It’s the beginning of June and farmers markets across the state are beginning to fill up with fresh, locally grown produce. Visitors to local markets should find a colorful and diverse array of fresh and local produce, including strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, cucumbers and more. This makes June the perfect month to celebrate and brush off some light and healthy vegetable recipes.
June is National Fruits and Vegetables Month. Check out this link from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for recipes and other resources for getting children excited about fruits and vegetables.
Enjoy this throwback recipe from 2010, featured on Local Dish with Lisa Prince, for heart-healthy tabouli. NC-grown cucumbers, tomatoes and scallions are used. Lisa says it’s easy to make, delicious and good for you. Each one cup serving has 341 calories and 10.5 grams of protein. Lisa suggest using water instead of the chicken stock to make the dish even more heart-healthy.
Shawn’s NC-based heart-healthy tabouli
- 2 cups whole wheat couscous
- 2 1⁄2 cup low-salt chicken stock (Swanson’s)
- 2 cucumbers (seeded and peeled leaving green skin every 1/4 inch)
- 5 Roma tomatoes (seeded and diced)
- 4 ounces fat-free or low-fat feta cheese, crumbled
- 3 scallions (white and green parts thinly sliced)
- 1⁄2 bunch flat leaf parsley (chopped)
- 1 bunch fresh mint (chopped)
- 1⁄2 cup good extra virgin olive oil (Goya)
- 1⁄3 cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- 2 pinches dried red pepper flakes
Prepare couscous per instructions, substituting chicken stock for water in the instructions if preferred. Let sit at room temperature. Combine the next eight ingredients in a bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Add couscous to the bowl, mix well and serve immediately. Serving Size: 1/8 recipe (about 1 cup serving).