Well, the dog days of summer are here and the weather will soon start turning cooler. If you haven’t started your outdoor entertaining it’s not too late to begin. September offers many opportunities for produce to play a roll in your Indian summer social calendar.

Corn, portabella, and zucchini on the grill
Honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon for breakfast, or fruit salad
Grapes for snacking
And, of course, carrots, cucumbers, and peppers – for dipping

But your veggies don’t have to be a mere vehicle for a dip. They can take the driver’s seat too.

Here are some easy, great tasting vegetable dips to serve at back-to-school party, a football tailgater, or a gathering of friends listening to the latest podcast of An Organic Conversation.

Lets start with basil. Often used as a seasoning to enhance the flavor of vegetables, just think of the possibilities when put front and center in a dip. This high protein spread is simple to make and has all kinds of uses: a fantastic addition to a grilled veggie platter, a wonderful sandwich spread, or even rolled up in steamed chard leaves as an appetizer.

Basil Hummus
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained
2 crushed garlic cloves
1/2-teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons tahini
1/2-cup fresh basil leaves
Puree all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until creamy. Add additional oil, if necessary, for desired consistency.

Late Summer is when the colored peppers are grown in the US and more reasonably priced. Serve this tangy recipe with toasted pita bread or on your favorite veggie burger. It is sure to become a new favorite topping.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus
16 ounces chickpeas
6 ounces roasted red bell peppers
1 jalapeno, seeded, diced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1-teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1-tablespoon chipotle pepper in adobo
1/4-cup extra-virgin olive oil
Mix all ingredients, except olive oil, in food processor until pureed. Slowly add in olive oil to finish. Let stand for 1 hour prior to serving.

Next up is the often under appreciated beet. Rich in folate and antioxidants, this root veggie has all sorts of uses. As a dip, it can be a sweet, refreshing alternative to hummus. Truly a creative addition to any meal! 
Plus, it only takes a few minutes to make.

Beet Root Spread
1 beetroot, cooked
2/3 cup unsweetened yogurt
1 tbsp tahini
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
3 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp chili
Pinch of salt
Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Serve chilled with crackers.

If you buy a bunch of beets then either make a double version of this recipe or try them raw – peeled and tossed into a salad. Or you might like them lightly cooked with a bit of onion, olive oil, and your favorite herbs. The sweetness will surprise you. Also, don’t throw the leaves and stems away as they are packed with vitamins and minerals and are a perfect start to a vegetable stock or broth.

So little summer, So many dips!

A survey called Fresh Trends taken by a produce industry newspaper found that even though consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased in 2008 and 2009 there are still many items that folks still aren’t sure how to choose or ripen at home. The study found that only 24% of those surveyed knew how to ripen nectarines or plums at home and 19% knew how to ripen a mango at home. Obviously, you want to get the most of your produce purchases so here a few tips to help you out:

Selection

• Mangos
The ripeness of mangos can be determined by either smelling or squeezing. A ripe mango will have a full, fruity aroma emitting from the stem end. Mangos can be considered ready to eat when slightly soft to the touch and yielding to gentle pressure.

• Nectarines
Ripe fruit are fragrant and give, slightly, to the touch. Look for fruit with smooth unblemished skin. Avoid extremely hard or dull colored fruits and soft fruit with soft, wrinkled, punctured skin.

• Plums
Plums should be plump and well colored for their variety. If a fruit yields to gentle pressure, it is ready to eat, however, you can buy plums that are fairly firm, but not rock hard and let them soften at home. They will not increase in sweetness, as they do not gain sugar after they are picked. Ripe plums will be slightly soft at the stem and tip, but watch out for shriveled skin, mushy spots, or breaks in the skin.

Ripening At Home

The best way to ripen a mango, nectarine or plum is at room temperature, on the kitchen counter for approximately 2 -3 days (slower or faster ripening time is determined by the temperature in your house). If you wish to accelerate the process place in a paper bag overnight with other fruit to create more natural ethylene gas.

Once ripened they each can be refrigerated for a few days, but should be used shortly thereafter.

There is growing consensus in the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can adversely affect people, especially during vulnerable periods of fetal development and childhood. This is why buying organic produce can positively impact your family’s health. Here is a look at a few of the differences in growing practices and pesticide residues of conventional and organic farming.

Raspberries
The most serious disease of raspberries is gray mold, caused from rain when fruits are at their ripest. Conventional growers can use fungicides for this problem, but there are no organic fungicides available for organic growers to combat this problem. They have to be more proactive, choosing a location with good soil, and arranging crop rows to take advantage of sunlight and breezes. Other techniques are trellising, removing spent canes, thinning, controlling weeds, cover crop mowing, and a tight picking schedule to reduce the presence of overripe fruit.

Cucumbers
A recent report reviewed the current data comparing pesticide residues on organic and conventional produce. It found that conventional vegetables are 6.8 times more likely to have one or more detectable residues, and about a dozen pesticides are routinely present in fresh produce at levels that pose significant risks. The average conventional cucumber contained 2.7 different pesticides.

Honeydew Melon
Honeydew melon is a long-season crop, more so than other melons. Longer time in the field makes melons more susceptible to insects and leaf disease, which can translate into more pesticides being used. Organic growers know that excess nitrate fertilizers can bring on bugs and mildew so they are careful to use compost and other slow-release sources of nitrogen. Instead of potent fungicides that conventional growers use, organic growers use botanical oils from jojoba and neem and even baking soda to combat disease. They also use biological sprays that employ competitive micro-organisms, which are harmless to us, but are lethal to the bacteria and fungal diseases that plague hot and tired melon plants.

Plums
Have you ever seen beautiful plums turn ugly with a soft brownish mold? It’s brown rot. In the spring, when plum trees bloom and set fruit, rain and cool weather encourage brown rot spores to enter the twigs where the fruit forms. Conventional growers spray synthetic fungicides; organic growers spray naturally occurring minerals and biofungicides (which have safe bacteria) to compete against the fungal spores.

Zucchini
Cucumber beetles are the scourges of zucchini growers. They feed on the leaves and spread disease from one plant to another. Some conventional growers use traps that contain a combination of cucurbitacin juices and carbaryl (a toxic insecticide) as a control method. Organic growers use floating row covers as a barrier between insects and plants, heavy mulch to deter egg laying in the soil, and they plant perimeter trap crops to attract beetles away from the zucchini. They also use natural predators like soldier beetles, wasps and bats. Did you know that 150 midwestern brown bats can eat to up 38,000 cucumber beetles?

Thompson Seedless Grapes
It’s tempting to pluck a grape and pop it in your mouth, but don’t. Grapes are heavily sprayed. An Environmental Working Group study of government data revealed that imported and domestic grapes rank in the top 10 for residues. California grape growers are reducing their use of the more toxic pesticides, but plenty are still being used. Late season grapes are often treated with sulfur dioxide gas to increase storage time; organic growers can’t use these. Your best bet is buying organic and washing your grapes to rinse off any dirt and residues. Don’t worry about the frosty color on the grapes—that’s natural, it’s called bloom.

As Bartlett pear season begins, you may start thinking of ways to keep them around for late fall and winter entertaining. After all, these beauties only last so long and they can make a quick yet elegant dessert or salad accompaniment when you are short on time and the holidays roll around. Have you ever thought about pickling pears? Why not? Folks have been pickling forever and it is not as hard as you might think. Check out this recipe from Washington State University:

Pickled Pears

8 cups sugar
4 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
8 cinnamon sticks (2-inch pieces)
2 tablespoons cloves, whole
2 tablespoons allspice, whole
8 pounds pears

Combine sugar, vinegar, water and cinnamon; add cloves and allspice that are tied in a clean, thin, white cloth. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered about 30 minutes. Wash pears, remove skins, and the entire blossom end; the stems may be left on if desired. To prevent peeled pears from darkening during preparation, immediately put them into cold water containing 2 tablespoons each of salt and vinegar per gallon. Drain just before using. Add pears to the boiling syrup and continue simmering for 20-25 minutes. Pack hot pears into clean, hot pint jars; add one 2-inch piece cinnamon stick per jar and cover with boiling syrup to 1⁄2 inch from top of jar. Adjust jar lids. Process in boiling water bath canner for 20 minutes. Yield 7-8 pints

These may get your culinary juices flowing to try some new salad ideas, or give them as a gift for special friends.

If not pears, what about putting up some tomatoes? There is nothing like that summer tomato taste to cure the wintertime blues. Still a little hesitant to can or pickle? Why not freeze some tomatoes for sauce? Try this technique from Alice Henneman. It’s easy and yields great results.

Frozen Tomatoes

Select firm, ripe tomatoes for freezing. They may be frozen whole, sliced, chopped or puréed. Additionally, you can freeze them raw or cooked, as juice or sauce, or prepared in a recipe. Thawed raw tomatoes may be used in any cooked-tomato recipe. Don’t try to substitute them for fresh tomatoes, however, as freezing causes their texture to become mushy. Tomatoes should be seasoned just before serving rather than before freezing.

Wash tomatoes before cutting. To wash, wet each tomato with water, rub its surface, rinse it with running water, and dry with a paper towel. Cut away the stem scar and surrounding area and then chop.  Soap or detergent is neither recommended nor approved for washing fruits and vegetables because they can absorb detergent residues.

To freeze whole tomatoes with peel, wash and cut away the stem scar as described above. Place tomatoes on cookie sheets and freeze. Tomatoes don’t need to be blanched before freezing. Once frozen, transfer the tomatoes from the cookie sheets into freezer bags or other containers. Seal tightly. To use the frozen tomatoes, remove them from the freezer a few at a time or all at once. To peel, just run a frozen tomato under warm water in the kitchen sink. Skin will slip off easily.

Storage

To extend the time frozen foods maintain good quality, package foods in material intended for freezing and keep the temperature of the freezer at 0 degrees F or below. It is generally recommended frozen vegetables be eaten within about eight months for best quality.
Come January you’ll be glad you took the time to preserve a little bit of summer.

It’s July and its Peach time just about everywhere in the country. All of your favorites like O’Henry, Red Top, SunCrest, or Red Haven are in season or just about to be. Even though you can eat your fill of these mouthwatering, chin dripping, summer treats it still may not be enough if you are a real peach lover.

If you’re a cook, you’ll love the flavor of this Easy Peach Cobbler recipe from www.allrecipes.com that helps take advantage of the summer peach bounty. Not so culinarily inclined? Take on this simple recipe for a dessert that everyone will love.

Here’s what you’ll need
· 12 fresh peaches, pitted and sliced

· 1-cup water

· 1 cup white sugar

· 1/2-teaspoon ground cinnamon

· 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix (I told you this was the easy route, besides you can use organic cake mix if you like)

· 1 (8 ounce) package organic cream cheese

· 1/2-cup butter

DIRECTIONS
· Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

· Spread peach slices evenly into a 9×13 inch-baking dish, combine water and sugar in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve, and then pour mixture over peaches.

· Sprinkle cinnamon over peach slices, followed by dry cake mix. Top cake mix with pats of cream cheese. Dot cobbler with butter or non-dairy spread.

· Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, until golden.

If you really want to make it special add some fresh organic blackberries on top before serving.
And even though this is a “dessert,” why not throw caution to the wind and serve for breakfast on a hot summer morning with a dollop of cool yogurt. It will be a nice change from the norm for you and someone you love. Now that’s Hmmm, hmmmm great!

When I was growing up I remember after each Little League game we would get a quarter to buy something from the snack shack, which usually consisted of some sort of chip, soda, or candy.

Nowadays, the produce department is my snack shack of choice.

Let’s face it, July , with its longer days and warm weather is a month that is ripe for snacking morning, noon, or night. Organic produce is the best snack choice around. After all, it is healthy for you, low in calories, and bursting with flavor. Really, what’s not to like?
The interesting part comes when you ask someone what his or her favorite summer produce snacking item is. Some blurt it out as soon as the question leaves your mouth while others ponder as if they are drifting back to their childhood.
For instance, watermelon would be a popular choice if you asked around most offices or homes. Eaten in many ways — sliced, cut into chunks, with a spoon using it as the bowl, served with a little lime juice and cayenne pepper. Or as a friend once told me, watermelon is best served with a hammock and shady tree. I couldn’t agree more!
Watermelon is in full swing in July and English peas are starting to wane; too bad because I could eat a whole bowl of ‘em by myself right from the pod. Or how about radishes; red, purple or rainbow, sliced, with a little sprinkle of salt.
Another friend gets her favorite snack idea from her grandparents and East Coast roots, fresh picked blueberries and heavy cream. I can see how that would be habit forming. I told her if she lets that secret out she might have company at her bowl. Especially since blueberries are so good right now.
July peaches are my favorite fruit, especially those grown after the 4th of July (yes, I think there is a difference in peach varieties depending on when they are grown). Try it out yourself. If you are going to do some peach sampling on your own, do so each week of the month. Ask about the varieties and make a mental note of the names; it will be worth remembering next season when the time comes around again.
I think my favorite summer snacking produce item is Thompson seedless and flame seedless grapes, so easy, so tasty, and so fun. For my favorite veggie I would probably choose Sun Gold cherry tomatoes. Both of these items start out firm and round and with a gentle bite burst their goodness into your mouth. Bunches and baskets of these get consumed in one sitting around my house this time of year.
How about these snack ideas. A big thick slice of rich red tomato, or perhaps whole eaten like and apple, warm and juicy, mmmm. California-grown cucumbers instead of crackers with a little fresh sour cream dip. A bag of Blue Lake beans is a crispy afternoon appetizer, either raw or slightly steamed. Steamed chard roll-ups stuffed with cilantro, hummus and fresh corn. Snap peas instead of peanuts for the baseball game. The list goes on and on!
What’s your favorite? What’s your best friend’s favorite? How about your sweetie? Can you name theirs? It’s fun to ask, and you may be surprised at the answer.
Whatever it is, your produce department or farmers market will have the best, freshest, organic produce available for your snacking pleasure all summer long.
So what are you waiting for? Let the snacking begin!

When you eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner have you ever noticed how you feel after your meal? Or whether your food choices can affect your mood?
Perhaps you should.
A recent study that looked at diet and mood found that what you eat could very much influence your mood.
The researchers gathered information from more than 10,000 Spaniards, who reported their dietary intake on a questionnaire between 1999 and 2005.
They found that those who most closely adhere to their traditional Mediterranean diet have a 30 percent lower risk of developing depression, compared to those who don’t follow the diet. Wow! Can you believe that?

We’ve long known that a Mediterranean diet high in fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, beans, fish and olive oil is good for the heart, and now you have another reason to adopt this diet. You’ll feel better!
How do these foods help?

* Fruits, vegetables, legumes) were independently protective against depression in the study as they contain an abundance of antioxidant-rich and anti-inflammatory compounds that help protect the endothelium, (the lining of blood vessels) research has shown that a healthy endothelium is associated not only with less heart disease and less depression.

* Olives are said to improve the body’s ability to use serotonin, the brain transmitter that is often found to be low in depression.

* Omega 3-fatty acids found in seafood may improve the function of nerve cells.

All of these benefits from great tasting food, now there’s a reason to try this out.
So, I guess that leads us back to the produce department. And June is a perfect time to get started with your diet change. It’s easy to combine all of these Mediterranean ingredients when you start with produce.

Lets start with breakfast:

Fresh raspberries or strawberries and yogurt are easy and low fat

Sliced pears or peaches on whole grain bread with just a spread of almond butter tastes great and will make your taste buds happy

An omelet with sautéed zucchini, onions, peppers, basil and a sprinkling of feta will make a hearty breakfast that should give you enough protein to keep you going all morning.

Lunch:

A salad of roasted gold and red beets with Arugula, green onions, and drizzled with olive oil is delicious and healthy.

Or perhaps a bowl of cherry tomatoes and sliced avocado and walnuts.

A whole grain tortilla with baked sweet potato used as a spread, sliced steamed broccoli, parmesan, and sliced tomato is hearty and scrumptious.

Plus the complex carbohydrates for the sweet potato will help keep up your energy for the whole afternoon.

Do you need something with a little more protein? Try a little lean chicken or vegetarian burger, chopped and added to a bowl of cucumber slices, crumbled feta, and a bit of chopped red onion. Now we’re talking.

For Dinner:

Roasted corn added to some cannelloni beans and plied on top of some grilled tofu or fish.

Or if it’s heating up in your area you could make your meal around carrot sticks, cucumber slices, low fat hummus, or Greek yogurt sprinkled with dill.

Have a bowl of fruit salad in the frig loaded with melons, berries, and nectarines and you could make everyone one happy while sitting together on the porch.

Which leads to probably the most important part of this diet. Besides the healthy ingredients, the Mediterranean diet is about cooking food and sharing it together. So even though you could go out and have any of these things I mentioned at a local bistro, taking the time with each other to prepare food is what makes this most successful.

Invite your partner and/or kids to shop with you. Have fun picking things out.

Make one night a week where you just take time to eat and enjoy others’ company.

Take a cooking class and learn how to cook as a family.

Whatever you do will all make a difference and lead to a healthier happier you.

You may recall we recently had a Barbecue show on An Organic Conversation with Nancy Wiemer, columnist for the Santa Cruz Sentinel,  and Chris Farotte, Meat & Seafood coordinator from New Leaf Community Markets in Santa Cruz, CA.

Since Barbecue season is in full swing and one of the things I love most about outdoor cooking are the side dishes that go along with whatever you are grilling, I thought I would write about one of my favorites – Baked beans.

The other night while I was at the Strawberry Music festival, my friend Deb Poole introduced me to some of the best-baked beans I’ve ever had. They were vegetarian and had just the right amount of sweet to heat.

If you like baked beans you’ll love this recipe.

Deb didn’t have the recipe written down so I adapted a quick and tasty one from this one from www.cooks.com and came up with a winner.

BARBECUED BAKED BEANS
2 (16 oz.) cans pork & beans (drained) or vegetarian baked beans
3/4 c. barbecue sauce
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 tart apple (peeled, cored and chopped) we used Pink Lady
1/2 sm. onion (chopped)
2 tbsp. golden raisins
3 strips bacon (optional)
In a 1 1/2 quart casserole, combine the drained pork and beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, apple, onion and raisins. Arrange the strips of halved bacon over the top of the bean mixture in the casserole. Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until bubbly. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Another favorite of mine is coleslaw and since this is prime New Zealand apple season I thought you might like to try one that uses apples as one of the ingredients.

This Apple Coleslaw, adapted from one I found on www.allrecipes.com is basic coleslaw with a nice surprise when you add Granny Smith or Pink Lady apples.
You’ll need:
4 cups shredded organic green and red cabbage
1 cup shredded organic carrot
1 tart organic apple – peeled, cored and
Coarsely shredded
2 tablespoons honey
1-tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1-tablespoon pineapple juice (optional)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 dash salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place the shredded cabbage and carrot together in a bowl with the sliced apple, and toss to combine. In a separate bowl, stir together the honey, brown sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice, and mayonnaise until the honey and sugar have dissolved completely.

Pour over the salad, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, and toss again. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Serves 6

Add these sides to some grilled corn and your favorite grilled entrée and you’ve got a summer meal that can’t be beat.

In the uncertain economic times it seems like everyone is looking for a bargain when they are shopping. Besides looking for produce specials or sales you may want to think about how you can get the most nutritional value out of the produce you buy.
Try these tips:

• The next time you’re preparing a spinach salad, toss in a few slices of navel orange. The citrus fruit won’t just enhance the flavor; its vitamin C will help your body absorb the iron found in leafy green vegetables.

• We all know that broccoli is a good source of fiber, which can help fill you up when you are trying to eat healthy. It is a good source of beta carotene and contains vitamins A, C, and K but if you want to get the most from your Broccoli then eat it with Tomatoes. That’s right, according to University of Illinois food science and human nutrition professor John Erdman. Tomatoes and broccoli have more powerful cancer-fighting qualities when eaten at the same time than when consumed alone.

• If you want to get the most from your salad skip the fat-free dressing and add a good-for-you fat like avocado, walnuts, roasted walnut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil. Why? The good fat/oil makes several nutrients—the lutein in the green peppers, the capsanthin in the red peppers, the lycopene in the tomatoes, even the limonene in the lemon—more body ready for you. Basically each of them is more optimally absorbed with a little bit of fat.  If you would like to learn more on organic avocados check out the our radio show we did with Earl Herrick of Earl’s Organic Produce.

• Like almonds? Try them with a glass of red wine. The phytochemicals in red wine somehow enhance the additive effects in vitamin E found in almonds.

You get the idea. If one of these wonderful produce items is good two and perhaps three eaten together can be even better. Now there’s a value you can’t pass up.