I think beets are the most under- rated vegetable out there. They are so good for you, but you rarely hear anything about them. Well, here goes, yay for beets! http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=49

http://lifesimplifiedforyou.com/2010/08/27/spice-it-up/ Some easy vegetable and spice suggestions.... Basil – beans, peas, squash, potatoes, tomatoes Bay leaf – beets, carrots, potatoes, stewed tomatoes Dill Weed – beets, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, potatoes Marjoram – Brussels sprouts, carrots, green beans, peas, spinach Oregano – broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes Rosemary – cauliflower, peas, potatoes, spinach Tarragon – cauliflower, green beans, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes Thyme – asparagus, beans, carrots, zucchini

Even Benefits Don’t Tempt Us to Vegetables By Jane Brody "Eat your vegetables." For many of us, that was a litany of childhood, an 11th commandment — often followed by “or no dessert.” I even know a mother who tried reverse psychology on her son — “You can’t have your vegetables until you’ve finished your meat” (or chicken or fish) — though I can’t testify to its success. As evidence of the health benefits of vegetables has accumulated, public health scientists, nutritionists, federal health experts, growers and marketers, teachers and physicians have been urging — and urging and urging — that Americans eat more of them. Producers have gone to great lengths to encourage vegetable consumption by a public increasingly pressed for time and overly focused on fast food and takeout. Farmers’ markets are springing up all over the country, with enticing displays of locally grown produce. Supermarkets feature ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook vegetables — spinach, salad greens, complete salads, broccoli florets, peeled baby carrots. Simple, tasty recipes are often part of the produce display. Even the major fast-food purveyors have made an effort, introducing salads as side and main dishes; McDonald’s now sells more salads than any other eating establishment. Yet last month came the discouraging word from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that Americans have fallen far short of the goals set a decade ago to increase consumption of vegetables. Read on in the NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/health/05brody.html?_r=1&ref=health

Pesticides and veggies - what's the best way to rinse them? By ANAHAD O’CONNOR THE FACTS The prospect of ingesting pesticides and other contaminants can make supermarket produce seem less than appetizing. Buying organic lowers the risk, but is no guarantee against food-borne pathogens. Scientists have found some effective household measures that can eliminate germs and pesticides. The simplest? Rinsing with tap water, which works as well as a mild soap solution or fruit and vegetable washes. In studies at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in 2000, for example, scientists compared pesticide removal methods on 196 samples of lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes. Some were rinsed under tap water for a minute; others were treated with either a 1 percent solution of Palmolive or a fruit and vegetable wash. Tap water “significantly reduced” residues of 9 of 12 pesticides, and it worked as well as soap and wash products, the studies found. Water temperature was not the key; friction was. “The mechanical action of rubbing the produce under tap water is likely responsible for removing pesticide residues,” scientists wrote. For micro-organisms, try rinsing produce with a mild solution of vinegar, about 10 percent. In a 2003 study at the University of Florida, researchers tested disinfectants on strawberries contaminated with E. coli and other germs. They found the vinegar mixture reduced bacteria by 90 percent and viruses by about 95 percent. THE BOTTOM LINE To remove pesticides and germs, rinse produce with a vinegar solution, then wash with tap water for at least 30 seconds. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/health/05real.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general

Going meatless is good for you, and for the planet USAToday.com - By now, many of you (50% of Americans according to recent market research) have heard of Meatless Monday, the non-profit campaign that advocates a day off from meat for both health and the environment. The campaign, which got its start in 2003, is capturing the nation's attention, from school districts and legislatures to chefs and celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey. (It is also what inspired this columnist to write a similarly themed cookbook last year.) A new report from The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is encouraging Americans to push things one step further and take a weekly break from cheese as well. Released last month, the EWG's Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change and Health analyzed the farm-to-fork (and garbage can) carbon footprint of 20 kinds of protein from both animals and plants. In the No. 1 and No. 2 slots for environmental impact are lamb and beef (86.4 and 59.6 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents for every 2.2 pounds consumed, respectively). But what took this cheese lover by surprise is the third-place carbon load of curds and whey (29.7 pounds of CO2 per 2.2 pounds eaten). That said, Kari Hamerschlag, author of the study, reminded me that the USDA recommended serving is 1.5 ounces. Whether or not you're ready to take a day off from meat and/or cheese, here's something we can all stand to do, vegetarians and meat eaters alike: Eat down our fridges and pantries before stocking the larder. "Waste was definitely one of the most surprising and important findings in the study," says Hamerschlag. The food we throw away accounts for an average of 20% of food-related emission, according to the report. Keep reading: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/cooking-recipes/story/2011/08/Going-meatless-is-good-for-you-and-for-the-planet/49774508/1

Making the most of extra summer produce USAToday.com - On a Tuesday, well before the weekend rush, Chris Scott pulled up in front of L'étoile restaurant in Charlottesville, Va., to deliver five "Charleston Gray" and "Sangria" varieties of watermelon to chef/owner Mark Gresge. "Every watermelon required its own personal escort into the restaurant, because they were so large," says Scott, whose 8-year-old son, Nathan, tended the melons all summer in the family garden. "After five trips, I rested in my car briefly before driving away." L'étoile has started accepting produce from area gardeners in exchange for a free meal for two. "We wanted to include our guests in a direct way," says Gresge, who transformed the Scott family melons into an elegant "pavé" with cobia fish and pistachios. "We wanted to bring awareness that you do not have to be a farmer to grow great produce." Of course, not every restaurant is open to such barter. But there are many other creative ways to make use of the great abundance of fresh produce this time of year — be it from a home garden or a farmers market. 1. Donate it to a food pantry. For the 50 million Americans who can't afford food right now, fresh produce is a rarity. "We all have the responsibility to not waste food, even from the garden," says Lisa Braddock, who is founder of the Sunshine Harvest Sharing Project, which aims to link up gardeners in Illinois and Utah with food banks that could use the surplus. Nationally, the site AmpleHarvest.org can connect you with food pantries in your area, even telling you on which days each will receive deliveries. What are the other options? Find out here: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/cooking-recipes/story/2011-08-30/Making-the-most-of-extra-summer-produce/50195688/1?loc=interstitialskip