We ran several nutrition columns in the Courier during the summer Farmer's Market season. Below is a re-run of the articles:


Learn how to prepare this week's produce with Cooperative Extension!

Wednesday in Bath means taking a stroll through the park to smell the bright, colorful flowers and gather some luscious, juicy produce in your basket. Cornell Cooperative Extension stakes out their tent in the middle of the vendors to bring together both the agricultural and nutritional worlds in an educational forum.

Chef Jon Sterlace, an Extension nutrition educator, selects a seasonal product from one of the market vendors and prepares nutritious samples of recipes using that product. Horticulture educator Stephanie Mehlenbacher provides information on growing that product. On their first outing of the season, the Extension team featured rhubarb. Using Phil Glosick's honey and a Master Gardener's donated rhubarb, Jon whipped up Rhubarb Bread Pudding and Iced Rhubarb Yogurt (see recipes here). The recipes were chosen because they are low in fat, sugar and salt and high in nutrients.

Nutrition Team Leader Loree Symonds says the Farmer's Market Nutrition Program fits two of Cooperative Extension's initiatives - The Eat Smart New York program helps people stretch their food dollars while eating healthy, and the agriculture initiative encourages people to buy local produce. Furthermore the Market supports Farmer's Market coupons for WIC recipients and senior citizens. The Extension educators cross promote Farmer's Market at their WIC and senior educational programs.

Stephanie prepared a plant description and profile for rhubarb to hand out to Market visitors. "Rhubarb is one of the simplest vegetables to grow because it's a perennial, and it is vigorous and strong," she said. She describes rhubarb as a vegetable with a tart flavor, so it should be served sweetened and cooked. Only the thick red and green stalks are edible. Select rhubarb that has a bright, vivid color and feels dry, firm and crisp. Avoid stalks that are limp or wilted or have brown areas.

Rhubarb can be refrigerated in a plastic bag up to one week. It should be washed well before using. After the leaves or root ends are removed, slice or chop the stalk as desired. Then it is typically stewed or added to recipes for baked goods. Rhubarb will react with metal, so it should be cooked only in non aluminum pots.
This vegetable is not eaten raw. It can be served paired with sweeteners in sauces, baked goods and desserts. Strawberries and rhubarb are frequently used together since they ripen in the same season. When cooked, rhubarb provides Vitamins C and K, calcium, and fiber.

When planting rhubarb, it will work best in full sun, but can tolerate partial shade. It needs well-drained, fertile soil, but requires little fertilization after planting. The plants are placed one to three inches deep and two to three feet apart, and then it will grow year after year. It is relatively pest free, except for rhubarb curcurlio, potato stem borer, mites, slugs, and crown rot disease. Stephanie reminds gardeners to only harvest the stems and not the leaves. Never harvest rhubarb after a hard frost or freeze.
Stephanie also fielded questions from gardeners on tent caterpillars and when to fertilize your lawn while she was at the Market. The Master Gardener hotline is open every Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to noon for garden-related questions at 607-664-2307.

Jon served over 100 samples at the Farmer's Market on Wednesday. People usually responded to the word "rhubarb" with a positive "Mmmmm" or with a negative holding up their hand in front of their face. He found only one out of ten did not like it. He then tried to encourage them to sample just a little. He said the rhubarb bread pudding was made with whole wheat bread to incorporate fiber, and the iced rhubarb yogurt included nonfat plain yogurt to promote June as dairy month.

Jon is planning tasty recipes using spinach and green onions and strawberries for the next Cooperative Extension market samples. Stephanie says a plant division demonstration was very popular last year, and she plans to do that again this year at the market. Visit them at the Market on June 18 and 25. And for much more information on buying local, eating healthy and improving your family's lives, visit www.putknowledgetowork.com.

Be strong to the finish, 'cuz you ate your spinach...

Popeye's favorite food was the feature this week at the Bath Wednesday Farmer's Market. In the cartoon spinach had the power to make you exceptionally strong! There is truth in the fact that eating your fruits and vegetables makes your body strong. Buying your produce at the local market offers you fresh choices, food free from preservatives, a cost based on fewer transportation fees, and a boost for the local economy!

Chef Jon at the Cornell Cooperative Extension booth put some fun in his spinach recipe by pairing it with strawberries. He said people were hesitant, saying "I like my vegetables and fruits separate," but after they tasted the sample, it was a revelation that the two could be combined.

Jon said that although Popeye made spinach popular, it was too bad that he ate it out of a can. Fresh spinach retains the delicacy of texture and jade color that has lost when spinach is processed. Spinach is rich in a number of essential nutrients including calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, Vitamin C and Vitamin A. Besides making Popeye strong, the spinach also protected him against osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, arthritis, and other diseases at the same time.

Spinach tips:
Choose leaves that are crisp and are dark green with a nice fresh fragrance. Avoid those that are limp, damaged or spotted. Flat leaf spinach is usually the preferred choice for raw dishes, as it has a milder flavor. One pound of fresh spinach leaves will cook down to about one cup of cooked spinach. Eating about one cup of raw spinach offers roughly one-third of the nutrition as half a cup of cooked spinach.

Once you have your spinach home, spinach should be washed. Loose spinach can be very gritty, so it must be thoroughly rinsed. It can't be washed enough! It grows in sandy soils that seem to cling to the growing leaves.
The easiest way to wash spinach is to put it into a sink or large container of cold water. Remove any tough stems by twisting or cutting leaves off just above stem line and immerse in water. Swish leaves around, then let them stand for a few minutes while dirt sinks to the bottom. Thoroughly dry by using a salad spinner or by blotting with paper towels. Wrap in dry paper towels and seal in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator. Use within three days.
Extension Horticulture Educator Stephanie Mehlenbacher says spinach is a cool season crop and one of the first leaf vegetables ready for harvest in the spring and early summer. They can be seeded directly into the garden or container as early as you can work the ground in the spring. The plant tolerates full sun or partial shade and requires well-drained, fertile soil that is high in organic matter. You should only fertilize if the leaves are pale green. Spinach needs a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. (Remember you can test your soil at the Cooperative Extension office). Pests that challenge healthy spinach are leafminers with heat and long days causing spinach plants to flower and the leaves becoming bitter and inedible.

Stephanie says gardens got a slow start to the season with the early hot weather. With the recent wet weather, she says gardeners should now consider disease management. She also recommends a new Farmers' Market in Hornell on Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Center Street parking lot. The new market is seeking vendors of produce, baked goods, maple and egg products and flowers. To give the market a boost, vendor fees will be waived this year. However, before vendors set up, they must read the rules and complete an application. Call 607-664-2307 or visit www.putknowledgetowork.com for information.

Another recipe at this week's market featured local tomatoes. Jon used tomatoes from Joe Delio, a vendor from Wayland. With all the press over tomatoes causing food bourne illness, Joe guarantees that his tomatoes are New York State grown, which is listed in the USDA safe list for tomatoes. Jon says visitors to the Wednesday market were not concerned about tomatoes. "I don't think it is an issue here." The Hoover booth from Dundee said their tomato sales have actually risen.

The couscous in the second recipe (pronounced coo-coos) is a coarsely ground semolina pasta that is a dietary staple in North African countries. Similar to rice in shape, color and texture, it is used in many dishes as rice would be. A grain of couscous is similar in size to a grain of sugar.It is a low-fat complex carbohydrate and like grains, such as rice, couscous tends to take on the flavor of whatever sauce or other ingredient it is prepared with.

Upcoming at next week's market: peas!

Nutrition and vegetables go together like two peas in a pod!

The Cooperative Extension Nutrition booth at the Bath Wednesday Farmers' Market featured peas this week. Peas are an early harvest crop. They do not tolerate hot weather, so they are often planted early in the spring and ready for harvesting in the home garden by the Fourth of July. Green peas are second only to lima beans as a fresh vegetable source of protein. They are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, iron, and phosphorus.

What do you look for in peas?
Purchasing: At the market, choose peas that have been stored at a cool temperature, with pods that are firm. Avoid peas in overlarge pods and those that are wilted or scarred. Plan on buying about a pound of peas in the pod for every cup of shelled peas you want.
Storage: For the sweetest flavor, serve peas as soon after picking or buying as possible. As peas age, the sugar content turns to starch, making the peas less sweet. Store all peas in the shell in the crisper section of your refrigerator in a perforated plastic bag. Use within two days.
Preparation: Shell peas just before cooking or serving. Shell peas by pressing pods between thumb and fore finger to open and with your thumb, scrape out the peas. Place in a colander and rinse. Do not eat pods from green peas.
Serving: Eat raw as a snack or in salads. To cook or steam, place in a saucepan with a small amount of cold water. Cover and cook 5-8 minutes or until tender.
Nutrition Facts: Peas are rich in vitamin A and C, Thiamine, riboflavin and potassium. Remember that by cooking in the smallest amount of water possible, the less vitamin C, thiamine and riboflavin will be lost as they are water soluble.
Extension's Market Chef, Jon Sterlace, said this week was by far their busiest day at the market. There were more vendors, and in just a few hours he gave away nearly 200 samples. "Most people liked the peas," he said. "They liked the fact that it was easy to prepare and that it used ingredients they already have at home." The word spread quickly through the market about the pea salad. Visitors were seeking out the Cooperative Extension booth looking for a sample of pea salad.

Jon enjoys highlighting a fruit or vegetable that might need a little more exposure to the public. He also uses produce for his recipes from the vendors at the market. This shows Steuben County how they, too, can work their healthy menus around what is currently in season.

Jon says promoting local produce is the main reason for having sample recipes at the market. "We can support our local farmers and teach people to choose fruit and vegetables instead of candy and soda." Jon meets a lot of people at the market. This week he talked to a group of people in their 20's who were interested in additional nutrition education. They wanted to get healthier and lose weight.

Extension Horticulture Educator Stephanie Mehlenbacher offers a few special tips for planting peas. This crop prefers cool, damp weather. They should be planted in early spring as soon as soil temperatures are above 40F and moisture is adequate. They require full sun or partial shade and need a well-drained fertile soil that is high in organic matter. Peas like a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Gardeners can put seeds directly in the garden or field. Plant seeds deep if the soil is dry, and plant shallow if the soil is wet. A second planting can be done 8-10 weeks before the first fall frost date

Stephanie urges the public to buy local for a number of reasons. Food from the large grocery chains are transported 1,500 miles on average. Local produce saves gas! If the fruit does not have to travel so far, it can be picked as it ripens on the vine. Local produce offers better taste, color and more nutritional value! Farmers' Market produce is usually handled by one set of hands. Using local produce reduces the potential for contamination. But the best reason of all is that buying local supports the local economy and keep family owned farms in business.

With July almost here, Stephanie reminds gardeners to monitor their plants for Japanese Beetles. July is also the time to dig up a square foot of sod and check for grubs. If there are 10 or more per square foot, the area needs treating. Another sign of grubs is if birds and skunks are prevalent in your yard. For additional gardening and pest questions, call the Master Gardener Hotline at Cooperative Extension on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The number is 607-664-2307.

Make Nutrition a Family Affair

At the Bath Farmer's Market this week Cornell Cooperative Extension offered food and fun while sharing the booth with Maria Quintall, Coordinator of the Bath Area Family Resource Center (BAFRC) and her summer intern Nikki. BAFRC partners regularly with Extension in offering families nutrition and financial programs such as Making Ends Meet and Eat Smart New York.

At the market Maria and Nikki helped kids make decorative hats out of newspaper, paper streamers, and other fun colorful items. While the kids created their hats, parents and grandparents learned how to prepare this week's recipe. Chef Jon, with nutrition educators Pat White and Lea Kautz, prepared and cooked Confetti Pancakes made from a colorful blend of shredded yellow summer squash, green zucchini, orange and red organic carrots, and fresh herbs (sage, chives, and thyme) from the Extension garden.

Bath Wednesday Farmer's Market vendors Ed Deccio, Joe Delio, Phil Glosick, and the Zimmerman family all provided the fresh vegetables for this week's recipe.

Horticulture Educator Stephanie Mehlenbacher passed along information on dealing with Japanese and cucumber beetles, successful growing methods for summer squash and zucchini, and general garden-related questions. Despite threats of heavy downpour and challenges with cooking on the campstove, the Extension educators went ahead with their scheduled activities in Pulteney Square Park and were rewarded with good attendance.

The Cooperative Extension booth will be back on August 6 with another fun recipe. The rumor is the featured produce item may be corn, so "pop" back to the market to find out what's cookin' at the Bath Wednesday Farmer's Market with Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Summer Squash and Zucchini

What to look for: Small, young squash that are heavy for their size. Choose those that are firm to the touch. Avoid those that are soft or show decay.

To Prepare: Wash gently in cold water, trim both ends, then slice or cut into cubes and add to salads. Zucchini is good sliced and served on vegetable trays with dip.

Cooked: Prepare the same as above then stir-fry, steam or grill. Both are a good addition to a grilled meal and mixes well with other grilled vegetables. Because of the high water content, neither should be overcooked as they will fall apart. Zucchini is good in soups. Summer squash can be substituted for eggplant or carrots.

Baked: Summer squash and zucchini do not stand up to pro-longed baking, but chopped and shredded zucchini is often added to breads and muffins to make a healthy treat.

To Store: Store in the refrigerator. Use within 3-5 days.

To Freeze: Slice in one inch pieces. Blanch for three minutes. Store in a freezer safe container.

Equivalents: One pound equals 4 cups grated. One pounds equals 3 to 4 servings.

Plant Profile:

Summer squash includes zucchini, yellow squash, scalloped squash and patty pan squash.

These plants require full sun (at least six hours), well-drained soil with high fertility.

Summer Squash can be grown in containers as long as they are large enough.

The squash flowers are actually edible and squash plants bloom from mid-summer until early fall.

Direct seed into the garden soil about two weeks after the last spring frost.

It's Cherry Time!

This week was cherry week at the Bath Wednesday Farmer’s Market! Nutrition Educator Jon Sterlace created a tasty Fire-Roasted Corn and Cherry Salsa at the Cornell Cooperative Extension booth. He said most of the people who came to the booth liked cherries and appreciated learning a new way to prepare them.

“It’s better than I thought it would be,” said one visitor. “I just bought some cherries and was looking for a recipe to use them in. Thank you,” said another.

Chef Jon served 175 samples of the cherry salsa on a day that threatened to rain all morning. Still, visitors were not deterred from attending. The shoppers are typically locals, people who work in the Steuben County Office Building, current and past attendees of various Extension programs, seniors, WIC participants, and even some seasonal people and tourists just checking out what is going on in the park.

Jon often offers to share the farmer’s market booth with other agencies that Cooperative Extension partners with. This week he would like to thank the Angel Food Ministries program for sharing their tent. Jon used local organic parsley provided by PeaceWeavers Organic Community Farm and two varieties of local sweet cherries and green onions from Indian Run/Shady Maple Farm for this week’s recipe.

There are two general varieties of cherries: sweet and sour. The success of your recipe will depend on choosing the right variety.
Sweet cherries are usually eaten out of hand and are larger than sour cherries. They are heart-shaped and have sweet, firm flesh. They range in color from golden red-blushed Royal Ann to dark red to purplish-black. Bing, Lambert, and Tartarian are other popular dark cherries. Sweet cherries also work well in cooked dishes.

Sour cherries are normally too tart to eat and are smaller than their sweet cousins. They are more globular in shape with a softer flesh. The Early Richmond variety is first available in late spring and is bright red in color with Montmorency soon following. The dark red Morello variety is another popular sour cherry. Sour cherries are normally cooked with sugar and used for pies, pastries, and relishes.
Cherries are available in July and August. When choosing cherries, look for fresh cherries that are clean, shiny, plump and firm with no blemishes. Sweet cherries should have firm, but not hard flesh, while sour cherries should be medium-firm. The darker the color, the sweeter the cherry. Cherries with the stems intact will have a longer shelf life. One pound of fresh, unpitted cherries converts to 2 1/3 cups of pitted, or 1 ½ cups of cherry juice.

Store unwashed cherries in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and wash just before eating. Fresh cherries should be consumed within two to four days. To prepare cherries, wash them in cold water. When cooking, cut them in half, then remove the stems and pits. To serve, you can eat cherries raw or use them in recipes for fruit salads, pies, desserts, jams and sauces. Before eating fresh sweet cherries, leave them out on the counter for a few hours as the flavor is much better at room temperature.

Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator Stephanie Mehlanbacher says cherries can be difficult to grow in Steuben County. The best places to grow cherries would be near the lakes, at lower elevations or in warmer microclimates. However, gardeners should not be discouraged. With patience and time to care for the trees, you will be rewarded with a lot of wonderful fruit!

Cherries require consistent soil moisture and relatively high organic matter. Most sweet cherries require two different varieties of certain types to provide effective pollen. Stella and Lapins are two varieties that can pollinate themselves. Pollination takes place by wild bees, flies, beetles and other insects.

Stephanie joins Jon in the Farmer’s Market booth to provide answers to your gardening questions! She suggests using food plants such as vegetables, small fruit and tree fruits as edible ornamentals. Plant them right in with your other landscape plants for a practical, beautiful landscape. She also reminds the home gardener that July is the time to monitor for Japanese Beetles. Fact sheets on managing Japanese Beetles and Downy Mildew are now online at www.putknowledgetowork.com. For more information about growing cherries and other tree fruit or managing pests, call 607-664-2300 or visit the website.

Jon treats us to a snappy recipe!

The produce highlighted at the Cornell Cooperative Extension booth for this week was Snap Beans. Snap beans are a true American food. They were grown by Native Americans, who would plant them with corn and let the beans grow up the stalk of the corn. Snap beans got their nickname from the snapping sound they make when being broken.

Extension educator Jon Sterlace created a tasty bean and potato recipe for market visitors using garlic from Ed DeCiccio of Addison, onion from Joe Delio of Wayland, potatoes from Chester Hoover of Dundee, and green and yellow beans from Lydia and Ion Zimmerman of Penn Yan. He served nearly 150 samples of the dish to a delighted public who commented that this was a recipe that would be useful because of an abundance of beans in their gardens. Jon said it was a nostalgic recipe because for those who grew up on a farm always had beans, milk and potatoes on hand, so all the ingredients were homegrown.

What to look for: Crisp but tender beans that snap when broken. Beans with small seeds are best; length is not important. Avoid limp, scarred beans or those with rusty spots.

To Store: Refrigerate in crisper or wrapped. Use within 1 or 2 days.

To Prepare: Wash in cool water. Snap off ends. Leave whole or cut into bite-sized pieces.

To Serve: Eat raw or cook in saucepan in 1 inch of cold water for 10-15 minutes, or until tender. They can also be baked in casseroles.

To Freeze: Leave whole or cut into pieces. Blanch for 3 minutes, cool rapidly by placing in ice water bath, place in freezer safe container and freeze.

Equivalents: 1 pound beans= 3-3½ cups

Nutrition: Snap beans are a fat-free food that is a good source of carbohydrates and fiber with moderate amounts of protein, vitamin C and beta carotene.

Plant Profile:
There are two types of bean typically planted in the garden: bush beans and pole beans. Pole beans yield more with less space as long as you stake them
Propagate directly in soil as soon as danger of frost is past. Germination is best when soil temperatures are consistently above 60 degree F.
These annuals require full sun (at least six hours), well-drained soil, pH of 6.0-6.8, and can be planted in soil that is lower in fertility.
Do not fertilize with nitrogen! These plants make their own.
Plant in two week intervals, so the harvest is spread out over time

The Bath Wednesday Farmer's Market is always bustling with activity. Jon says his customers love to come get fresh produce for dinner and support the local growers. It has become a weekly social event, with families and employees showing up to visit while they buy. The other vendors tell Jon as he sets up his booth that the visitors are always eager to sample his recipe of the week. "They've been waiting for you!"

Extension horticulture educator Stephanie Mehlenbacher was at the booth to offer the following August tips for gardeners:
The Ichneumon wasp is out in full force. This wasp in not the stinging type of insect, but is a wasp with a large ovipositor. They may be swarming around the maple trees, but they do not harm the trees. They are parasitic wasps that help control tree and shrub pests.
Euonymus scale is also out in large numbers at this time. You can put horticulture oil on it in the early spring, but at this time of the year, all you can do is prune. If your plant is badly infected, it is best to remove the plant and put in more resistant varieties.
In late August it will be time to fertilize your lawn. For more information on these and other gardening techniques, call the Master Gardener Hotline Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Blue, Blue ... you won't be blue when you eat blueberries

Antioxidants are thought to help protect the body against the damaging effects of free radicals and the chronic diseases associated with the aging process. Fresh fruits, including blueberries, and vegetables contain many of these naturally occurring antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E. Blueberries are among the fruits with the highest antioxidant activity according to data from the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (Boston, MA). Researchers have shown that one serving of fresh blueberries provides more antioxidant activity than many other fresh fruits and vegetables.

Besides being so healthy, blueberries are a fun summer fruit! So Cornell Cooperative Extension's Chef Jon featured them this week at the Bath Wednesday Farmer's Market in a fresh new way - with lemon cream! It was the most popular sample to date at the market. He passed out nearly 200 cups of the zesty treat.

It was a particularly fun day at the market this week. Cooperative Extension partnered with Kelli Mannon, Director of the Rural Steuben Health Network in the booth. Kelli was promoting the County Health and Wellness Committee's new campaign on "Lean Steuben." The campaign encourages people to eat and live a healthier lifestyle. A volunteer from both Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Steuben County Office for the Aging, Jan Leathersich, was on hand to pass out the samples and encourage senior citizens to shop at local Farmer's Markets with senior farmer market coupons. Cooperative Extension Horticulture educator Stephanie Mehlenbacher provided planting tips for blueberries. She said, "It was the perfect match at the market today. The two groups came together with a common cause."

WVIN provided a radio remote at the market to help show the importance of farmer's markets in our lifestyle and local economy. Cornell Cooperative Extension Executive Director Tom Tomsa told the radio audience that Extension promotes local growers' fresh produce in conjunction with their nutrition and food safety education. He explained that consumer purchase of local foods helps improve the local economy and supports the development of more farmer's markets, farm stands and Community Supported Agriculture. Stephanie said that for every dollar spent at the farm market is turned into $2.50 as it circulates in the local economy.

For his blueberry recipe this week, Jon used blueberries from Marian Shugars of Painted Post and Chester Hoover of Dundee, and honey from Phil Glosick of Bath. Blueberries are a popular berry to eat raw or in cooked and baked dishes. Their sweet taste and small size make them popular with kids.

Look for: Berries that are blue or dark blue in color. Size is not an indicator of quality or maturity. Most blueberry varieties will have a silver-white frost on the top. This is called bloom. A lack of bloom can sometimes indicate that the berries have been handled too much or are not fresh. Avoid containers with moldy or shriveled berries.

To Prepare: Wash in cold water just before serving and drain well. They can be eaten out of hand as a snack. They can also be added to cereal, salads and yogurt.

To Cook: Blueberries are a tasty addition to waffle and pancake batter. To keep the batters from turning blue, stir the blueberries in last. Baking: Blue berries can be used in pies, cobblers and added to muffins and coffeecakes.

To Store: Fresh blueberries should be stored in the refrigerator and used within 2-3 days.

To Freeze: Blue berries can be frozen on a tray or cookie sheet and then placed in a zip-lock freezer bag or freezer container.

Equivalents: 1 pint = about 2 ½ cups
1dry pint = about 12 oz.

Nutrition: Blueberries pack a big nutritional punch in a small package. Blueberries are a low fat, sodium-free fruit. They are high in antioxidants, which have been shown to help prevent cancer. Blueberries are also cholesterol-free, a good source of fiber and a good source of vitamin C.

Planting: Blueberries thrive in well-drained, but constantly moist soil. however, a swamp is not appropriate. Of the berry plants, blueberries are the easiest to grow and lowest maintenance. It is recommended to purchase bare-root plants for planting. Prune blueberries in the early spring so you can assess and remove winter-injured wood.

Interesting Facts: Blueberries are an American fruit. Early settlers used blueberries as a staple of their diets. They were used in pemmican, a dried jerky-type substance that people could carry with them on long journeys. Colonists in America used blueberries to make blue or gray paint. The United States is still the leading producer of blueberries, with more than 90 % of the world’s blueberries being grown in the U.S.

"The Stinking Rose" is actually a healthy herb

Although garlic may not always bring good luck, protect against evil or ward off vampires, it is guaranteed to transform any meal into a bold, aromatic and healthy culinary experience.

Garlic is arranged in a head, called the "bulb," averaging about 2 inches in height and diameter consisting of numerous small separate cloves. Both the cloves and the entire bulb are encased in paper-like sheathes that can be white, off-white or pinkish. Although garlic cloves have a firm texture, they can be easily cut or crushed. The taste of garlic is like no other - it hits the palate with a hot pungency that is shadowed by a very subtle background sweetness.

Whole books have been written about garlic, an herb affectionately called "the stinking rose" in light of its numerous therapeutic benefits. A member of the lily or Allium family, which also includes onions, garlic is rich in a variety of powerful sulfur-containing compounds including thiosulfinates (of which the best known compound is allicin), sulfoxides (among which the best known compound is alliin), and dithiins (in which the most researched compound is ajoene). While these compounds are responsible for garlic's characteristically pungent odor, they are also the source of many of its health-promoting effects. In addition, garlic is an excellent source of manganese, a very good source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C and a good source of selenium.

Cornell Cooperative Extension's Master Preserver Jon Sterlace featured garlic at this week's Bath Wednesday Farmer's Market. Using garlic from Ed DeCicco of Addison and unseeded rye bread from Pat Edmonds of Bath, he created a tasty Roasted Garlic Spread. He said the public either liked it or did not like it, with no in between decisions.

Jon said numerous visitors to the booth mentioned that several vendors carried garlic, including one booth that concentrated on just garlic for their sales. He said fresh garlic is larger than that found in the grocery store and a much better value. "Cooking with garlic is something anybody can do," Jon said. "you don't need any culinary abilities. It can be used as a spread on bread or pizza, stirred into soup or casseroles, or used in anything where you want a garlic flavor. Garlic is versatile and can be used in many parts of a meal. Plus it's nutritional."

CCE-Steuben Horticulture Educator Stephanie Mehlenbacher says garlic can be planted from the first fall frost through November. It should be planted in rich, well-drained soil in full sun and requires excellent weed control. Bulbs should be purchased from mail order suppliers, garden centers or other local sources, but not from the supermarket. To plant, break bulbs apart keeping the papery husks on the individual cloves. Plant with tips up 2 inches deep and 4-6 inches apart in the row. Mulch heavily after planting, but remember to remove that in the spring.

Garlic Facts:

What to Look For: Select garlic heads that are firm and have no soft cloves. Stay way from heads that feel mushy or have dark spots. Garlic is available year round but is available locally-grown during the summer and fall months.

To Prepare: Garlic should be peeled before slicing or mincing. It can be used raw.

Cooking: Garlic can be used in many dishes including pasta, pizza, stir-fry, sautes and casseroles. The longer garlic is cooked, the more delicate its flavor.

Baking: A whole garlic head can be baked. The baked garlic can be used as a spread.

To Freeze: Garlic does not freeze well.

To Store: Store in a cool, dry place out of direct light. Keep garlic separate from other foods or the other food will pick up a garlicky taste or smell. Garlic can be kept for up to three months.

Equivalents: 2 cloves of garlic equals about one teaspoon chopped or crushed.

Nutrition: Garlic is fat-free, sodium-free, and cholesterol-free. Garlic is thought to help lower cholesterol and work as a blood thinner.

History: Garlic is among the oldest cultivated plants in the world. Historical references to garlic are found as far back as 6,000 years ago. The ancient Egyptians worshipped garlic and it was also once so valuable it was used as money.

Stephanie reminds the public that now is the time to control disease management in your gardens by doing fall cleanup. The steps include:
Clean up any plant debris that is decayed
Remove plants that are finished producing. These can be composted if they are not diseased.
Plant cover crops on bare soil. This helps increase organic matter for next year's crops and conserve soil.
Plan your rotation for next season. For instance, do not plant tomatoes in the same place as they were this year. This reduces the tendency for disease to occur.

I Heard it Through the Grape Vine....

The cooler fall weather brings out some new produce at the local farmer's market...like grapes! The grapes that are grown in New York State are the American-type grapes that have softer flesh and are juicier than the European types of seedless grapes. The outstanding variety for flavor is the Concord, which is blue-black when fully matured. These grapes are also used for making juice and jelly.

At this week's Bath Wednesday Farmer's Market Cornell Cooperative Extension took advantage of these delightful little fruits! Master Preserver Jon Sterlace took a recipe for Grape Bars from an Extension volunteer and adapted it for a healthier version to reduce sugar and increase fiber. He replaced 3 cups of sugar in the original recipe with 1/2 cup sugar plus unsweetened applesauce and added old fashioned oats and whole wheat flour. The bars were like an apple crisp, only made with fresh Concord grapes.

"That grape bar was so good," Jon heard people say. "I even liked it, and I don't like Concord grapes," said one of Jon's co-workers. He served well over 150 samples of the treat, and every one was pleased.

Grape Facts:

Look for: Plump, firm, fresh grapes well attached to stems. Avoid soft grapes with broken stems that stain the carton.

To store: Refrigerate in crisper or wrapped. Use within 1-2 weeks.

To prepare: Wash in cold water, and remove from the stems.

To serve: Eat raw or use in recipes for fruit salads.

Grape Equivalents: 1# grapes = about 3 cups

Nutrition: Grapes are naturally low in sodium and are a good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K. In one cup of grapes there are 104 calories. They contain phytonutrients that appear to help prevent certain types of cancer, heart disease and other age-related diseases. Phytonutrients are biologically active ingredients that give plants their color, aroma, and flavor. One of these, reservatrol, is found mainly in the skin of grapes.

Planting Tips:
Require full sun
Good air drainage - grapes are prone to disease
150 day frost free growing season
Minimum winter temperature above 25 degrees ( zone 4b or warmer)
2,000 growing degree days above 50 degrees F
Soil neither excessively wet or dry
Southern slopes or exposures protected by buildings are preferable to northern slopes & low ground
Purchase grapevines from reputable nurseries. Vines can also be propagated from cuttings (however, it is illegal to propagate vines that are patented) - Choose healthy plants.
There are a wide variety of grape cultivars to choose from. Be sure to choose varieties that suite your location.