Asparagus

When foods are in season they are at their peak of nutrition and are less expensive, to name only two bonuses. Here's one that you can enjoy right now:



Asparagus is at its peak from February through June. Eat it up!

And Yes, More Zucchini

Here are some good recipes from other sites:

Zucchini boats for those zucchinis that are way huge.

Baked Zucchini. Looks good. This post also includes other ides of how to incorporate (hide, if you must) it into other recipes.

Roasted veggies. This is so great. You can use in season veggies now, and as the title will show, your winter root veggies too. It's the best way I've ever had turnips and celery root. :)

Italian Summer Squash Side.

And of course, bread. Use this banana bread recipe, but sub grated zucchini in for the bananas.

Yes, the above are all Kara's. I trust her stuff. And there's more. Go to her blog and type zucchini in the search bar.

Use this quesadilla recipe for all the veggies you have on hand, and if you don't want to fry them, try this easy baking method for them.

This is one we like, and you can use zucchini and/or yellow squash. Disregard the "margerine or butter" and just do butter. Real butter. You can make it as a side dish or double (or more) it for a main dish.

Go to allrecipes.com and type in zucchini. LOTS of recipes there. Modify them to be real food and to your tastes if need be.

Have you tried it sliced up on pizza? (we had it on our pizza last night and it was great)
Raw, cut up in salads (go for chunks or something to break up the monotony of the same slices every time)?
In smoothies?
How about juiced in your green or fruit juices? It has a lot of liquid in it. Paul Bragg called those kinds of liquids "living waters." I like that. Plus, it doesn't taste like much, so why not?

Zucchini

Is anyone else loaded down with zucchini? We have been having zucchini everything lately. I thought I'd share some ideas for those of you who may be feeling as blessed as we are. :) The recipes for today both had their beginnings at allrecipes.com. I often get recipe ideas from there. You can type in the ingredients you have on hand and it will bring up recipes you can make. Very nice.

I have tried two recipes so far for zucchini cakes or patties, which we had previously not tried, but really liked. These were the ones that turned out the best. The recipe could be modified more than I have here to make it healthier, but it's pretty good, especially if you use whole, natural ingredients.

Zucchini Patties

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, onion, flour, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and salt. Stir well enough to distribute ingredients evenly.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop zucchini mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls, and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden.

Serve with some of your favorite tomato-based sauce or with a bit of sour cream. My husband thought they'd be great to put on some biscuits for a breakfast sandwich with a slice of tomato. Be creative.


This next one is more than easy. It's SO easy. It's simple, but my guy thought they tasted like fajitas. That's not bad for an all-veggie meal.

Zucchini and Squash Burritos

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 small summer squash, sliced (or a mixture of squash and zucchini or just zucchini)
  
• salt to taste
• 4 (7 inch) whole wheat tortillas (or whatever you prefer)
  
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped tomato

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir the onion in the hot oil until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the squash in three batches, making sure the first has softened slightly before adding the next. Season with salt.
2. Heat the tortillas in the microwave until warm, about 10 seconds. Spoon the squash mixture into the center of the tortillas; top with the Cheddar cheese and tomato. Roll into a burrito to serve.

More to come.

In the Season Thereof

How do we know if something is in season? One hint is to notice what is in abundance and on sale in the grocery market. Another way is to check out farmers' markets. The internet, of course, is helpful. :)

I found a lot of berries on sale recently. Blue, black, strawberries and raspberries. I bought some of each and have been making some raw fruit salads, which are simply delicious. I got this idea after having done a raw food detox. The recipes for these salads are wonderful. If you don't have the fruits suggested, however, use what you've got. The salad above is a variation from these. They are just to get your ideas flowing. Whatever fruits are ripe and abundant (in season) are the ones to use.

Red-White-and-Blue Fruit Salad

1 cup blueberries
5 cups strawberries
2 bananas (not too ripe)
1 very ripe red banana, or 1/2 a small plantain, very ripe

Cut strawberries into halves or thirds; cut yellow bananas in 1/2" pieces, toss together.

Blend red bananas or plantain in a blender, adding a shot of water if necessary, to make a cream. Blend into fruit pieces.

Creamy Sunshine Salad

3 red bananas, or 1 plantain, or 1 banana, very ripe
2 Tbs. coconut water (the juice --sometimes called milk--of a young coconut)
3 peaches, diced
3 nectarines, diced
1 mango, diced

Whip ripe bananas and coconut water in a blender until smooth; it should be on the thick side. Combine cubed fruit with sauce in a bowl. Serve.

If I were a betting woman, I would bet that this would even go over well at any Relief Society event, they may ask you how you got the "cream" to taste so fruity (no, it wasn't green jell-o added in)!

By the way, growing your own is still best. Tree-ripened fruit is amazingly good for you, and more scrumptious than any other. Get local if you can't grow it. If you can't get local, look for organic. If you can't get organic, some fruit is better than no fruit, in my opinion.

Another Reason to Choose Local Organic Food

This article explains the link recently found between pesticide-laden foods and ADHD in kids.

To save your wallet, here's a list of the "dirty dozen" and the "clean fifteen" fruits and veggies. The Dirty dozen are the ones that you should spend a little more and get organic. The clean fifteen have the least amount of pesticides, so buy the cheapest. :)

Dirty Dozen
1 (Worst) Celery
2 Peaches
3 Strawberries
4 Apples
5 Blueberries (Domestic)
6 Nectarines
7 Sweet Bell Peppers
8 Spinach
9 Kale/Collard Greens
10 Cherries
11 Potatoes
12 Grapes (Imported)

Clean Fifteen

1 (Best)	Onions
2	Avocado
3	Sweet Corn (Frozen)
4	Pineapples
5	Mango (Subtropical and Tropical)
6	Sweet Peas (Frozen)
7	Asparagus
8	Kiwi Fruit (Subtropical and Tropical)
9	Cabbage
10	Eggplant
11	Cantaloupe (Domestic)
12	Watermelon
13	Grapefruit
14	Sweet Potatoes
15	Honeydew Melon

Here is where you can get a PDF wallet-sized printout or the iPhone app for free. And for those of us who want the full list, here it is: Also, when you get your produce, washing it is a great idea. Don't use soap though. That adds more chemicals. Try a vinegar soak (equal parts water and vinegar), and/or a vegetable scrub brush and cold running water.
Kara has good pointers, as always. FYI- The grapes on the dirty list are imported grapes--this means that they are not close to local, and they are not local because they are out of season. It's always best to eat in things "in the season thereof." Go fig. You know what's even better than local organic? Home grown. Those prophets sure have some good ideas. :) P.S. If you can't find these things in your local markets, you have lot more control over that than you think. Start talking to your local farmers and grocers! Make comments. Make a fuss. They bring in and grow what you buy. It's your vote that counts.
P.P.S. I don't know why this formatting is so ridiculous. Sorry.