Plums are coming into season in your local grocery stores. Plums are a “fast food”; just rinse thoroughly and eat. They make a great quick snack, and here’s a new twist - try slicing a plum on your next peanut butter sandwich.

Look for plums that are firm with a little “spring.” Learn more about choosing, storing and preparing summer fruit from the California Peach, Plum and Nectarine organization:

                http://www.eatcaliforniafruit.com/ourfruit/selecting.asp

Here is an easy Plum and Apricot Cobbler dessert recipe:

                http://www.plumrecipes.net/plum-and-almond-cobbler.html

Radishes grow well in cooler weather; they are some of the first veggies that will come from our gardens or farmers markets. Although in North Dakota we most always eat them raw and plain, radishes can add refreshing crispiness to salads and sandwiches. Here are a few recipes for such salads and a sandwich; this web page also gives growing tips and suggests some different varieties to try:

                http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/radish1.html#12

Some other new ideas for eating radishes:

• Add sliced radishes to stir-fries for extra crunch and bite

• Sprinkle chopped radishes over tacos for more zip and texture.

• Stir chopped or sliced radishes into tuna, egg, potato or chicken salad.

Rediscover radishes with hints from the “Produce Man” in a one-minute video from the Fruits & Veggies More Matters® video center:

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/video/VideoCenter.php?Auto=1&start=0&Video=232&SuperSubID=177

Including Kids in the Garden and in Planning Meals

Gardening is a great activity for kids. Gardening creates an appreciation for how food is grown and adds to the excitement of eating something (even a vegetable) because you grew it yourself. The first part of June is not too late to start a container garden with some tomatoes; patio tomatoes are the best variety for a container. If you didn’t grow a garden this year, consider taking several trips with your kids to the local farmers markets later this summer. They can still get excited about foods by helping choose a vegetable for supper and talking to the grower. To discover more ways to support local North Dakota foods and “go loco for local,” visit the North Dakota Going Local Initiative website at http://www.agdepartment.com/Programs/LocalFoodsInfo.htm

Back to A Year of Fruits and Veggies