Maria College’s garden is really thriving as we move through the month of June! Liz offered a great introduction to the garden in her blog post on June 14, and the Maria College Facebook page recently shared a photo of the garden’s progress. All of this got me thinking about the really terrific food that is produced locally in the Capital Region and that is so readily available, especially in the summer months.
There are so many bountiful farmers markets held locally on just about every day of the week. Click here to learn about the markets in our area. And, of course, there is the nationally known Troy Waterfront Farmers’ Market held each Saturday offering delicious food along with entertainment and so much more.
The Capital Region is also the home of a phenomenal organization called Capital Roots that does so much to ensure that everyone, regardless of location and income has access to healthy food. Their mission states: “Our Vision for the future is of a Capital Region where every person has access to fresh, affordable, healthy food.” Capital Roots (which used to be called Community Gardens) hosts programs including the Veggie Mobile ® which delivers fresh produce to over thirty urban neighborhoods and Community Gardens which makes “garden plots available for those who want to grow their own produce.” Please take a minute to learn about this local treasure.
Let me leave you with a recipe that makes use of some of the delicious food locally available this summer:
Tomato Cucumber Salad
Dressing:
1/4 Cup each light mayonnaise and reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 Cup seasoned rice-wine vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salad:
2 Pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 small seedless cucumber, thinly sliced (can substitute 3 smaller Kirby cucumbers)
3 Tbsp each finely chopped scallions and fresh dill
1. Dressing: Whisk the ingredients in a large bowl until blended.
2. Add the remaining ingredients; stir gently to mix and coat
Happy eating!
Anne