Category Archives: Programs

We’re excited to be partnering with some local farmers’ markets this fall for Eat a Rainbow Week. Local growers have a rainbow of fruits and vegetables in season and available right now. Orange and green vegetables are especially abundant during the fall.  You will find lots of familiar favorites like spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes and winter squashes.  Take a look at this chart from the “10% Campaign” that shows the local fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish that are in season in North Carolina at this time of year.

Eat a Rainbow Week is a great time to enjoy your old favorites, but also a great reason to try new vegetables that you or your kids are curious about. Below, you’ll find some ideas for experimenting with seasonal vegetables that aren’t as commonly found on our tables.

Turnips

• Buying turnips from the farmers’ market is great because oftentimes you can get them with the greens attached- you then have a green vegetable and a white vegetable to enjoy during the week. Turnips are packed with Vitamin C which helps your skin heal from cuts and scrapes. You can mash turnips in with your mashed potatoes, or pair them with sweet potatoes in a casserole like this. You can also eat them raw and enjoy their crunch and spice—why not grate them up into your next batch of coleslaw? Cook the greens like you would any other greens, or for an Asian twist, steam them with some chopped garlic and then sprinkle them with a little soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. For more information and tips for turnips, see: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=4063

Bok Choy

• Bok Choy is an Asian cabbage that we are seeing more and more in local farmers markets.  It is full of both Vitamin C and Vitamin A, which helps keep your skin and eyes healthy. Instead of having tightly packed leaves like the cabbage many North Carolinians are more familiar with, it grows more like a loose bunch of leaves. The leaves themselves are mild and tender and the stalks are crunchy. It’s especially good in stir-fry dishes, but as this video shows, it’s pretty versatile. For more information and tips on bok choy, see: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=3002

Sweet Potatoes

• Sweet potatoes grow widely in North Carolina and can be found on many dinner tables- in fact, they are the North Carolina state vegetable! Orange sweet potatoes, like other orange vegetables are bursting with Vitamin A. But, have you ever tried purple, yellow, or white sweet potatoes? Different colored varieties are becoming easier to find and make a fun colorful addition to any meal.  Sweet potatoes are great because they low-cost and versatile- they can feature as a side dish or in a main dish or even dessert.  For a more colorful meal, try substituting them for white potatoes when you’re making baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, oven-baked fries, potato salad, or potato pancakes!

Be sure to come out and celebrate Eat a Rainbow Week at the farmers’ markets this week! For a list of dates and activities, see: http://www.chathampublichealth.com/programs/eat-a-rainbow-week-is-back/