okra

Today at the farmers market, the okra looked so fresh that I simply had to buy some. Right now is the perfect time to purchase a seasonal ingredient like okra, which is only available through early November. The folks at Padao Farms, the stand where I got the beloved green pods, gave me a few tips for picking the vegetable. Keep reading to get pointers for selecting okra.

This week, spice up your free time with the chili cook-offs that are setting the country aflame. Whether you're looking for an epicurean adventure at the Bellagio, or something more along the lines of a back-country roadkill cook-off, you're in luck. Check out what's going on in your neck of the woods this week, and let us know if we've left anything off the list!

• Sante Fe, NM: Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta — Sept. 24-28
• Las Vegas, NV: Gourmet's Taste of Bellagio — Sept. 25
• New York, NY: Joy of Sake New York — Sept. 25
• Providence, RI: Food for Thought — Sept. 25
• London, KY: World Chicken Festival — Sept. 25-28

To see the rest, read more

At the farmers market this week, there was so much gorgeous Summer produce — okra, fresh corn, English peas, tomatoes, zucchini — that I bought it all. Then I got home and wondered: What should I do with this Summer bounty?

My question got answered as soon as I came across this dish while browsing The Kitchen Sink. I was drawn to the vibrant colors, the seasonality of the vegetables, and the effortlessness of throwing them all together in one skillet. The original recipe didn't include peas, and called for more okra, but I modified it to my own personal tastes, as can you. To get my version of this scrumptious skillet, read more

I'm in a vegetable rut. I keep buying all the same veggies and there are only so many different ways you can eat a carrot, you know? If you're feeling the same way, it's time to expand your garden horizons and try some new things from the produce department. If you've never tried okra, maybe I can persuade you to pick some up.

To find out the nutritional info of raw okra and how to use this veggie then read more

• Go inside the Barefoot Contessa's downtown Manhattan apartment. — Serious Eats
• The FDA has ruled that high fructose corn syrup is still considered natural. — Slashfood
• Learn how to make the perfect martini. — Chow
• Bake up a batch of strawberry goat cheese scones. — Baking Bites
• If it's too hot to bake in your neck of the woods, consider cooling down with this no-cook biscotti mascarpone parfait. — GlamDish
• America's sassiest lifestyle guru, Steve Kemble, teaches you how to host a high style, no stress party. — Hostess with the Mostess
• Did you know okra is in season? — The Kitchn
• Make homemade ginger ale for just .61 cents. — The Epi-Log

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St. Patty's Day is all about the green and it is just around the corner. That doesn't only have to mean green beer. There are numerous healthy foods that you can add to your diet to not only up the green, but to also up the health as well. Here are just a few:

• Avocado: Avocado is a good source of monounsaturated fats, which help lower cholesterol, said Dr. Vickie Vaclavik, clinical assistant professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern. Avocados also are good sources of both vitamin E and lutein, a natural antioxidant that may help maintain eye health.
• Broccolini: It's packed with the cancer-fighting nutrients isothiocyanates, sulforaphane, and indoles all linked with reducing the risk of breast, prostate, cervical, lung, and other cancers and offers as much vitamin C as orange juice, said Dr. Jo Ann Carson, professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern.
• Brussels sprouts: Brussels sprouts are another cruciferous vegetable with cancer-fighting phytochemicals. "They're also high in vitamin C and are a good source of folate, vitamin A, and potassium," said Lona Sandon, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

There's more so read more