In the summer months, foodies typically like to take advantage of the fresh fruits and vegetables that are synonymous with the season. The quest for quality is goal No. 1 for most.

Weekend farmers’ markets are a “must-attend” for foodies, but many insist pick-your-own farms allow them to take their quest for quality one step further. This trend is gaining momentum, particularly as “staycations” become more popular.

Connecticut’s Agriculture Commissioner Phillip Prelill believes 2009 will be a good year for pick-your-own operations both in the Nutmeg state and elsewhere.

“As more and more families enjoy ‘staycations,’ we have seen an upswing in pick-your-own and other on-farm activities. It’s a terrific way for families to enjoy fresh air, beautiful scenery, nutritious and delicious food, and spend some quality time together,” Prelill said.

Pick-your-own devotees begin their quest for fresh strawberries, blueberries and green beans in May and June then switch to cherries and raspberries in July, followed by peaches, plums and other stone fruit in August. Apples in September are followed by wrapping up the season with pumpkins in October.

Find out where to go for fresh produce that's close to your own backyard at PickYourOwn.org.

Will you go to a "pick-your-own" or "u-pick" farm this summer?

"Summer's right around the corner and to me, that means one thing: steaks on the grill. Not on the barbee, mind you, I mean the grill at the nearest sub shop," writes Kurt Rabin in the Free-Lance Star.

A Philadelphia native, Rabin waxes poetic about his love of authentic cheese steaks as well as the freezer version, known as Steak-Umms!

Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/5388765/Is-baking-cakes-the-new-rock-n-roll.html

According to the London Times, baking cakes is "the new rock-n-roll," in the UK. According to a recent survey, more than one-third of Britain's 25-year old and under population (many of which are males) are regular cake makers and "consider it a 'sexy' activity, rather than a drudge." The paper credits celebrity chefs, the recession and good cake mixes that are easy to whip up.

Here in the U.S., cooking shows such as Ace of Cakes and the onslaught of stylish cupcakeries springing up across the country has shown us that cake-making is far from being old-school. Making cakes can be hip, fun and, well, rock 'n roll.

Eating local is an idea that is gaining ground around the country. Some people say that eating local means getting fresher produce or that food grown locally tastes better than what they find in their local grocery stores. But a small French country inn near Winchester, Va., emphasizes the importance of helping the local economy.

“We are in a rural setting. Because of this we are able to support our local farms,” Chef Alain Borel of L’Auberge Provencale told Foodie News.

According to Alain’s wife, Celeste Borel, “We are currently offering on our menu fresh lamb osso bucco from Athenry Farms, pork belly from Ayrshire Farms, fresh farm eggs from C.O.S.I., fresh organic raised chickens from Briar’s Farmstead in Boyce and fresh local rabbit. Our microgreens are supplied by Wisteria Farms. And, we are now looking into local artisan cheese-makers and, of course, we support all our local wineries.”

L’Auberge Provencale is located in the heart of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Northern Virginia. It is set among mature trees, pastoral and distant mountains, and has its own orchard as well as vegetable and flower gardens.

“We raise on the premises our own herbs and vegetables in season and have more than 50 fruit trees, including apple, pear, asian pear, cherry, peach, nectarine, apricot, paw-paw and even fig trees,” said Alain. “During the season we have several local farms that also supply us with fresh vegetables and fruits.”

Because produce grown locally is handled less, it does not have to be capable of handling the rigors of shipping. That means those who eat at L’Auberge Provencale get peaches that are perfectly ripe, brought in directly from the field to the dining room table. But more importantly, says Celeste, “When we buy locally, it keeps us in touch with the seasons and that is something our patrons really appreciate. We present foods when they are at their peak, most abundant and least expensive.”

Going into Spring, L’Auberge Provencale is underscoring the local food concept by launching a new menu called Eating Local for Locals.

“It’s an a la carte menu featuring dishes created from only local ingredients and although we’ve just introduced it, the enthusiasm we’ve seen is overwhelmingly in support,” said Alain. “We are trying our best to support local farms as well as provide our customers with the freshest and best available.”

The restaurant recently received Virginia Green Certification. Virginia Green is the statewide program that works to reduce the environmental impacts of Virginia’s tourism industry. At a minimum, this means that restaurants with the certification eliminate the use of styrofoam and agree to minimize disposables, recycle grease, recycle and reduce waste, use water efficiently and conserve energy.

The “it” bag of 2009 isn’t from a premium fashion designer like Louis Vuitton. No, in this time of pinching pennies and being “green,” the trend is toward reusable bags and totes that eco-conscious shoppers take with them to the grocery store.

Most large grocery retailers now sell bags made of cloth or recycled plastic that can be used again and again and serve as shoppers’ “bag” of honor that they care about conserving natural resources.

Celebrities and designers have used their fame to promote reusable bags. Eva Longoria Parker, native Texan and star of ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” co-designed a limited-edition reusable shopping bag with H-E-B stores, available for $1.49 plus tax. The company donates 5 cents from the sale of each reusable bag to a grant to fund recycling programs across Texas.

“The environment is very important to me and through various initiatives of my own and with partners like H-E-B, I work to educate people about what they can do to save the planet by using less energy, recycling and implementing ‘green’ business and personal practices,” Parker says.

Most retailers give shoppers 5 cents to 10 cents off their bill for each reusable bag filled at the checkout. At that rate, it doesn’t take long for a reusable bag to pay for itself.

A reusable bag program offered by natural and organic foods retailer Whole Foods Market in 2007 turned a relatively plain cotton sack into a fashion statement. The company worked with Anya Hindmarch, a British designer of high-end handbags that sell for upwards of $1,000 each, to design a cotton tote emblazoned with the declaration, “I am not a plastic bag.” The bag sold out at Whole Foods stores within a matter of hours and became a must-have for fashionistas from London to New York. The bags soon turned up on online auction sites selling for $100 apiece or more. They originally sold at Whole Foods for $5 each.

In April 2008, Whole Foods became the first supermarket chain in the U.S. to eliminate disposable plastic grocery bags at all its stores. One year later the company announced the use of reusable bags had tripled at its stores over 12 months, keeping an estimated 150 million plastic bags out of landfills.

Whole Foods’ approach “will be too aggressive for some retailers, as it crosses the line from asking to telling your consumers what to do,” writes David Diamond, Progressive Grocer columnist, in a recent issue of the magazine. But it’s a simple way for grocers to build customer good will, he says.

According to the anti-plastic bag group and reusable bag seller Reusablebags.com, about 500 billion bags made out of high-density polyethylene film get used every year. That’s about 1 million bags per minute. Only about 3 percent of those bags are recycled, while many more end up in trees, waterways and landfills, asserts the company, which was launched in 2003.

“Is the plastic bag the worst thing adversely affecting our environment? Probably not,” concedes the group. “However it is very important because of its ubiquitous nature. Nearly all of us use them – all the time.”

Meanwhile, according to members of a group calling itself Savetheplasticbag.com, there’s a lot of misinformation out there. Savetheplasticbag.com enthusiasts say a lot of plastic bags do get recycled and the ones that don’t use only 0.4 percent of landfill space.

Supporters of the two groups agree on one thing. They both oppose plastic bag bans that are spreading across the country. San Francisco in 2007 became the first city to ban plastic bags. Other city and state governments are considering bans or at least bag taxes that consumers would pay at the checkout.

A bill under consideration in the New Jersey Legislature, A1641, would require large retailers all across that state to cut the use of “non-compostable” plastic bags 50 percent by Nov. 30, 2010. It would ban them outright about a year later.

Whether it’s the result of a governmental ban, store promotions or just consumers’ desire to be “green,” the days of hearing, “Paper or plastic?” at the checkout may be numbered.

Do you use paper or plastic bags supplied by the grocery store or do you bring your own bags?