Fresh, local produce is in its prime, making now the perfect time to take part in the farm-to-table movement. Whether you join a community supported agriculture (CSA) group or shop at your local farmers’ market, it’s easy to taste the elevated flavor profile of just-picked fruits and veggies.

Make the most of the season with these tips for storing, cooking and savoring fresh produce.

Plan, Prioritize, Prepare

Plan what produce you will purchase ahead of time. Many farmers’ markets and CSAs distribute eNewsletters or flyers that highlight what’s available. You can also search for seasonality charts in your region to get an idea of what items are at their peak, and plan accordingly.

Once you’ve shopped, prioritize your goods. Use tender greens and any ripe fruits and veggies right away. Roots, bulbs and squash tend to last longer and can be saved for later in the week.

Next, properly store produce to help to extend its life. If fridge space is limited, consider cooking down greens by either partially boiling or sautéing prior to putting them away, depending on what recipes you’ve selected for those items.

Smoothies, Sauces, Soups

Smoothies are a delicious, easy way to pack a lot of produce and nutrition into a meal. And if you’re processing the toughest whole foods, like dark, leafy greens, be sure to use a high-powered blender such as the Ascent Series A3500, which offers five program settings, including one for smoothies. A recipe for the “Everything Smoothie,” which incorporates a wide variety of produce found at your farmers’ market, is available at vitamix.com.

Take advantage of tomato season, preparing pasta sauces to enjoy now or freeze for those months when they aren’t readily available from local growers. Try adding red and green bell peppers, and even carrot shavings, to boost the nutritional value of a veggie Bolognese.

Soups make use of veggies now and later. Warm weather calls for cool concoctions like gazpacho or cucumber dill soup. A cabbage soup that combines hearty potatoes, onions and carrots can be made for cool fall nights or stored in your freezer for winter.

Use it Up

Remember that nearly all parts of produce are usable. Vegetables like beets, carrots, kohlrabi and turnips have edible greens that make an excellent addition to morning smoothies or a nutrient-rich stir-fry. Compost any remaining scraps.

Don’t be afraid of bruises or dents. Greens with slightly wilted leaves can be blended with a bit of water and frozen in ice cube trays for future use in soups or smoothies. If you see a great deal on fruit like strawberries or cherries, buy them and combine with sugar and pectin for an easy freezer jam, or dry them out for on-the-go snacks.

Shopping for whole foods at farmers’ markets or joining a CSA is an opportunity to help local farmers and explore your culinary interests. The availability of specific fruits and vegetables ebbs and flows; capture each at its peak to enjoy the bounty throughout the year.

-Statepoint

I remember my mom used to go down the country roads and pick wild grapes for jelly making. I believe she called them Mustang grapes, but that is too much of a stretch for me to claim I remember them specific name.

Around these parts, we have a variety of wild/ Muscadine-type grapes. In our office, we have an excellent book, Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines of East Texas. The author is Elray S. Nixon. I’ve met the illustrator, Bruce Lyndon Cunningham who had a studio in Nacogdoches. (If you are ever at all interested in our native woody plants, this is the perfect book for you.)

In this book, the author lists seven different grape-type (Vitis) plants in east Texas. These are the Mustang grape, Sweet winter grape, Summer grape, Muscadine grape, Fox grape, Riverbank grape, and the Catbird grape.

Another good reference book we have is Native Texas Plants by Sally and Andy Wasowski. Now their book covers all of Texas and this book lists 22 locally named native grapes! I really have a hard time believing there are 22 separate varieties and they do allude to that, but the fact remains, there are lots of variants of wild grapes that occur naturally.

For folks wanting a native grape arbor, Muscadines (Vitis rotundifolia) are the largest bearing native grape of which there are many developed varieties. Muscadines work very well in our climate and are incredibly disease resistant (something that their European relatives have great difficulty with.)

Deep sandy and slightly acidic soils are best, although they are quite tolerant of other soil types. Lime is not needed, and light fertilization will supply all they need.

If shade is an issue, realize that Muscadines can do fairly well in a dappled shade environment. Heck, much of their habitat is under the shade of our large pines. However, for maximum production, plant them in a location that will receive a full eight hours of sun.

What is definitely needed is a sturdy fence, arbor or other structure on which the vines will grow. Over time the vines will become quite strong and if you are a successful grower, you’ll have plenty of weight to support. In fact, think a couple years down the road to make sure that you can prune the vines so that they will not cover the house or otherwise get unruly.

If planting just one vine, you’ll want to be sure to chose well, as some need a pollinator while others are self-fertile.

Varieties to consider for self-fertile varieties include: Carlos (a bronze colored grape), Cowart (black), Ison (black), Janebell (bronze), Magnolia (bronze), Noble (red), and Triumph (bronze).

Female blooming varieties that do need a pollinator include: Darlene (bronze), Fry (bronze), Higgins (black-bronze), Hunt (black), Jumbo (black), Pam (bronze), Scuppernong (bronze), Summit (bronze), and Sweet Jenny (bronze).

Most bronze varieties are commonly referred to as Scuppernongs are favored by many. All types will be enjoyed by any and all wildlife you have in the area, so be prepared to share.

Depending on variety and climate, Muscadines ripen in late summer to early fall. Pick when soft and with a dull bloom on the fruit.