, which helps our eye health. • Tomatoes provide us with lycopene – a natural diseasefighting chemical. • Yellow Squash is a cholesterol-free food and is rich in the heart-healthy mineral magnesium. • Okra contains the nutrient vitamin K, which is vital for blood clotting. This vegetable is the healthiest when not fried. • Black Eye Peas are rich in protein and fiber, which helps build strong muscles and a healthy gut. • Green Beans are filled with vitamins and minerals that help your bones and heart and prevent disease. • Peppers protect your cells, blood and bones. For more information about the benefits of fruits and veggies, visit www.livewellalabama.com or find them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. peach shakes … I love Ripe for the picking peaches! Previous Pages: Summer

Did I mention that fruits and vegetable the No. 1 vegetable is finally ready? Yes, homegrown tomatoes. Like me, those who love are ripe and ready to be picked. Top: Mid-summer peaches are usually free-stone and are the ones most tomatoes and couldn’t people like to eat. wait probably have already been sampling fried green tomatoes. Now that they are red, I can pick a large ripe one and cut a thick slice for a BLT sandwich. We also have small cherry tomatoes for salads and snacks, or we may can those tomatoes for soups, sauces and salsa. All that hard gardening work has paid off.

Believe it or not, my favorite summer vegetable is yellow squash. Growing up, my family and I fried squash a lot, fresh out of the garden. But, most do not realize that yellow squash produces quickly and has to be gathered nearly every day. And once production starts, almost every meal needs to include squash, or they will ruin before anyone has a chance to eat them.

Squash can be canned or frozen, but most prefer and say it tastes better eaten fresh – fried, grilled, boiled, stir-fried, or in casseroles.

Another popular summertime vegetable and an absolute must-have is okra. Okra likes hot weather and usually takes a while to mature before it is ready

to be picked.

I prefer fried okra, but others like it boiled; however, fried okra can be enjoyed year-round since it is readily available and sold breaded and frozen. But fresh okra, typically lightly battered and fried in a skillet, presents a whole new tasty version. Fresh summer okra is also a popular potluck dish at family reunions and church socials.

As a kid, beans and peas were not high on my veggie list. In fact, today, I still don’t like most of them. Green beans, I do like. And now, as an adult, I often choose to eat black eyed peas if prepared correctly.

Beans and peas of all types are an abundant summer harvest, so much so that most get canned or frozen by gardeners; however, I prefer home-canned green beans. They taste better. But, it is neat to take those fresh green beans and cook them with new potatoes in a pot for a special summer meal.

The last big group of summer veggies is peppers. There are so many types of peppers that can be grown in our Alabama gardens. From mild bell and banana peppers to hot habanero and jalapeno peppers, there is something there for everyone.

Peppers are so versatile because they can be eaten individually or cooked and mixed into other dishes. This summer would be a great time to try a new flavorful recipe with fresh peppers.

The summer season will soon be gone, so take a moment to savor your favorite fruits and vegetables. Mom said to eat them. So say “Yes, Ma’am” and enjoy the tastes of summer.

For more information, contact the Tallapoosa County Extension office at 256-825-1050 or visit us online at aces.edu. Follow us on Facebook.

Shane Harris is the County Extension Coordinator for Tallapoosa County.

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