This is my absolute favorite time. I love the variety of Palisade peaches, Olathe corn, hatch green chilies, Rocky Ford melons and berries.
My supper one day recently consisted of two cobs of roasted sweet corn, milk, slices of orange and red bell peppers, a large juicy Palisade peach (thanks, 4-H fundraiser) and a few raspberries and blackberries.
The next night, those green chilies were calling, but they had to share the plate with melon and, of course, a couple of cobs of corn.
At this time of year, the fresh produce is so enticing it is easy to buy too much. My refrigerator is full, and the freezer could feed a family of four for months.
As a country, we throw away half the food we purchase, and one-third of all the food produced is thrown away.
That led me to review a Pinterest reminder on ways to reduce, reuse and recycle, and I believe it is worth incorporating a few of those ideas.
One website advises consumers to “refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot,” although if a person can “reduce, reuse and recycle” well enough, there shouldn’t be a need for the “refuse and rot” part of the equation.
Here are some other helpful thoughts on dealing with too much of a good thing:
Plan: If you are throwing away produce on a weekly basis, rethink your purchases. Though fresh produce stocked in the kitchen is a great way to encourage healthy eating and snacking, it isn’t helpful if the food ends up in the trash.
One way to prevent tossing out good produce is to use a “FIFO” (First In, First Out) plan for your fridge.
Another is to place good snacking produce in an easy-to-reach spot so it is ready to be grabbed.
Writing a weekly meal plan so you have a purpose in mind for each item in the fridge can also help. How will you use that large bag of salad mix or bag of carrots?
You should also plan your recipes beforehand so you have the necessary ingredients on hand and ready to go.
Also, you need to consider how much produce you can actually use in a reasonable time. I have to remind myself of this rule – you can only eat so many peaches or melons or make only so much banana bread.
Before your unused produce items get too ripe, freeze them to make smoothies, fruit syrup or jam.
Dicing: Dice extra vegetables within a day of buying them and package them for lunch or supper recipes later in the week. There are many handy recipes for packaging meals that can be frozen and prepared easily in a crock pot.
Reduce packaging: Product packaging is becoming a significant irritation for me. Many boxes are only half full, wasting space and packaging. You can store grains and food items in air-sealed containers.
You can also try purchasing foods from bulk bins and storing them in glass storage jars, which makes it easier to see how much you have and when you might need to refill them. Nuts, seeds, oatmeal, rice and pastas are fresh in the bulk section and they are less expensive per pound.
Reusable containers: Air-tight, resealable containers keep produce fresh significantly longer. Green or pink produce bags also are specifically formulated to control moisture to prevent deterioration.
Scraps: One of the easiest ways to use vegetable scraps is to make soup in a crock pot. Left-over bread and heels make great croutons or bread crumbs.
When the winter snows hit, I will deal with other areas of my home, but for now, my kitchen and pantry are doing much better.
wendy.rice@colostate.edu or 382-6461. Wendy Rice is the family and consumer science agent for the La Plata County Extension Office.
Annual produce collection
The fifth annual Produce Bounty will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 18-20 at the La Plata County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall, 2500 Main Ave.
Participants may donate any amount of produce from their farm or garden during this time. The goal is to increase produce consumption for people needing help with grocery expenses. Colorado State University Extension and Cooking Matters, along with volunteers, will package the produce collected over the weekend and distribute it Sept. 21 to Durango Food Bank’s Commodity Foods participants who live in La Plata County.
For more information, call 759-9352 or 529-8085
