Paul Szmal: FLX Morning continues, it is 8.15 and we're at 74. And joining us to talk nutrition from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Christina Elders is here. Good morning, Christina. How are you this morning?
Christina Ellers: Yeah, I'm doing fine, Paul. And you?
Paul Szmal: I'm doing well and looking forward to the less humidity and a little bit cooler temperatures over the next couple of days.
Christina Ellers: Yes, definitely. It has been a hot one.
Paul Szmal: It certainly has. Let's talk a little bit about some of the summer produce that is available this time of year because really there is a bounty of good stuff that you can eat and enjoy.
Christina Ellers: Yes. So, you know, the harvest of the month is summer squash and cucumbers, actually. And I know everyone has an overabundance of summer squash and zucchinis and a lot of cucumbers this time of year. So let's talk a little bit about their benefits and how we can maybe even make them last a little bit longer than just for today or tomorrow, maybe even enjoy them during the winter months.
Paul Szmal: Yeah. And the nice thing about a cucumber is it's got a multitude of different uses, not just the traditional, well, chop it up and put it in a salad kind of thing.
Christina Ellers: That's right. So cucumbers are a very hydrating vegetable. They replenish the fluids and the minerals lost in our perspiration. And they're full of vitamin E and it's great for your skin. So yeah, we can use this vegetable even for food preservation and going into pickling and relishes and enjoying those during the winter months as well.
Paul Szmal: Yeah. And sometimes you see people using cucumbers on their face as part of a facial replenishment or a facial cleansing scheme.
Christina Ellers: That's right. So that's where the vitamin E is great for your skin and the hydration from the cucumber itself. And yeah, a lot of people put those pieces of cucumbers over their eyes so they can make that puffiness go away in the morning.
Paul Szmal: When you're talking about summer squash and zucchini, one of my favorite things is zucchini bread.
Christina Ellers: Yes. So actually, there's a great recipe through SNAP-Ed for zucchini breads and muffins. But zucchini also comes in a wide variety of colors. So a lot of times we call them summer squash, but it is a type of zucchini. The best way to utilize these vegetables is to pick them early because we all had those baseball bats of zucchini in our gardens and it's like, oh my gosh, what am I going to do with this? So picking them early, the nutritional benefits, they're high in fiber, low in calorie, they're loaded with vitamin K and C, potassium, iron, and they're really good for your heart. So those are some great benefits for zucchini and the summer squashes.
Paul Szmal: Yeah. And another thing that I do with zucchini and summer squash, being a diabetic, is I use that oftentimes as a pasta substitute.
Christina Ellers: That's right. You can make the zucchini noodles. Those are really fun to do, or even slicing them nice and thin for your replacing the pasta in your lasagnas. Those are great ways of getting those fruits or those vegetables into your diet.
Paul Szmal: Yeah. I've got a couple of great veggie lasagna recipes that I'll utilize this time of year for stuff like that. We're talking with Christina Ehlers from Cornell Cooperative Extension, talking about the benefits of zucchini and summer squash and cucumbers. Well, we've covered the uses that you could have in the here and now, but we also want to talk about the use for these later.
Christina Ellers: Yes. So we do have some great recipes on our website, which is SenecaCountyCCE.org, and some of these recipes are like zucchini hummus we can utilize. We have a summer squash and zucchini pickle recipe. But the benefits of food preservation, you know, it saves money in the long run. You're utilizing your garden, and the harvest that we're seeing right now is so plentiful, so you know, we might as well enjoy it during the non-garden season.
Paul Szmal: All right. So, yes.
Christina Ellers: Right.
Paul Szmal: And I love the idea of making your own homemade pickles.
Christina Ellers: Yes. So there's so many different ways to do pickles, you know, either doing the water bath and preserving them and making them that way. Or you can do a fermentation type of pickle, which you do your vinegar and your spices and you stick it in your refrigerator. And the fermentation aspect of things helps in so many nutritional ways for your body with probiotics and your digestive system, your gut bacteria. So there's so many different ways, through kimchi or even making different kind of sauerkrauts. But pickling vegetables are a great way to get those great nutrients and gut bacteria health into your body.
Paul Szmal: Yeah. And if you've never tried doing this before and think that it's complex, it's really not as bad as you think. So I would recommend the seminar that is coming up at the Ovid Fire Hall here in a few days is a great way to learn how to do this.
Christina Ellers: Yes. So next Tuesday, July 22nd, we'll be doing a workshop on pickling and making relishes from your bounty and at six o'clock at the Ovid Fire Hall. So you can register on our website and yeah, it's a great time. You'll be going away with some refrigerated pickles and some other giveaways.
Paul Szmal: And I know, Christina, a lot of people this time of year are enjoying summer outdoor picnics. You do have to be careful, though, to make sure that your food is safe if you're out picnicking.
Christina Ellers: Yes. So the food safety aspect of, especially in the summertime with the heat, it's so very important to make sure that you keep temperature. It's basically time, temperature, cross-contamination. If there's any, if you're in doubt, then throw it out. But you want to check your foods even before preparing. You want to make sure that food is being stored at a temperature below 40 degrees or after you cook it, 165 degrees. That danger zone is from above 40 degrees up until the time you cook it. So you want to make sure that refrigeration is, your food is being refrigerated and it's at the right temperature. But separating raw meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, those kind of things. You don't want to cross-contaminate anything. And again, I can't even, I can't stress this enough. If you're in doubt, just throw it out because it's not worth getting sick.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, absolutely. And the other thing to remember too, whether you're picnicking or enjoying outdoor activities in the summertime is the importance of staying hydrated. I don't think we can stress that enough.
Christina Ellers: Exactly. We have several nutritional sayings and we always say, rethink your drink. So staying away from those sugary drinks right now is a benefit for your body. You want to hydrate, you want to keep that water in your body. Why is water the foundation of healthy bodies? Because our body is made up of all water. So you want to make sure the water ensures all parts of your body is functioning efficiently. So especially with these hot days, with the perspiration, you want to replace that. Dehydration is a cause of a lot of sicknesses.
Paul Szmal: Yeah. So yeah, I was going to say, sometimes you want to reach for that bottle of soda or a bottle of energy drink and sometimes you're better off reaching for the bottle of water instead and making that choice.
Christina Ellers: That's right. And I know that a lot of times people have, you know, they don't like to drink water. Well, you can infuse it with so many different things like fruits, vegetables, put that little slice of cucumber in there. That's very refreshing and you get those minerals from your fruits or vegetables. Sometimes people put mint or sage or even rosemary. The herbs are also a good source to replenish.
Paul Szmal: Definitely. And of course, we have a great resource to get those types of things to infuse your water or like we talked about, summer produce. That is your local farmers markets that are happening right now.
Christina Ellers: That's right. Everyone should go out and support our farmers markets, our Seneca Falls Farmers Markets at the Rec Center on Tuesdays from 2 to 6. Waterloo is today, Thursdays from 2 to 6. And we do have our OVID one on Saturdays from 9 to 12. And you can see us there. Our CCE table is present and we do healthy food demonstrations and some fun kid activities.
Paul Szmal: All right. Christina, as always, we appreciate the information. Thanks for joining us this morning.
Christina Ellers: Well, thank you, Paul. You enjoy your day and stay cool.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, absolutely. It is 826 on FLX Morning.
