Fresh
The €
Americans enjoy more than
twice as many fresh vegetables as
they did 25 years ago. And there’s
never been more variety to choose
from.
In Pennsylvania, 3,000 veget
ables growers produce more than
30 different crops. Many of those
vegetables are grown on small
family farms and sold direct to
consumers through farm markets
and roadside stands.
Vegetables taste fresher and are
less expensive in season than those
imported from other regions of the
country.
Not only do fresh vegetables
taste belter, they are good for you.
The National Academy of Scien
tists and the U.S. Surgeon General
recommend five servings of fresh
produce daily.
Those experts advise the key to
good nutrition is variety with every
meal, including vegetables.
As an easy guide, select green
leafy vegetables like lettuce for
folic acid and other B complex vit
amins; dark yellow or orange veg
etables, like carrots and squash for
vitamin A; and tomatoes, cabbage,
and peppers for vitamin C.
Fresh vegetables also supply
important minerals like iron, zinc,
and potassium, and are an excel
lent source of dietary fiber.
High fiber vegetables contribute
more to good health than just vita
mins and nutrients. The American
Cancer Society recommends a
high fiber diet to protect against
colon cancer. In addition, veget
ables rich in vitamin C like cab
bage and tomatoes can reduce the
risk of stomach and esophagus
cancer.
Many fresh vegetables contain
pectin which actually works to
lower blood cholesterol levels by
trapping fat molecules and moving
them through the digestive system
before they are absorbed in the
bloodstream.
Raw vegetables such as carrots
and celery also act as detergent
foods that sweep over teeth and
soft tissues cleansing them of
sugar and debris.
The preparation of fresh veget
ables have a great effect on nutri
tional content To ensure they
retain nutrients, follow the three
R’s during cooking.
• Reduce the amount of water
used
• Reduce cooking time.
• Reduce the surface areas
exposed by cooking vegetables
whole.
Follow these simple guidelines
Recipe Topics
If you have recipes for the topics listed below, please share
them with us. We welcome your recipes, but ask that you
include accurate measurements, a complete list of ingredients
and clear instructions with each recipe you submit. Send your
recipes to Lou Ann Good, Lancaster Farming, P.O. Box 609,
Ephrata, PA 17522. Recipes should reach our office one week
before publishing date listed below.
August
From
arden
will produce fresher tasting veget
ables and provide healthy doses of
nutrients ranging from vitamin A
to zinc.
The fastest way of cooking veg
etables also turns out to be the best
way to preserve their nutritional
qualities, so use the microwave.
Unlike steaming and boiling,
the microwave requires little liq
uid, allowing vegetables to retain
more of their valuable vitamins
and nutrients.
Of course, we like variety in
vegetables also. Here are some
wonderful vegetable recipes from
our readers.
SWEET AND
SOUR CARROTS
1 pound carrots, diagonally
sliced
1 medium green pepper, seeded
and cut into 1-inch squares
8-ounce can pineapple chunks
'A cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
'A teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Cook carrots in covered sauce
pan in a small amount of slightly
salted water until tender. Add
green pepper squares and cook
three minutes more. Drain. Drain
pineapple reserving juice. Add
water to make 'A cup liquid. In
another saucepan, combine sugar,
cornstarch, and salt. Stir in pineap
ple liquid, vinegar, and soy. Cook,
stirring until bubbly. Stir in veget
ables and pineapple chunks. Heat
through. Serves 6.
This is a pretty dish with all
ingredients cut in different shapes.
Serve in a glass vegetable bowl if
you have one in order to show it
off.
FRIED GREEN TOMATOES
4 large green tomatoes
2 cups commeal (not self-rising)
Vi cup' cooking oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Wash tomatoes and pat dry, then
cut into 'A -inch slices. Sprinkle
with salt and pepper. Coat both
sides of each slice with commeal
and fry on each side on medium
heat until golden. Drain on paper
towels and serve hot.
Eileen Greenaway
Somerville, NJ.
8 - Salad Dressings
15 - Using Summer Harvest
22 - Zucchini Galore
29 - Tomato Favorites
Eileen Greenaway
Somerville, NJ.
(Turn to Page B 8)
Fresh from the garden or incorporated In recipes, vegetables offer great taste and
nutrition.
Apple Cider Keys Recipe
In Lebanon Pie Contest
ANDY ANDREWS On Monday, Lebanon Area Fair In her case, she couldn’t find
Lancaster Farming Staff Blue Ribbon Apple Pie contest good, fresh cider in the stores, so
NORTH CORNWALL (Leba- winner Sheila Donmoyer revealed she substituted apple juice,
non Co.) The secret’s in the the key ingredient to her award- On Sunday morning after milk
cider. winning recipe; use apple cider.
K
First-place at the Lebanon Apple Pie Contest went to Sheila Dontnoyer, center.
Second-place winner was Joan Martin, Lebanon, right and third went to Connie
Knauss, Myerstown, left.
(Turn to Page B 9)