Gardening Provides Healthy Food, Physical Activity/Blazzin’ Stuffed Peppers

Peggy R. Anderson

Extension Agent

May11, 2011

Gardening Provides Healthy Food, Physical Activity

With temperatures and the ground starting to warm, now is the time to gather your gardening tools and supplies to start your gardening projects.

Make your garden an individual or family project to incorporate a healthy diet and physical activity.

If you are new to gardening, start with something simple, such as herbs. They require little maintenance and are useful in everyday cooking. They provide flavor to foods and are a healthful addition to your diet.

For example, coriander is a widely used herb, especially in Mexican dishes. Coriander leaves, known as cilantro, and the coriander seeds can be used for flavoring. However, it doesn’t just provide rich flavors; the entire plant is full of nutrients essential to a healthful diet.

Herbs can be grown easily in a large garden bed or flowerpot. Growing the herb in a flowerpot requires less maintenance because it would be the only plant in the soil.

Once herbs are fully grown, cut off the stems, place them in a cup of water and refrigerate them. They’ll last longer than a week when stored in the refrigerator. For dried herbs, simply lay them out for a few days.

With a little planning and some yard or pot preparation, maintaining a garden is fairly simple. And people of all ages can help. Studies have shown that kids will eat more fruits and vegetables if they’ve helped grow their own.

The average recommendation is that people should consume about 1½ to 2 cups of fruit and 2½ to 3 cups of vegetables each day.

 The garden can be as small or large as you prefer, but the size of the plot or pot will depend on the variety of produce you grow. So try a traditional garden bed, a bed on wheels or a square foot garden to accommodate your physical and environmental needs. Hint: Moveable gardens are useful in colder weather conditions to ensure proper plant growth.

When planning your garden’s size and location, be sure to keep the following in mind:

·         Most vegetables need up to six hours of direct sunlight a day.

·         Soil and air temperatures should be kept stable.

·         Plants should be planted so they are intertwined to keep bugs away from a particular plant or area.

·         Produce should be picked when it is ripe so the plant has enough energy to grow more.

Smaller and deeper garden beds are best for environments with colder temperatures, and even snow. Cover your garden with Plexiglas to keep in the heat. People who have trouble bending for long periods can use garden beds on wheels or place planters on a counter so they can be reached more easily.

Make gardening fun by forming different beds for different recipes. You’ll have more opportunity to see the results of your work once the meal or dish is put together. Try salsa, stuffed pepper, herb or soup gardens.

Here is a recipe that incorporates a variety of vegetables and herbs you can grow:

Blazzin’ Stuffed Peppers

2 medium red bell peppers

2 medium green bell peppers

1⁄2 medium onion, chopped

2 small tomatoes, chopped

2 c. corn (fresh or frozen)

2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. cumin

1⁄2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tsp. cilantro, finely chopped

1⁄4 c. shredded cheese (try pepperjack for more of a kick)

1. Rinse peppers under cold water. Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.

2. Place peppers in a large pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for five minutes. Drain the peppers and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350 F.

4. Sauté the chopped onion until tender.

5. In a large bowl, mix together onions, tomatoes, corn and black beans.

6. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese and peppers.

7. Add the oil mixture to the vegetables; mix until spread throughout.

8. Place bell pepper halves on a greased baking sheet. Fill with the mixture and sprinkle each one with cheese.

9. Baked for eight to 10 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Makes eight servings. Per serving: 130 calories, 2 grams (g) fat, 7 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber and 240 milligrams sodium

Schedule

Wednesday, May 11 – Burke County

Thursday, May 12 – Divide County

Friday, May 13 – Burke County

Monday, May 16 – Burke County

Tuesday, May 17 – Divide County