Slow Cooker Series: Chicken & Vegetables

Chicken & Vegetables
1-2 pounds chicken
1 large onion, sliced
2 large potatoes, chopped into one-inch cubes (or, 4 small potatoes)*
1 sweet potato, peeled & chopped into one-inch cubes*
2 turnips, peeled & chopped into one-inch cubes*
4-6 carrots, sliced*
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp rosemary
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper.

Cook on low for 7-10 hours.

*You can use any combination of root vegetables for this recipe--stick with vegetables that will hold up well to slow cooking though, otherwise they will fall apart and become vegetable mush!

Slow-Cookin' Magic!!

I don't know about you all, but I am in love with my slow-cooker. I experimented with two new dishes this weekend, and both turned out great. I did a pot roast with turnips and carrots, as a healthier riff on pot roast with potatoes, which is something I've made in the oven before. it turned out far better in the slow-cooker. That is the slow-cooker claim to fame, when cooking with "cheaper" cuts of meat, such as chuck roast, the long, low-temperature cooking allows the meat to become tender while staying moist and flavorful. Root vegetables (like turnips, potatoes, carrots) hold up well to slow-cooking, too. Dish #2 was chickpeas and spinach. I used dried chickpeas, very economical but more time is required for soaking, and french spinach, and even my toddlers ate it up. There are hundreds of great slow-cooker recipes, but here are the two that I used:

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast with Turnips and Carrots

Ingredients-

• 4 pounds chuck roast
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup water
• 4 carrots, cut into 3 inch pieces
  
• 2 onions, quartered
  
• 4 turnips, diced into 1 inch cubes

Directions-

1. Take the chuck roast and season with salt and pepper to taste.*
   
2. Place in the slow cooker and add water, carrots, onion, and turnips.
3. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.

*Many recipes will direct you to first brown the meat on all sides in a large skillet over high heat. While this creates a nice crust and appealing look to the meat, it's not necessary.

Slow-Cooker Chickpeas with Spinach

Ingredients-

• 2 cups dried chickpeas (or 2 cans chickpeas)
• water
• 1 onions, diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  
• 1 large bunch fresh spinach
• 2 bouillon cubes (chicken or vegetable)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  

Directions-

1. If using dried chickpeas, rinse and pick out any bad-looking peas. Put into a pot and cover with water; let sit overnight.*
2. Drain chickpeas, put into slow cooker. Add water to about 1 inch above peas, and add bouillon. Cook on high for 2-3 hours.
3. Dice onions, cook on medium high in olive oil. As they turn translucent, add tomato paste and mix together well. Cook another 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat.
4. Add onion/oil/tomato paste mix to slow cooker, cook another 1-3 hours on high (until peas are easy to smush with a spoon; it took my batch the full 3 hours).
   
5. De-stem and wash VERY WELL the spinach to remove all grit. Add to slow cooker and cook on high 1 hour.
6. Mix softened spinach into peas and turn cooker to low. Cook another 1-3 hours, depending on how mushy you like your chick peas and spinach.
   

My kids loved this, and even ate the turnips and carrots from the previous recipe when I mashed everything together to a mashed potato consistency. Anything that gets them to eat veggies other than the potato I count as a huge success!

New Mexico Baked Corn

I was given the original recipe from an old friend of my mother's who lived in New Mexico for many, many years (as did my parents). With a little experimentation, I lightened up the recipe a bit. It's just under 200 calories per serving, so not exactly "diet" fare, but it's a great vehicle for sneaking in some extra veggies. I used a can of green beans, but you could use pretty much anything, as the baking time is sufficient to cook even broccoli or carrots. Plus, the creamy cheese and heat of the green chilis help disguise the veggies for those small ones who might be a bit hesitant to chow down otherwise!

This recipe can also be made vegan by using soy cheese and egg replacer instead of the eggs; the creamed corn is sufficient by itself to bind the ingredients for baking.

New Mexico Baked Corn

Yield: 8 servings
Temperature 375 and 325

2 beaten eggs
4 cups cream style corn
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup chopped green chili*
1/2 pound graded sharp cheddar cheese, low-fat
2 cups canned green beans

*green chili is optional, this amount makes the recipe just slightly spicy, could use more or less to suit your family's taste!

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish.

2. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes then lower the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for an addition 30-45 minutes.

Nutrition Facts
Recipe Serves 8 people

Amount per Serving--
Calories 198
Calories from Fat 83

Total Fat 10.63g
Saturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5g

Cholesterol 63.75mg

Sodium 619.69mg

Total Carbohydrate 10.66g
Dietary Fiber 1.47g
Sugars 2.97g

Protein 11.53g

Vitamin A 12.5
Vitamin C 2.13
Calcium 1.38
Iron 3.19

Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 48.3%
Carbs 21.5%
Protein 23.3%

Eggplant Lasagna

I experimented with some yummy vegetables this weekend, and came up with this low-fat, low-calorie lasagna. While most lasagnas end up somewhere between 350-600 calories per serving, this no-meat version is only 163 calories per serving! The eggplant, once baked in the lasagna, does an admirable job of replacing the creamy texture of ricotta cheese, and the fresh basil helps give this dish a garden-fresh taste. You could probably find some delicious eggplant and basil in a farmer's market, but to test how simple I could make this recipe I just used what was at my local supermarket. If you try this recipe out, I'd love to hear how it turns out! Happy Cooking, Breana

Ingredients: 1.5 cups crushed canned Tomatoes 1 medium Eggplant 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, part-skim, shredded 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese .5 cups Basil, Fresh (about 1 bunch, or 10 leaves) 1 serving Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles (about 3 noodles)

Instructions:
Instructions:
Cook the noodles (3 noodles) in a large pot of boiling, salted water for 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain from water and set aside to cool.

While noddles are cooking, slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick strips. Saute in cooking spray (Pam) until just softened and slightly brown.

Rinse basil leaves, remove stems, shred leaves gently by hand.

Light spray inside of a loaf pan baking dish with cooking spray.

Cut (with kitchen shears) 1 noodle into 3 sections, place on the bottom of the loaf pan. (NOTE: cutting the noodles is necessary to make them fit into a standard loaf pan. If you are using a square baking dish, cut only if needed to fit the dish you are using.)

Layer noodle with 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes, 1 layer of the cooked eggplant, 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 of the basil. Add another layer of noodles, 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes, 1 layer of the cooked eggplant, 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, and the other 1/2 of the basil. Finish with a final layer of noodles, last 1/3 cup of mozzarella, and sprinkle the Parmesan (or grated fresh Peccorino Romano) over the top.

Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

I made this recipe in a loaf pan, planning on only 4 servings, but you could easily scale this up for more servings and use a larger baking dish. Cooking time would remain the same.

Nutrition Facts
Recipe Serves 4 people

Amount per Serving
Calories 163 Calories from Fat 64
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6.91g	11%
Saturated Fat 4.25g	21%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.06g
Cholesterol 1.25mg	0%
Sodium 293.75mg	12%
Potassium 181.13mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate 12.61g	4%
Dietary Fiber 3.11g	12%
Sugars 0.48g
Protein 11.95g	24%

Vitamin A	11.25
Vitamin C	8.38
Calcium	16
Iron	7.63
Vitamin E	0.21
Thiamin (B1)	5.03
Riboflavin (B2)	1.03
Niacin (B3)	3.14
Vitamin B6	3.94
Phosphorus	17.25
Magnesium	14.25
Panthothenic Acid	0.17
Zinc	1.22
Manganese	0.19

Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 38.2%
Carbs 30.9%
Protein 29.3%

Better School Food

Although my own kids are not yet school-age, I've always been interested in trying to figure out how to provide kids with healthier food at school. Perhaps because I remember all too well being 12 and using my lunch money to buy a cup of lemonade and two nutter-butters for lunch!

One organization, Better School Food, is working to bring healthier lunch options to school across the country. Below is their "Top 10" list of changes we should make to ensure that all kids have healthier options, and can make better choices, for food at school. The organization also has a Community Action Plan (PDF) with ample statistics about childhood obesity and other health problems associated with poor diet.

Top 10 List for Better School Food

1.	Eliminate All Products Containing Partially Hydrogenated Oils Trans fats increase harmful LDL cholesterol and decrease good cholesterol, which can contribute to heart disease.
2.	Eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) has a high glycemic index and converts to fat more than any other sugar. It increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, coronary heart disease, strokes, and cancer. Americans consumed on average 62.6 pounds of HFCS in 2001 according to the USDA. Many of the products on the market containing HFCS are geared towards children.
3.	Pay Attention to Portion Size Researchers have found that portion size matters as much as taste when it comes to overeating. A recent study showed that large packages and containers prompted people to eat more than the actual recommended serving size regardless of taste. These oversized packages can be especially confusing to children, who may not look at nutrition labels regarding varying portion sizes - especially worrisome because children and teenagers are getting a greater percentage of their calorie intake from snacks.
4.	Serve More Fresh Fruit & Vegetables Many U.S. school children are consuming more calories daily than needed, as well as choosing foods and snacks that are low in nutrients. In order to achieve normal growth and development of children and to reduce the risk of various chronic diseases, nutrient recommendations must be linked to keeping calories under control. With nearly 50% of the calories of children being consumed outside the home, it is imperative that schools offer nutrient-dense foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables in order to obtain the USDA daily recommendations.
5.	Support Local Farms / Set up Farm-to-School Programs Farm-to-school programs, through which locally grown foods are served and promoted, are beneficial for a number of reasons. Fruits and vegetables sourced locally are fresher, so they taste better, resulting in kids eating more of them. The purchase of locally-grown foods supports the local economy and strengthens the local food system. Farm-to-school programs allow students to learn about, as well as appreciate, the sources of the foods they eat and to understand the importance of local agriculture. Farm-to-school programs benefit the environment by cutting down on the amount of fossil fuels used to transport food from the farm to the consumer.
6.	Offer Vegetarian Options Daily As the quality of mass produced animal protein sources comes under scrutiny based on the amount of residual antibiotics, hormones, steroids and saturated fat content, vegetarian meals are wholesome options to be incorporated into school lunch on a rotating basis. Institutional foods, as purchased by many schools, may not always provide the most wholesome sources of animal protein. Vegetarian meals, not only wholesome and nutritious, also tend to be more economical, assisting the food budget.
7.	Serve More Whole Grains & Beans The body needs carbohydrates mainly for energy. The best sources of carbohydrates are whole grains because the body cannot digest them as quickly as highly processed carbohydrates. This keeps blood sugar and insulin levels from rising, then falling, too quickly. Better control of blood sugar and insulin can keep hunger at bay and may prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. Eating whole grains may also make kids feel more satisfied for a longer period of time.
8.	Discontinue Use of Poor Quality Oils Partially hydrogenated oils used for frying and food preparation, which are usually industrially processed oils such as soy, corn, cottonseed and canola, are derived from genetically modified food sources and extrapolated into oil using high heat and chemical processes, thus denaturing the oil and making it difficult to be utilized properly by the body. This phenomenon is linked to many diseases.
9.	Give Adequate Time for Students to Eat Lunch Students need adequate time to eat to meet their nutritional needs, which is essential for optimal student health and performance. Students who aren't rushed can relax, make healthier food choices, and enjoy their food more. Food served but not eaten does not contribute to nutritional health. Allowing enough time for students to eat can also prevent transient hunger that hinders attention and learning.
10.	Decrease Refined Carbohydrate Foods & Snacks Highly refined carbohydrates are rapidly absorbed into the body, much like ingesting simple sugars, resulting in a spike in glucose levels. This causes individuals to still feel hungry or to become hungrier sooner, only to consume even more food. This repetitive pattern is believed to contribute to the obesity epidemic. It also increases the risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

If I could add a #11 (or perhaps this should be #1): Drink WATER. Nothing else is as good for the body, not even milk or fruit juices, and yet too many kids--and adults--drink anything but water.

Menemen: Tomato and Egg Scramble, Turkish-Style

This is a delicious twist on scrambled eggs. While it may seem odd to have a breakfast centered around tomatoes, it's really quite good, easy to prepare, and a wonderful way to use slightly mushy tomatoes ("seconds") you can get for quite cheap at a Farmer's Market this time of year.

1 large tomato per person, chopped (for 4 people, 4 large tomatoes, 6 medium, etc.)
1 egg for every 2 tomatoes (so, for 4 people, 2 eggs)
1 pepper*, chopped (optional)
1/2 medium onion, chopped (optional)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 pats butter
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
Salt
Pepper

*cubanelle (or banana, or green, or pretty much any variety)

Place the olive oil, butter, onion and pepper in a large, deep frying pan. Cook for about 2 minutes on medium-high heat, or until onion is translucent and peppers are soft. Then add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix the eggs in a bowl, and pour into the pan (or, crack eggs directly into pan, then fish out bits of shell that fell in). Keep stirring periodically until the eggs are done: should only be 2 minutes or so, or it will overcook and get dry and rubbery, which is never a good thing.

Serve with toast to soak up the juicy tomato goodness. Add a small dish of black olives, a hunk of feta cheese, a few slices of lightly browned Turkish sausage (Sucuk), and you have a lovely, traditional Turkish breakfast!

Edited: Picture courtesy of Binnur's Turkish Cookbook.

Spicy Chicken Tian

A Tian is both the type of earthenware dish used in these recipes and the genre of mostly vegetable and rice-based dishes, similar to gratins or casseroles. I'm a fan of precision in language, so this is a tian.

This is also a super-easy, 20 minute dish. You can improvise on the ingredients, but here are the basics:

2 chicken breasts
1 (small) can of plain tomato sauce
1 small onion, diced (optional, if you're really in a hurry)
1 can of corn, NOT drained
1 cup of rice
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can stewed tomatoes, NOT drained)
1 tablespoon ground red pepper (or a few shakes red pepper flakes)
salt and pepper
paprika and parsley (optional)

If you have the time, you can brown the chicken breast on both sides in a pan. If not, just rinse and pat dry. Toss all ingredients except chicken into a deep frying pan or sauce pan, heat until bubbling. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Stir in a few shakes of dried parsley, if you have it. Lay the chicken breast on top of the rice and veggie mixture. Sprinkle salt, pepper ( I use red pepper for color), and paprika (if you have it) over the chicken. Cover with tin foil (aluminum foil) and bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes--until chicken is no longer pink inside.

For serving, I slice the chicken breast into strips and serve with a heaping ladleful of rice. This dish can easily serve 4 adults. My two year old and 10 month old gobbled it up last night!

You can add different spices for different flavors, just be judicious and add them at the end so they don't overpower the dish. You can also up the vegetable content by adding chopped squash, zucchini, eggplant, celery, carrots...any vegetable that bakes well.

Bon Appetit!

Buying Organic Needn't Be All or Nothing

If you are anything like me, you live somewhere in between the ivory tower of eating all-organic, all-local foods made by the loving hands of a commune of grandmothers and the 7th circle of processed fast foods that contain no traces of actual vegetables except perhaps for the oils they are deep-fried in. While I'd love to make sure that everything that enters the temple of my body--and my kids' bodies--be nothing less than pure, natural, and delicious, the unfortunate reality of cost and supply often derail the organic train.

So, given somewhat limited means, what organic products should we buy and which are a waste of money?

Happily, Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group (EWG) have some very helpful recommendations. Overall, there are three priorities:

1. Produce from the EWG list (12 most important organic produce buys detailed below). Some fruits and veggies, even after thorough washing, still retain much higher levels of pesticides than you would want to be ingesting on a regular basis.
   
2. Meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy. Animal products should be an organic priority because of the risk of diseases such as mad cow, and due to the antibiotics and hormones used in conventional animal husbandry.
   
3. Baby food. Not only are babies' small bodies less well-equipped to filter out the bad stuff, they systems are still developing and therefore more likely to be damaged by pesticides/hormones/etc., and because processed baby food purees often concentrate residues off all that bad stuff. (Of course, another option would be to just make your own baby food, which is more more fun and much easier than you could imagine!)
   

I must confess, meat and eggs are two things that I have not been buying organic. In fact, of the fresh food my family eats most often (tomatoes, lettuce, onions, eggs, milk, plain yogurt, cheese, ground beef and chicken), all of those except tomatoes and onions are on the "must buy organic" list, which means I need to seriously re-think what has been until now a very loose attachment to buying organic food.

Produce to Buy If At All Possible
These 12 fruits and vegetables contain the highest amount of pesticide residues:

peaches
apples
sweet bell peppers
celery
nectarines
strawberries
cherries
lettuce
imported grapes
pears
spinach
potatoes

Buy Conventional (Non-Organic)...
These are the 12 with the lowest pesticide residues:
onions
avocado
frozen sweet corn
pineapples
mangoes
frozen sweet peas
asparagus
kiwi
bananas
cabbage
broccoli
eggplant

Pick Your Own Produce!

As the hot, humid days of August have arrived, it's helpful to remember that with 100+ degree heat indices come the fresh fruits of summer. Here's a list of organic pick-your-own farms. Healthy, happy eating!

• www.pickyourown.org lists Pick-Your-Own locations in Northern Virginia.
• Virginia Apples lists orchard locations in Frederick County, VA (Winchester/Middletown areas)
• Potomac Vegetable Farms.9627 Leesburg Pike, four miles west of Tysons Corner 703-759-2119; mhnewcomb@aol.com Directions: On Route 7, 4 miles west of Tysons Corner (roadside stand). Open: 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday (closed Mondays), July-September; 10 a.m.-dark in October. All crops grown following organic practices (no herbicides or pesticides, composting, taking care of the soil in a sustainable way). Vegetable and flower seedlings available in spring. Canning quantities available August-October. Bring take home containers. Call ahead. Cider pressed on fall weekends. School tours by appointment. Also sell at Homegrown Farmers Markets. Fresh-picked and limited pick-your-own blackberries, eggs, and cut flowers. Fresh-picked sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, summer and winter squash, carrots, onions, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, celery, assorted bunched greens and lettuce, cut flowers.
• Willow Oaks Berry Farm 2521 Midland Road, Midland, VA 540.788.1086 Pick your own blueberries, blackberries, raspberries. Farm follows organic methods.
• Patowmack Farm - ORGANIC 42461 Lovettsville Rd., Lovettsville. 540-822-9017; patowmackfarm@megapipe.netOpen: 12 noon-5 p.m., May through October. An organic farm offering a magnificent view of the Potomac River. The on-farm market features fresh produce, eggs, a variety of organic products such as pasta, honey, chocolates, and much more. Come enjoy the farm and do your weekly grocery shopping.
• Butterfly Bend - Tankerville Road, Lovettsville, VA 540.822.5060 Butterfly Bend is a certified organic pick-your-own strawberry farm in Lovettsville, VA. Take a hay ride tour of the 14-acre farm (weekend and tour dates), visit resident cows, chickens and goats and learn how important bees, birds and butterflies are to an organic farm. Also feature honey from their own apiary, elephant garlic, seasonal produce from raised-bed garden, fresh eggs and hand-made crafts. Picnic benches and shade. Open for farm tour and by appointment. Call (540) 822-5060 or send an email to info@butterflybend.com.
• Hashway Gardens - ORGANIC 137 Garden Road, Berryville, VA 22611. Phone: 540-955-3204. Email us at: meahash@visuallink.com. Pick your own strawberries. NOTE: Frost killed the 2007 crop - come see us in 2008! Washington Post's List from 2003

And, from the Washington Post's Round-Up:

Maryland

Anne Arundel County

MOUNT AIRY U-PICK -- Strawberries. 832 Mount Airy Rd., Davidsonville. 410-798-1862 or 410-798-0838.

Baltimore County

HUBER'S FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, red raspberries, vegetables. 12208 Old Philadelphia Rd., Bradshaw. 410-679-1941 or 410-679-1948.

WEBER'S CIDER MILL FARM -- Apples. 2526 Proctor Lane, Parkville. 410-668-4488.

Calvert County

SEIDEL FARM -- Thornless blackberries, grapes. 2790 Plum Point Rd., Huntington. (Route 263). 410-535-2128.

Carroll County

BAUGHER'S ORCHARD -- Strawberries, sweet and sour cherries, black raspberries. 1236 Baugher Rd., about three miles west of Westminster on Route 140. 410-857-0111 or 410-848-5541.

Charles County

HYDROMONT BERRY FARM -- Strawberries. 8020 Hawthorne Rd, La Plata. 301-932-0872.

Frederick County

CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN ORCHARD -- Black raspberries, blueberries, sweet and sour cherries. 15036 N. Franklinville Rd., on U.S. 15, a half-mile north of Thurmont. 301-271-2737.

GLADE-LINK FARMS -- Strawberries, blueberries, red raspberries, vegetables. Route 194, New Midway. 301-898-7131.

MAYNES FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries. 3420 Buckeystown Pike, Buckeystown. 301-662-4320.

PRYOR'S ORCHARD -- Blueberries, sweet and sour cherries. 13841-B Pryor Rd., Thurmont. 301-271-2693.

Harford County

LOHR'S ORCHARD -- Strawberries, sour cherries, apples. 3212 Snake Lane, Churchville. 410-836-2783.

SHAW ORCHARDS -- Strawberries. 3121 Norrisville Rd., White Hall. 410-692-2429.

Howard County

LARRILAND FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, black and red raspberries, peaches, sour cherries, blueberries, apples, vegetables. 2415 Woodbine Rd. (Route 94), three miles south of I-70 Exit 73, near Lisbon. 301-854-6110 or 410-442-2605.

Montgomery County

BUTLER'S ORCHARD -- Strawberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries, red raspberries. 22200 Davis Mill Rd., Germantown. 301-972-3299.

HOMESTEAD FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, peaches, apples. 15600 Sugarland Rd., Poolesville. 301-977-3761.

ROCK HILL ORCHARD -- Strawberries, sour cherries, blackberries, red raspberries, apples. 28600 Ridge Rd., Mount Airy. 301-831-7427.

Prince George's County

CHERRY HILL FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries. 12300 Gallahan Rd., Clinton. 301-292-1928 or 301-292-4642.

JOHNSON'S BERRY FARM -- Black and red raspberries, blueberries, blackberries. 17000 Swanson Rd., Upper Marlboro. 301-627-8316.

MILLER FARMS -- Strawberries. 10140 Piscataway Rd., Clinton. 301-297-9370.

SHLAGEL FARMS -- Strawberries. 12850 Shlagel Rd., Waldorf. 301-843-9617.

St. Mary's County

FREE SPIRIT FARM -- Blueberries, asparagus. 38613 Chaptico Rd., Mechanicsville. 301-884-2401 or 301-888-2429.

Virginia

Caroline County

MOUNT OLYMPUS FARM -- Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. On U.S. 1 one mile north of I-95 Exit 104, in Carmel Church. 804-448-0395.

Fairfax County

POTOMAC VEGETABLE FARMS -- Blackberries. 9627 Leesburg Pike, Vienna. 703-759-2119.

Fauquier County

HARTLAND ORCHARD -- Sweet and sour cherries, peaches, apples. Near Markham: From I-66 Exit 18, north on Leeds Manor Road (Route 688), west on Belle Meade Road (F-284), follow signs a half-mile to Hartland Lane. 540-364-2316.

LINDEN VINEYARDS -- Blueberries, apples. In Linden: From I-66 Exit 13, east on Route 55 1 1/2 miles, south on Route 638 two miles to signs. 540-364-1997.

WILLOW OAKS BERRY FARM -- Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. Midland Road (Route 610) and Bristersburg Road, Somerville. (Route 616). 540-788-1086.

WILLIAMS PEACH MANOR ORCHARD -- Peaches, nectarines. 13095 Marsh Rd, Bealeton. 540-439-3035.

Loudoun County

CROOKED RUN ORCHARD -- Sour cherries, red raspberries, blackberries, peaches, apples. 37883 E. Main St., Purcelville. 540-338-6642.

GREAT COUNTRY FARMS -- Strawberries, black and red raspberries, blackberries, vegetables.18780 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont. 540-554-2073.

Orange County

DOUBLE B FARMS -- Strawberries, thornless blackberries. In Rhoadesville: From Fredericksburg, Route 3 west 11 miles to Route 20, south nine miles to signs on left. 540-854-4277.

Rappahannock County

HIGH PLACES ORCHARDS -- Raspberries, peaches, plums, nectarines, apples. 121 Winesap Lane, Flint Hill. 540-635-5537.

MUSKRAT HAVEN -- Strawberries, blueberries, thornless blackberries, red raspberries, peaches, nectarines, apples. On Route 211, 15 miles west of Warrenton. 540-937-5892 or 540-937-5191.

Shenandoah County

BLUE RIDGE BERRY FARM -- Blueberries. Near Toms Brook: From I-81 at Toms Brook exit, east on Route 651 to Route 11, south to Toms Brook, west at Brook Creek Road (Route 653), left at Harrisville Road (Route 655), 1.8 miles to farm on left. 540-436-9194.

SWOVER CREEK FARM -- Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, vegetables. From I-81 at Woodstock exit, west nine miles on Route 42 to Swover Creek Road, left one mile to farm on right. 540-984-8973.

Spotsylvania County

BELVEDERE PLANTATION -- Strawberries. On Route 17 seven miles southeast of Fredericksburg. 540-371-8494.

Westmoreland County

WESTMORELAND BERRY FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, black, red and purple raspberries, apples. In Oak Grove: From Fredericksburg, east on Route 3, seven miles past U.S. 301 to Claymont Road (Route 634), turn right and follow signs. 800-997-2377 or 804-224-9171.

West Virginia

Jefferson County

RIDGEFIELD ORCHARD -- Apples. Near Harpers Ferry on Kidwiler Road off Route 230. 304-876-3647.

At Work and Have 5 Minutes to Find Something Good for Dinner Tonight?

If you're like me, it's often in that hour or so before lunch that your thoughts turn to food. Since what I have for lunch is never very exciting, I usually find myself heading for the web to find something new and fun--and healthy and cheap--and preferably with ingredients I already have--to make for dinner. Here are some of my favorite places to go, and some other great recommendations I've gathered along the way.

Online Recipe Sources:

• Many rave reviews for the Six o'Clock Scramble, a weekly email newsletter that "provides five family-tested dinner recipes and a corresponding grocery list to its subscribers. Most take 30 minutes or less to prepare and have fewer than ten ingredients." Six months of menus and grocery list for $26.50.
• Along the same idea, menu-mailers from Leanne Ely at Saving Dinner. This one includes 6 recipes each week, and you can select a "theme" (vegetarian, frugal, crock pot, heart-healthy, etc.) for your recipes. Her site has lots of freebies as well. She doesn't provide the grocery list, and a 6 month subscription costs $17.95. A 3 month trial subscription is $9.95.
• For a free weekly newsletter, try Eating Well, which also has searchable recipe archives. Here's a sampler of their Seasonal Desserts. Okay, desserts aren't exactly the point here, but what's a good dinner without a good dessert to follow?
  
• Moosewood Restaurant Cookbook and online recipe archive is a good source for low-fat, often vegetarian recipes.
• My fave TV channel (or one of them!), The Food Network. If you're a fan of The Next Food Network Star, here's where to find the recipes they made this season.
  
• www.allrecipes.com is also a great site with good search capabilities--you can even list the ingredients you want to use, and the ones you don't want, and see what pops up. So, if you want a great quiche recipe but hate mushrooms, just list eggs as an ingredient you want and mushrooms as one you don't, and voila!
  
• Try the advanced search at www.cookinglight.com. They have zillons (okay, thousands at least) of delicious, healthy recipes.
• If you're looking for fancier fare, try Epicurious, the online home of Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines. Or head over to the Epicurean recipe exchange--search by main ingredients here as well, always helpful.
  

Eat Your Greens! Some Recipes...

Along with the general advice to just throw whatever veggies you have in the fridge into on on top of whatever it is that you are cooking, here are a few easy recipes that work well with most any vegs you have on hand.

"HOMEMADE" PASTA SAUCE

You may think that making pasta sauce takes too long and is too much "cooking" for you. I beg to differ! The best thing about making your own sauce is that you really can't go wrong, no matter what you end up throwing in there.

• First, the meat. Optional. Cook a pound or two of ground beef or turkey in a large skillet until brown on the outside. Or, chop up some chicken breast into small squares and cook until done (when you press on the chicken with the back of a spoon, the juices should run clear, not pink or cloudy).
  
• Second, dice a whole bunch of veggies, whatever you have, and throw them in a pan with some olive oil to saute them just a bit. Or, toss in some frozen veggies (frozen spinach works great) or canned veggies. I usually do at least one onion
  
• Last, the sauce part--you can use plain tomato sauce or one of the jarred sauces (just watch to avoid the ones high in sodium). Heat and serve, that's all there is to it! If you want to get fancy, you can add fresh basil and parsley right before serving.

STIR FRY

Basically the same principal as above, only don't add tomato sauce. Instead, add some spice! I usually just throw some ground red pepper and salt on mine, or soy sauce, but there is a plethora of Asian-inspired sauces out there to experiment with and find what your family likes.

I also hear rave reviews for Trader Joe's frozen stir fry veggies, although I haven't tried them yet. I'm usually shorter on money than time, so I go for the cheaper but more labor-intensive option of just buying veggies separate. If you're more concerned about getting in and out of the kitchen quickly, or with having something on hand that just needs to be heated up, then these ready-to-eat bags are probably great.

QUESADILLAS

What could be easier than a tortilla, some cheese, and some veggies/meat? Grill up some chicken breasts, (or, to save more time, get a rotisserie chicken from the market). Layer a flour tortilla, cheddar cheese, chicken, peppers/onions (optional), another tortilla - and heat in a frying pan or George Forman grill like a grilled cheese sandwich. Easy, fast, neat enough to take in the car...it's the perfect food!

(Leave off the tortilla, add eggs, and you have a Veggie Frittata!)

PIZZA

Another very easy at-home fix that sneaks veggies into a kid-appealing package. Rumor has it that Trader Joe's sells the dough (plain or wheat) for $0.99, although I can't vouch for it personally. I can highly recommend Wegman's pizza dough, especially the whole wheat variety. It's in their prepared foods section (by the bakery) and it's only $2.50 (approx.) for a package, which for us makes 2 pizzas that serve 4 each. Toppings, like all the other recipes on this page, can be anything. Chicken and onion is a favorite in my family, but thinly sliced tomato, bell peppers, leftover slices of eggplant parmesan, olives, canned artichoke hearts, broccoli crowns, thinly sliced zucchini and other squash all work well.

Bon Appetit!

Veggie Frittata

Here's a sneaky way to get more veggies in your diet. Or, more likely, in your kid's diet. It's also wonderful for using up veggies that are teetering on the verge of going bad--because the vegetables are sauteed, it doesn't matter if they are slightly soft or cut in uneven chucks.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Put a little olive oil in a large skillet* and then put in whatever kind of cut-up veggies you'd like. I like tomatoes in slices, onions, pre-boiled potatoes, eggplant, corgettes, any kind of squash...pretty much anything works! You can also toss in some crumbled or sliced pre-cooked sausage. Brown everything for about 5 minutes.

*Cast iron, if you have it, works really well, as the skillet will go directly in the oven. Cast iron skillets in general are great for even cooking, and will even add minute amounts of iron to whatever is cooked in them, ensuring that eaters in your house get enough iron—which the body needs to produce red blood cells—as it seeps off the cookware into food in small amounts. See here and here.

In a large bowl, stir 6-8 eggs with ~1/2 cup of cheese (any kind, but I like mozzarella and swiss). The amount of eggs & cheese can be adjusted for how much food you want to make.

Pour the egg/cheese mixture into the frying pan and shake it a little to get the eggs distributed evenly over the veggies. Immediately place the frying pan directly into the oven for about 15 minutes.

Then transfer the frittata to a plate and cut it like a pizza. Ta-da!