Gingersnap Popcorn Snack Mix

Gingersnap Popcorn Snack Mix

2 quarts West Virginia popped popcorn
Butter flavored cooking spray
1/3 cup granulated sugar substitute
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black or white pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread popcorn on baking sheet and spray lightly with the cooking spray. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over popcorn. Spray again with cooking spray and toss to coat evenly. Bake 7 minutes and serve warm.

May 26-National Cherry Dessert Day

It's National Cherry Dessert Day.

Grown in West Virginia and a favorite at several of our orchards, cherries are delicious as a snack or baked into your favorite recipe.

Did you know that cherries---
          Are high in antioxidants?
          Are a great source of beta carotene?
         Are rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin E?
         Should be bought when they are dark in color and plump.  
         Sour cherries should be a true red color.
         The stems should be attached and avoid any with brown spots.
         Bing cherries, or the sweet cherry, are available in late spring.
         Sour cherries are available in June-July.

Cherries are available at your local West Virginia farmers market or farm stand. Celebrate Memorial Day with a cool, cherry dessert favorite. Here's a recipe for Red White & Blue Trifle (http://busycooks.about.com/od/dessertrecipe1/r/redwhitebtrifle.htm)

Ingredients:


•1-1/2 cups cold whole milk

•4 serving size pkg. cheesecake flavor instant pudding mix

•8 oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed

•1 frozen loaf pound cake, thawed

•2 cups pitted cherries (can substitute sliced strawberries)

•1 cup blueberries

•1 cup sliced bananas

•1 cup raspberries

•1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Preparation:

In medium bowl, combine milk and pudding mix and beat with egg beater for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Fold in the thawed whipped topping. Cut the thawed pound cake into 1/2" cubes. In large glass bowl, layer 1/2 of the cake cubes, 1/2 of the fruit, and 1/2 of the pudding mixture. Repeat layers. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serves 12

PS: You can also get local West Virginia raspberries and blueberries at the market.

May Is.......National Asparagus Month

Garden's are beginning to sprout new crops and offer more choices in the grocery store. May brings the spring flowers from April rains and a dinnertime favorite, asparagus. The month of May is home to many food celebrations and we'll explore them throughout the month especially as West Virginia farms start bringing more and more produce to the market.

In the April 30, 2001 Charleston Gazette newspaper, writer Sara Busse and photographer Chris Dorst wandered over to the Ware Farm in West Hamlin. What they found were three acres of asparagus and harvest in full swing. Read the article here and plan to visit the farm to get the perfect dinner vegetable, pick some up at Forth Food Fair or The Purple Onion at Capitol Market, or order them at your favorite restaurants, Huntington Prime and Jewel City Seafood.

Let's explore this early season crop....did you know:

• Asparagus is a member of the Lily family
• Asparagus spears grow from a crown that is planted about a foot deep in sandy soils
• It takes three years before the plant is ready to be harvested for the first time
• Under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grow 10" in a 24-hour period; some fields need to be picked every 24 hours
• A well cared for asparagus planting will generally produce for about 15 years without being replanted.
• Asparagus is healthy--high in folic acid, a good source of potassium, fiber, Vitamin B6, Vitamins A & C and thiamin; no fat, no cholesterol and low in sodium

Try this easy way to prepare asparagus and enjoy the garden!

• 3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and asparagus spears; cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender. If you like your asparagus well done, reduce heat and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Celebrate......National Blueberry Pie Day!

Yes, although blueberry pie is a favorite around 4th of July when they are being harvested, the national celebration of the blueberry pie is April 28th.

Pies with fruit filling have been around since Colonial Times in America. Women would often pick ripe fruits like apples, peaches, blueberries and strawberries to bake into pies. Blueberries and the blueberry pie have seen increased popularity due to their antioxidant properties.

Easter Sunday in our house featured some of these wonderful fruits that we froze over the winter. Instead of the two crust traditional pie, she found a recipe for an "Uncovered Blueberry Pie". The verdict: excellent and that is coming from our in resident food critic....Dad! Simple, easy and very quick, try this blueberry pie twist:

UNCOVERED BLUEBERRY PIE
3 cups, thawed, fresh or frozen West Virginia blueberries
1 Tablespoon butter
3 Tablespoons corn starch
Cream, whipped, sweetened
1 pie shell, baked, 9"
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water

In a medium sauce pan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the water and 1 cup of the blueberries.
Stir in the water and 1 cup of the blueberries. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the two remaining cups of blueberries and the butter until the butter is melted.
Cool completely. Pour into pie shell.
If desired, cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve with whipped cream.

April 25, 2011----National Zucchini Day

That's right, National Zucchini Day. This popular cultivated squash is part of the summer squash family and is an early garden favorite in West Virginia. But what do you really know about the quirky zucchini?

Did you know?

• Zucchini can grow to nearly a meter (almost 40 inches) but usually picked under 8 inches in length while the seeds are soft and immature. Mature zucchini are oftern fibrous and not desirable for cooking.
• Although a member of the cucumber family, zucchini is usually served cooked and can be prepared steamed, boiled, grilled, stuffed, baked, barbecued, fried or used in recipes as an ingredient.
• The zucchini flower can be eater stuffed or deep fried.
• For cooking purposes, zucchini is treated as a vegetable but botanically the zucchini is an immature fruit.
• Typical zucchini were developed in Italy in the late 19th century.
• Zucchini should be stored not longer than three days and are prone to chilling damage.
• In Mexico, the zucchini flower is used for soup (sopa de flor de calabaza) and used in quesadillas.
• In France, zucchini is a key ingredient in ratatouille, a stew of summer fruits and vegetables prepared in olive oil and cooked for an extended time over low heat.
• In Turkey, zucchini is the main ingredient of a popular dish called mucver; zucchini pancakes.
• In Bulgaria, zucchini are fried and then served with a dip made from yogurt, garlic and dill.

In the United States, zucchini is widely grown in home and commercial gardens. In May, you'll find this crop at your local farmer's market (including Inwood, Capitol and Logan). Zucchini is low in calories (approximately 15 calories per 100g) and contains folate, potassium, manganese and Vitamin A. Celebrate the day by making a loaf of zucchini bread...here's a recipe from FoodNetwork's Paula Deen. What's your favorite family zucchini recipe?

Zucchini Bread

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup chooped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

Hors D'Oeuvres From The Market

The April issue of Meetings & Conventions magazine featured the "Best Bites" and trendy hors d'oeuvres for meeting and group planners. Many West Virginia agribusinesses and specialty food companies provide catering services so using fresh, local ingredients from your local farmers' market is one of their favorite sources. Don't have a market open year round? Check out the Inwood Farmers Market or Capitol Market to shop for your ingredients. Here's a quick view of the newest in appetizers and a West Virginia "twist":

1.  Tomato Basil Hand Pies-Get some local tomatoes to roast and harvest some basil from your container or herb garden.
2.  A Lobster Two Ways-Substitute with a corn dog and combine with herbs like cilantro from your garden to dress up a wonderful presentation idea on a stick.
3. A Waves & Foam-Utilizes a foam presentation technique and reminds us that chutney, jam & jelly go wonderfully with Gorgonzola cheese; how about West Virginia goat cheese or a variety from Spring Gap Mountain Creamery?
4. A Duo of Granitas--Frozen cocktails remind us that West Virginia wineries and distillers can be used out of the bottle or combined into a cool summer drink.
5. Seafood Fortune Cookies--A balance of curry and coconut in this presentation; regional cuisines are in. Check out a list of West Virginia specialty condiment manufacturers and create your own unique appetizer.
6. A Bacon and Egg Sandwich--One bite sandwiches are the centerpiece of a diverse appetizer presentation. Have fun with West Virginia pork and some fresh eggs from your local market or farm.
7. Tiny Sirloin Patty Melts--Following the snacker trend and mixing it up with a classic sandwich, these would be easy to make using West Virginia beef products.
8. Lamb Tagine Turnovers--Most forget that West Virginia lamb is a terrific meat choice and goes well with an array of sweet spices (mint, cucumber).
9. Asparagus Salume Pesto Tower--Screams West Virginia! Asparagus from your home garden or the market.
10. Truffled Cherries--Appetizers can be sweet! Check out Vienna's Holl's Chocolates or Martinsburg's DeFluri's Fine Chocolates to add these treats easily.
11. Pumpkin Pie Soup--Pumpkins and butternut squash topped with apple cider foam....how West Virginia can you get.

Check out all of the newest trends at http://www.mcmag.com/ and add a touch of West Virginia agriculture to your next party or meeting.