Last summer, our office bought a share of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Each week of the season, we got a box of local fruits, veggies, and herbs. Garlic scapes were a unique addition one week. In his article, fellow UI Extension educator, Grant...

Chickpeas or garbanzo beans? A different name for the same food, this member of the legume family has a firm texture and a nutty flavor that enhances a variety of recipes. To see chickpeas in the fields and at harvest, watch these videos: ...

Part of the parsley family, cumin is an annual plant that produces seeds. These seeds can be used as a spice – often ground up – when cooking. To see cumin go from seed to powder, watch the short video, Grinding Cumin at The Spice House,...

For all the soybeans grown in Illinois, the Illinois Soybean Association notes, "Animal ag is the No. 1 customer for soybeans. Of the soybean meal fed in Illinois, pigs consume 74%, poultry 13%, and beef and dairy cattle 12...

Pomegranates are simple looking on the outside, and offer an unexpected surprise inside. If you have never opened one, I encourage you to take a look. Nutrition A half cup of pomegranate arils – the seed and juice sacs – contains around 70 calories, 16g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, and 1g...

Back in my college classes, we students had opportunities to be food scientists and modify recipes.  Since we were also nutrition and dietetic students, we were told to focus these modifications on ways to add nutrition, such as adding fiber, or improve the nutritional profile, such as lower sodium...

Any fans of spicy foods? January 16 is National Hot and Spicy Food Day. Red pepper flakes – or crushed red pepper – are a great way to add spice and heat to recipes. Red pepper flakes are dried hot peppers that are crushed into small pieces and served along with the seeds. Nutrition Red...