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Harvestin' the County is an initiative that proudly supports our widely diversified agricultural community. You can see our local-food logo in some supermarkets, browse for information at www.harvestin.ca and visit more than 57 partners listed on the 2010 Insider's Map.

Jennifer Goodman of Milford is the Customer Service Co-ordinator for the Department of Recreation, Parks and Culture, but a farm-girl at heart. She knows how great County fresh products are!

"Jennifer, think of local produce and Harvestin' the County and tell me what you..."

SEE "When I think of local produce, my mind goes to my road, East Lake Road, in the middle of farm country. There's a family-run market stand at each end. If someone decides to grow pumpkins one year, up pops another stand."

HEAR "I'm hearing cars. After all, it's the road to the beach! I hear lots of cars stopping and shopping locally. People need to be careful for kids, but it's really good for farmers."

SMELL "When you first turn onto my road, you smell peas. Well, I smell peas. Not everyone knows what peas smell like, but there's a pea producer on my road so I know how they can smell nice and sweet, not old and tinny. I walk into a wooden shed converted into a vegetable stand, it's soooo County. There are peas and all sorts of vegetables, fresh baking, maple syrup, meat products and cheese. It's this really convenient local shop that I wish was open year round."

TASTE "Knowing if a vegetable or fruit is ripe is an acquired skill. If you've grown up in the County you know what a good tomato feels like. But, there's something about a roadside stand. You're buying local produce and it's all fresh."

FEEL "Here's an easy recipe for all those great fresh vegetables. You put them in tinfoil, with a little bit of olive oil--I don't even use salt--and then put them on the BBQ. Except for the peas. The peas don't even make it home!"


YOU CAN’T BEAT A BEET!

June 29th, 2010

Tips

Choose beet roots that are firm and unwrinkled.  With the greens attached, beets can keep for only three to four days in the fridge as the root has to supply moisture to the leaves.  Without the greens attached, beet root can keep for a couple of weeks.

Beets with round bottoms are sweeter than flat-bottomed ones.  Eat beets fresh to enjoy its flavor better.  Do not overheat beets when cooking as heat destroys all the essential nutrients.  Remove the skin before cooking.

Nutritional Facts

Beets are loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C.  The greens have a higher content of iron compared to spinach.  They are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron.

While the sweet beet root has some of the minerals in its greens to a lesser degree, it is also a remarkable source of choline, folic acid, iodine, manganese, organic sodium, potassium, fiber and carbohydrates in the form of natural digestible sugars.

Its iron content, though not high, is of the highest and finest quality that makes excellent food that is blood building.  This renders it highly effective in treating many ailments caused by our toxic environment and surrounding.

Try this delicious Baked Beet Salad with Fall Greens and Feta Cheese or Rebecca’s Beet Salad of Love.

If you have a beet recipe you’d like to share, please send it to tastethecounty@bellnet.ca and we will include it in our recipe list.

Don’t forget to eat your beets!