We hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween tomorrow night … it’s really hard to believe that it’s almost November! Everyone at Pathfinder Village sends out thanks to our volunteers who helped out at our successful Community Trick-or-Treat event this past Saturday. We had crews from NYCM Insurance, who assisted with creating our Haunted Hallway, and students from Hamilton College, who came to help with the ghostly duties as families went through our very spooky Village Commons.
We hope to see all our friends and neighbors at Pathfinder Produce this week on Thursday from 1 to 5 p.m.; please help us spread the word about our well-stocked and competitively-priced market. If you know of others who would like to get onto our regular weekly produce price email list, please just let me know at lgrace@pathfindervillage.org.
Also, a few reminders: We’re offering our tremendous 10% off coupon through November, and we have our convenient online ordering, which is open from Friday through noon on Wednesday. Just put in and pay your order from the convenience of your home, and stop by either our Morris or Edmeston pick-up locations. It’s easy!
Below, my colleague Martha Spiegel considers some healthy oil options to try to help make your recipes and cooking healthier.
Healthy Oils
People usually think of olive oil when it comes to healthy oils. It is true that olive oil is a good source of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6), and is a better nutritional choice than saturated fats such as butter. But there are several other liquid vegetable oils out there, and they lend themselves to a variety of uses.
Grapeseed oil: A versatile oil with a higher smoking point than olive oil, so it can be used to cook over high heat.
Peanut oil: A good cooking oil due to its high smoking point, as long as nut allergies are not a concern.
Avocado oil: It has a mild avocado flavor, making it a nice change of pace for salad dressing, and also has a high smoking point.
Canola and Sunflower oils: These are both very neutral-flavored, good for almost any kind of cooking, and have the added benefits of being fairly inexpensive and readily available.
Sesame oil: While not usually used for cooking, it has a nutty flavor, and is often added to Asian-inspired dishes.
One word of caution: While these are all referred to as healthy oils, they still need to be used in moderation as they contain a significant amount of calories. Fortunately, adding just a small amount of fat to a dish can enhance its flavor without becoming too calorific.
Until next time, eat well and be well!
Martha (and Lori)
