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Tag: Vegetables

Spice Up Snacks and Meals with Salsa

Posted on by djbechard

Add taste without adding a lot of calories. A combination of tomatoes, onions, and peppers can add zest to chips. A mixture of fruit, herbs, onions and pepper added to meat or fish can add unique flavors to dishes. There are a variety of salsa options for different preferences and dishes such as spicy, hot, sweet, herbal, and aromatic.

Salsa ingredients and preparation tips:

  • Keep cut fruits, such as apples, pears, bananas, and peaches from turning brown by coating them with an acidic juice such as lemon, orange, or pineapple juice. Or use a commercial produce protector and follow the manufacturer’s directions.
  • Cover and refrigerate cut fruit and veggies until ready to serve.
  • Most salsas taste best if refrigerated for about an hour before serving to let the flavors blend.

Serve salsa safely.

  • Perishable foods like dips, salsas, and cut fruit and vegetables should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours.
  • If you will be serving items such as these for a longer period than this, set out a smaller bowl and then replace it with another one when it is empty.
  • Do not add fresh dip or salsa to dip or salsa that has been sitting out.
  • Refrigerate and use up any dip or salsa that has not been served within three to four days of preparation.

Source: University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension

By: Jamie Rathbun

Physiological Leaf Curl in Tomatoes

Posted on by djbechard

Every year we have calls from gardeners who have tomato plants with leaves that curl up. When tomato plants grow vigorously in mild, spring weather the top growth often exceeds the root development. When the first few days of warm, dry summer weather hit, the plant ‘realizes’ that it has a problem and needs to increase its root development. The plant tries to reduce its leaf area by rolling leaves. The leaves curl along the length of the leaf (leaflet) in an upward fashion. It is often accompanied by a thickening of the leaf giving it a leathery texture. Interestingly, leaf roll is worse on some varieties than others.

Though rolling usually occurs during the spring to summer shift period, it may also occur after a heavy cultivating or hoeing, a hard rain, waterlogged soil or any sudden change in weather. This leaf roll is a temporary condition that goes away after a week or so when the plant has a chance to acclimate, recover from injury, or the soil has a chance to dry out.

By: Cassie Thiessen

 

Garden Planning Resources

Posted on by djbechard

K-State Research and Extension has a new and improved Kansas Garden Guide that is free to download. It is full of helpful information including; raised bed gardening, container gardening, improving soil health, composting, and a large section on each specific vegetable crop. For example, if you want to learn how to grow okra, there is a section that covers what varieties to choose, when to plant, spacing, crop rotation, care and harvesting of okra.

Get the free guide here- https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/s51.pdf

By: Cassie Thiessen

Vegetable Planting Dates

Posted on by djbechard

The veggies we grow in the garden fit into two groups based on their temperature preferences: cool season and warm season crops.

Most cool season crops can be planted and will germinate when soil temperatures average 45F.  These include:

  • Lettuce
  • Radishes
  • Spinach
  • Potatoes
  • Onions
  • Peas
  • Carrots
  • Cabbage
  • Asparagus

Most warm season crops will not germinate and should not be planted until soil temperatures are 55F – some even 60F.  These veggies are:

  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers
  • Cucumbers
  • Melons
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Pumpkin
  • Squash
  • Eggplant
  • Beans

We typically reach the 45F level about mid to late March and the 55F level about late April.

Unsure of the soil temperature in your area? K-State Mesonet Site is a great resource to find local soil temperatures. https://mesonet.k-state.edu/

By: Cassie Thiessen

Fruits and Veggies – More Matters!

Posted on by djbechard

Recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables range from 3 to 6 ½ cups per day. How much you need depends on your age, activity level, and gender.

Instead of doing the math, you could just keep it simple: Fill half of your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables at every meal and snack.

Research shows that fruits and vegetables promote good health. How? They contain essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber) and other healthful substances.

People who eat generous amounts of fruits and veggies as part of a healthful diet reduce their risk of getting a chronic disease, including stroke, heart attack, and certain cancers.

Eating fruits and vegetables instead of higher-calorie foods can help you lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. The water and fiber in fruits and vegetables will add volume to your dishes, so that you can eat the same amount of food with fewer calories. Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories, yet are filling.

 

If you are looking to add more fruits and veggies to your meals, purchase a Simply Produce bundle from:

  • Gene’s Heartland Foods in Smith Center,
  • Girard’s IGA in Osborne,
  • Kier’s Thriftway in Mankato.

 

By: Jamie Rathbun

Eat More Dark Green Veggies

Posted on by djbechard

Most Americans age 2 and older do not eat the recommended amounts of vegetables. It is important to add more veggies to our meals and snacks, as vegetables provide vitamins and minerals and most are low in calories and fat.

Vary your veggies. The most commonly eaten vegetables are potatoes and tomatoes according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It is important to vary your veggies throughout the week by eating from the five vegetable subgroups: dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy, and other vegetables.

These vegetables are grouped together based on their nutrient content. Most Americans do not eat enough of dark green, red and orange vegetables, and beans and peas. Try to focus on fitting more dark-green vegetables into your day.

4 Ways to Add More Dark Green Veggies

  • Add spinach to a smoothie.
  • Dip fresh broccoli in hummus, yogurt-based dip, or another low-fat dip.
  • Not used to eating salads with leafy dark greens? Try mixing romaine lettuce, spinach, or baby kale with a lettuce you normally use.
  • Liven up a pasta dish, stir fry, omelet, or salad by adding spinach or chopped broccoli.

See the recipe for Clover Power Smoothie. Try this simple green smoothie for a fun and festive way to add dark green vegetables by using spinach.

VEGETABLE SUBGROUP EXAMPLES
Dark Green Broccoli, spinach, leafy salad greens (including romaine lettuce), collards, bok choy, kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, green herbs (parsley, cilantro)
Red and Orange Tomatoes, carrots, 100% tomato juice, sweet potatoes, red peppers (hot and sweet), winter squash, pumpkin
Legumes (beans and peas) Pinto, white, kidney, and black beans; lentils; chickpeas; lima beans (mature, dried); split peas; edamame (green soybeans)
Starchy Potatoes, corn, green peas, lima beans (green, immature), plantains, cassava
Other Lettuce (iceberg), onions, green beans, cucumbers, celery, green peppers, cabbage, mushrooms, avocado, summer squash (includes zucchini), cauliflower, eggplant, garlic, bean sprouts, olives, asparagus, peapods (snowpeas), beets

By: Jamie Rathbun

Clover Power Smoothie

Posted on by djbechard

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a festive, tasty, and kid-friendly green smoothie.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup 100% apple juice*

½ cup fresh baby spinach**

2 cups frozen pineapple chunks, no sugar added

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt***

1 banana

Directions:

  1. Add apple juice and spinach leaves to blender. Blend first to help make it smooth and avoid leafy chunks.
  2. Place the remaining ingredients in the blender.
  3. Blend until smooth and serve.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (1 cup): 135 calories, 1g Total Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 35mg Sodium, 31g Total Carbohydrates, 24 g Sugars, 2g Dietary Fiber, 2g Protein

* You can substitute low-fat or nonfat milk or 100% white grape juice for 100% apple juice. Adding milk instead of 100% fruit juice will lower the calories and sugar while adding extra calcium to help strengthen bones.

** You can use kale instead of spinach. Kale does have a stronger flavor than spinach. I like using spinach since it has little to no flavor.

***To make the smoothie even healthier, use nonfat vanilla yogurt or nonfat Greek yogurt instead of low-fat vanilla yogurt.

By: Jamie Rathbun