Transplants

We hope everyone will join us for another tempting Pathfinder Produce fresh fruit and vegetable market at the Village Commons this Thursday, May 28, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Just a reminder … tomorrow is the end of early registration for Splash Path.  After that each registration fee goes up by $5, and later registrants are not guaranteed a 2015 tee nor other goodies.  The event, set for Saturday, June 13, has registration at 9 am, with the color burst at 10 am.  This year we’re adding a family fun post-run party with exhibits, a DJ and a great raffle auction.

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Well, I haven't gotten to transplanting any strawberries, and I have to fess up that my garden took a hit with the two untimely frosts we've had over the last two weeks. I'll wait a little bit before I replant some of my veggies. Even my cold weather crops were affected, so the next time I hear of frost warnings, I will pay closer heed and cover up the raised beds.

However, I did transplant some other plants that I was given at a family Memorial Day get-together. The first was a small white lilac that my sister had brought to share. The lilac has a bit of history … it started its journey at my father's family's century-old farm in Sullivan County. My grandmother had quite an extensive growth of both white and purple lilacs on the hill leading up to the old post-and-beam farmhouse.

During the 1980s, several of my sisters took shoots to propagate, just before the farm was sold. My one sister had luck in having her lilac grow although it took about two decades for it to bloom (it may have been in the shade). Now it's my turn to see if the family lilac will grow at my homestead.

The second transplant project was a tiny black walnut tree, a spindly stowaway that was hidden in another potted plant. I did a little reading on where one should plant these, and it now has a new home out back where the soil is rich and seems to be well drained.  If you ever plant nut trees, place them where they are away from your house, cars and other important landscape features. Dropping nuts will dent metal roofs and cars.

If the little tree makes it (i.e., doesn't get eaten by critters, or mowed by the teenage son) it will be many, many years before it bears a crop. But there's just something very satisfactory in planting a young sprig and watching it grow. There's also something majestic about black walnut trees … perhaps it is just that they are distinct and more rare than our typical maples, ash and poplar trees.

Black walnuts are not something we typically offer at Pathfinder Produce, but they are not difficult to find in regular stores, and even can be ordered online. Walnuts have been hailed over the last several years, along with other tree nuts, as being excellent additions to the diet. Walnuts are high in fiber, low in saturated fats, high in good fats (mono- and polyunsaturated) that help fight bad cholesterol, and offer plenty of phytonutrients that act as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory substances and promote liver health.-Both the Worlds Healthiest Foods and the Missouri State Center for Agroforestry offer some extensive write-ups on how walnuts are healthy, and how you can tastefully introduce them into your diet.

Until next time, enjoy your garden and some healthy walnuts, and be well.

Lori

Strawberry SPLASH

We hope everyone will join us for another tremendous Pathfinder Produce market on Thursday, May 21, from 1 to 5 p.m.  There’s always such a great assortment that it’s easy to find just the perfect fresh fruit or vegetable items to share with your family.  We cheerfully accept SNAP cards, personal checks, debit and credit cards (MC/Visa/Discover), and it’s always great to visit with our friendly market staff.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!  Saturday, June 13 is the date for Splash Path 2015.  The Early Registration Deadline for Splash Path 2015 is fast approaching … May 29, so visit our website for copies of the necessary forms and enter this incredibly fun (and affordable) paint run-walk today!  Also, June 13 will be the day we open the new 5210 Community Walking Trail at Pathfinder Village, which was built in-part through proceeds of our inaugural Splash Path 5K and Fun Walk.  The new trail will encourage walking as a safe and positive way to stay physically fit, and ties right in with all our 5210 goals!

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This weekend as I was mowing and working in the garden, I noticed that the wild strawberries had really overtaken our back meadow, some spots in the yard, and even the walkways around the raised beds.  I’m hopeful that these wild berries will produce fruit.  I’m not expecting a bumper crop, but I just enjoy the idea of picking and eating even just a handful.

Apparently, wild strawberries thrive in cold, damp weather, just like the weather we had earlier this spring. It seems a terrible waste to cull the plants growing around the wooden frames in the garden, and according to SF Gate, it is possible to “capture” some of these wild plants and start a special bed.  Other links on transplanting wild strawberries are featured on Gardening Know How and YouTube …
I think I’ll use some extra landscape edging I have in the storage shed, some compost we salvaged from an old barn site, and give it a try!

If my memory serves, locally grown strawberries are typically ready in late June, so we’re really just a few short weeks from the harvest.  I remember as a kid, there were several “U Pick” operations in the area, but sadly, I think these have gone to the wayside (like banana-seat bikes with coaster brakes, Woolworth’s, S&H Green Stamps, and actual phone booths … sigh).

Strawberries, according to Wikipedia, are not berries, but are botanically classified as “aggregate accessory fruits” (who knew?).  They are exceedingly popular world-wide, and wild varieties have been cultivated since the pre-Columbian era in America and before the Roman Empire in Europe.  The first modern garden strawberries were bred in France in the mid-18^th century, when farmers crossed two varieties of New World plants.  It apparently took an accidental pollination and some sharp observation for botantists to understand that strawberries actually have both male and female flowers, and that F. chiloensis needed to be cross pollinated by F. virginiana to produce any fruits. (Again, who knew?)

According to the World’s Healthiest Foods website, strawberries offer plenty of nutritional pluses: they are high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients, and can help prevent cardiovascular disease, other inflammatory diseases, and breast, cervical, colon, and esophageal cancers.  One intriguing phenomena researchers found is that strawberries, through the actions of polyphenols known as ellagitannins, help level out spikes in blood sugar.  “This finding is great news for healthy persons wanting to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and also for persons with type 2 diabetes who enjoy fresh strawberries and want to enjoy them on a regular basis,” says WHF.

Until next time, enjoy some fresh strawberries, and be well!

Lori

The Salad Days of Summer

We’ve got some big news!  Our Pathfinder Produce market is EXPANDING its hours for summer, running from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Village Commons on Thursday afternoons.  We look forward to seeing you this Thursday, May 14 so that you may try the freshest fruits and veggies around.  Great produce, longer hours, a courteous and friendly staff … what a winning combination! Our other timely news is that Pathfinder Village will once again be a check-in point for people who are participating in Bike to Work Day, which is set for Wednesday, May 20 for Otsego County.  If you choose to walk or bike past Pathfinder Village that morning, please stop by the Kennedy Willis Center for a quick water break.  (We recommend wearing appropriate safety gear, and visible clothing so drivers may see you sooner). Bike to Work Day is a growing movement and part of Bike to Work Week, which is sponsored by the National Cycling Association.  Our local affiliate is the Otsego Regional Cycling Association … more info is at http://occainfo.org/calendar/bike-to-work-day-2015/. And finally, a gentle reminder to register today for the Splash Path 5K and Fun Walk on June 13!  Click here for more information, and learn more about the fun we have planned here at Pathfinder on our Facebook Event Page. **** This Mother’s Day weekend was glorious – we had lots of sun so that we could work outdoors on Saturday, and it rained on Sunday to give all our gardens a lovely soak.  I was thrilled to be working in my garden beds and mowing.  My three raised beds are planted mostly in salad greens … the lettuce (Black Seeded Simpson) is really doing well.  The spinach is working its way up through the soil, and the kale (yum and oh so healthy), is slowly making its presence known.  It’s at this early growth stages when you can really see why it is a member of the same family, Brassica oleracea, as cauliflower and broccoli … the young plants look nearly identical. I was delighted to also see progress with my small pea patch and my beans, which are gaining some height.  This year was my first to plant eggplant, and as I’m not at all certain what the young plants look like, I’m a little hesitant to start weeding that section, for fear of pulling out the plants along with the noxious little intruders. As I was weeding and mowing, I was marveling at how quickly both the wild strawberries and dandelions seemed to pop up.  In as much as I don’t use lawn chemicals, I may try using some of the dandelion greens in a salad soon.  After all, one man’s weed is another’s delight. To celebrate this season of greens, here are several salad recipes to try and enjoy – one uses Romaine, one features field greens, and the last showcases dandelion greens, which are commonly not part of our diets, but are part of our agricultural past.  (This link explains how to harvest dandelions, their taste characteristics, and their nutritional value). Enjoy! Betty Crocker    Pear & Green Salad with Maple Vinaigrette Kitchen Daily     Romaine & Charred Corn Salad with Avocado Dressing All Recipes     Dandelion Salad Until next time, go biking, play outside, and savor those salads! Lori

Figuring Out Fats

We hope everyone will join us this week, May 7, for another tempting Pathfinder Produce fresh fruits and vegetables market at the Village Commons.  We have such a great selection with plenty of new tastes to try!

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A few weeks ago, I tried using coconut oil in a recipe, as I had heard it might be a healthier form of fat for baking.  I used it sparingly, but according to the Cleveland Clinic, olive oil is still a healthier choice in many ways.  That opinion is confirmed at the Berkeley Wellness website, which states,

“While coconut oil didn’t deserve its bad reputation (from several decades ago), it also doesn’t deserve its new stardom as a health food. Don’t buy the hype that it will keep you healthy and slim or that it can treat or prevent chronic diseases. It’s fine to cook with it if you like it, especially as a replacement for butter or lard, though we recommend olive, canola, and other non-tropical oils for regular use. It’s also okay to buy foods that contain coconut oil, but don’t think that makes them healthy choices.”

So how does one cut through the confusion that surrounds fats?  While most of us try to cut fats in our diets, all the talk about unsaturated vs. saturated, etc., can make it difficult to shop wisely.  Also, many foods contain more than one type of fat – foods are generally classified according to the type of fat they are mainly comprised of. 

In a nutshell, there are four main types of dietary fat, and there are two of these, trans and saturated, to cut wayyyyyy back on for better health.

:(  Trans fats (aka hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated fats/oils, or trans unsaturated fats/oils):  These are the worst fats one can consume according to the Mayo Clinic.  Some trans fats occur naturally, but most are made during the manufacturing of processed foods. Hydrogen atoms are whipped into liquid oils which turns the oils into solids (margarine, shortening).  These are known to raise your LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lower your HDL ("good") cholesterol. 

:(  Saturated fats:  These are found in animal-based foods, like meat and dairy products, but also are found in palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil.  Many are solids at room temperature, and they also raise your bad cholesterol levels.  According to the American Heart Association, they are said to be “saturated,” as they have the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms attached to every carbon atom in the fat molecule chain.  (The presence of hydrogen atoms seems to be a bad thing when it comes to fats).

So, if a fat is a solid at room temperature, avoid it.

Unsaturated fats are better for you, but also should be eaten in limited quantities (the US Department of Agriculture recommends that healthy adults limit dietary fat to no more than 20% to 35% of total daily calories, or about 44 to 78 grams).   Unsaturated fats come in two varieties, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.  According to the Harvard Medical School, each type of fat has been linked to improved heart health and other benefits.

:) Monounsaturated fats:  These fats have a single carbon-to-carbon double bond, and are prevalent in olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, and most nuts. Mediterranean diets are high in monounsaturated fats due to the reliance on olive oil in cooking.  Monounsaturated oils are liquid at room temperature, but will start to solidify when refrigerated. 

:) Polyunsaturated fats.  Sunflower oil and safflower oil are common polyunsaturated fats.  This class of fats is needed for your body to function well, as they help with cell growth, protecting nerves, clotting blood, and muscle movement.  These molecules contain two or more double bonds; and there are several types, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, that are commonly discussed in the media.  These oils are liquid at room temperature and in the refrigerator.

So, in summary, try to use unsaturated fats first, then if you must, go to saturated forms of fat.  Really try to avoid trans fats.  If you have questions about a product that contains fat, study the nutritional label, visit many free sites online (www.nutrition.gov) and follow up with your healthcare team.

Until next time, count those fat grams and be well!

Lori