Frozen Veggies

In the middle of winter, there are not many fresh vegetables in season from the U.S.  That’s why it’s a great idea to keep some frozen vegetables in your freezer. Vegetables are frozen at their peak of freshness, so are a good nutritional value, as well as a good value for your pocketbook. They work well in soups and stews and spaghetti sauces and can be sautéed. Here is a recipe for Sautéed Green Beans:

                http://www.cookography.com/2007/speed-beans-sauteed-frozen-green-beans

Here’s an idea for an appetizer using frozen pizza crust and frozen veggies, Vegetable Focaccia

                http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=35&iRID=22

Grapefruit

Citrus fruits grown in the U. S. are in season! Oranges are the most commonly eaten of these gems, but don’t overlook grapefruit! Grapefruit is low in calories, only 60 in half of a medium fruit, vitamin A and nearly a day’s worth of Vitamin C.

Note to those taking certain prescription medications such as calcium channel blockers and cholesterol-lowering drugs, read this information about potential grapefruit and grapefruit juice side effects from the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN00413

Try Cinnamon-Honey Grapefruit for breakfast with some whole wheat cinnamon toast

                http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cinnamon-Honey-Grapefruit/Detail.aspx

A savory-sweet and colorful salad featuring grapefruit, red onions, bleu cheese and salad greens

                http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cinnamon-Honey-Grapefruit/Detail.aspx

CSA

What is a CSA? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. In this venture, people purchase shares in a planned garden.  The farmer plants, tends, and harvests the crop, supported by this community of shareholders.  Shareholders then receive a share of the crop each week throughout the growing season. CSA’s are a great way to obtain locally grown produce. In North Dakota, CSA’s are just getting up and running. You could consider starting to look now for a CSA for this growing season. Search for a CSA here at the Going Local North Dakota website resource. Going Local North Dakota is an initiative of the ND Department of Agriculture:

                http://www.agdepartment.com/Programs/LocalFoodsInfo.htm

Learn more about how you can go “Loco for Local” (Adobe Acrobat Reader required):

                http://www.agdepartment.com/Programs/FoodsPowerpoints
/HowToGoLocal.pdf

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