This past weekend, we visited friends at their beautiful Three Springs Farm and apple orchard in Gettysburg, PA.  It was a spectacular, sunny, warm fall day.  Rain from the week before left everything green, which was a welcome sight after the dry summer painted the landscape brown. It was a perfect fall day! 

Their apple trees were overflowing with ripe red apples. Driving through the orchard, the sweet aroma welcomed us.  This year, we picked Fuji apples and I totally understand the popularity of this crisp, sweet, juicy variety. 

The Fuji apple is a cross between the Red Delicious and the heirloom Rawls Genet (or Janet) apple and was developed by growers in Fujisaki, Aomori, Japan.  Fuji apples are one of the most popular varieties in Japan and China and continue to grow in popularity in the United States.

They have a very long shelf life compared with other apples.  They can remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 months. They are excellent for eating fresh, in salads, in pies or made into applesauce.  They are low in calories and high in fiber.  One medium apple contains only about 80 calories and 5 grams of fiber.  Apples provide vitamin C, antioxidants and phytonutrients that help fight against cancer and heart disease.  Research shows apples and apple juice may also improve brain health and help protect against cellular damage attributed to memory loss. 

These apples are truly so delicious that it’s very easy to eat a Fuji apple a day…

I love watermelon!  Did you know there are over 200 different varieties?  My favorites – seedless varieties!  While a lot of people think that watermelon isn’t very nutritious, watermelon is actually a good source of vitamin C and fiber.  Because of its high water content, it’s filling, yet low in calories.  A two cup serving provides only about 80 calories.  It is a good source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that fights against cancer and heart disease.  It also contains the amino acid citruline, which is used to make the amino acid arginine.  Arginine promotes wound healing and is being studied by medical researchers for other health benefits including promoting healthy blood pressure and heart health.

According to The National Watermelon Promotion Board, here are some watermelon tips:

• Don’t judge a watermelon by color. 
• Look for a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free from bruises, cuts or dents.
• The underside should have a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.
• The watermelon should be heavy for its size.
• If buying pre-sliced watermelon, look for a firm center and bright flesh.
• Be sure to wash watermelon before cutting into it.
• Refrigerate and cover cut watermelon for up to 3-4 days.

At the farmers market today, I was drawn to the beautiful red and black raspberries.  Their sweet, yet tart, flavor always calls me back for more.  Berries are colorful, fun, festive and dress up any meal.

From breakfast to evening snacks, berries are great served alone or with cereal, yogurt, and salads. Pureed, they’re delicious in smoothies made with yogurt. Drop a few in spritzers made with sparkling water.

Fresh berries, including strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries may spoil quickly, so always check your fruit thoroughly after you get home.  It’s best to store berries by spreading them on a shallow plate or pan, covering with paper towels and then with plastic. When ready to serve, rinse the fruit, drain and gently pat dry.

 To freeze berries, wash and drain them thoroughly, then spread them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  Place them in the freezer until frozen and then transfer them to a freezer bag. 

Berries are nutrition powerhouses.  They’re low in calories, approximately 50-70 calories per cup, rich in phytochemicals, important “fighters” against cancer and heart disease, and fiber.

What’s your favorite way to eat berries?

My garden is bursting with fresh, young, tender lettuce and I’m loving it!  I planted several different varieties this year, including green and red leafy mixes, butter crunch and a head variety. 

Fresh lettuce is beautiful in the garden and tasty at the table. It’s very low calorie with only about 10 calories per cup.  It provides fiber, vitamins A (beta carotene) and C, and potassium.  The darker the lettuce, the higher the beta carotene content. 

Lettuce is so refreshing and light since it contains about 95% water.  It can be easily dressed with a light creamy dressing or vinaigrette.  Rinse fresh lettuce just before serving in cold water.  Dry in a salad spinner and/or pat dry with a clean towel.  Salad dressing clings better to dry leaves. Tear lettuce instead of cutting with a knife because cut edges may discolor quickly.  Toss with your favorite dressing right before serving because fresh lettuce leaves wilt quickly after dressed.

Hope you all enjoy the light, fresh, tender taste of fresh garden lettuce this season.

March is National Nutrition Month, a campaign sponsored by the American Dietetic Association (ADA).  The ADA is the nation’s largest organization for food and nutrition professionals and has more than 70,000 members. This year’s theme is “Nutrition from the Ground Up.”  To celebrate National Nutrition Month, The ADA has been invited to ring the closing bell at NASDAQ stock exchange, the largest electronic equities exchange in the U.S. 

According to ADA, the NASDAQ closing ceremony is broadcast live at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on CNBC and Bloomberg TV, and on NASDAQ’s Web site at: http://www.nasdaq.com/about/marketsitetowervideo.asx.  If you can’t catch the ceremony live, you can view it later in the NASDAQ video archive section at http://www.nasdaq.com/marketsite/marketsite_events.stm.

I love the theme “nutrition from the ground up” because it embraces the goodness of eating locally grown foods and/or growing your own food.  This weekend, I had the pleasure of doing both.  It was a gorgeous gardening Saturday in mountain Maryland and I got out in my backyard garden and raked and turned and dug in the dirt and planted onions and peas.  Gardening truly is therapeutic and yields delicious returns.  I’m already anticipating the tasty fruits (or should I say vegetables) of my labor.

On Sunday, we visited the Pennsylvania Maple Festival in nearby Meyersdale, PA. This year the festival celebrates its 63^rd year.  Famous singer, Kate Smith, pronounced the local syrup to be the “sweetest she had ever tasted” on her radio show in 1947. According to local historians, this publicity furnished the impetus to promote Somerset County maple syrup and the festival was born. 

A few interesting maple facts:

• A maple tree is usually 30 years old or more before it is tapped.
• The ‘mapling’ season may last for 8 to 10 weeks, but during this period the heavy sap may run only 10 to 20 days.
• The harvest season ends with the coming of spring’s warm nights and the first stages of bud development of the trees.

For more information, visit www.pamaplefestival.com.

How do you  celebrate healthy eating “from the ground up?”