bountiful fresh produce

Food Day is a nationwide event emulating Earth Day as a way to raise awareness of healthy, affordable and sustainable food. Tucson was one of the first cities to join last year’s inaugural October 24th Food Day. This year it’s back again but bigger in size with more than just a one day event, now extending Tucson Food Day from Oct. 20-28, 2012.

Check out the festivals, dinners, food swaps, seed swaps, and a scavenger hunt that will have you exploring even more of Tucson’s food system. You can also take part in the 10 day food challenge and attend a movie at the Loft Cinema about genetic roulette followed by a panel discussion.

According to the website, there are 5 priorities:

•Promote safer, healthier diets
•Support sustainable and organic farms
•Reduce hunger
•Reform factory farms to protect the environment
•Support fair working conditions for food and farm workers

While many organizations come together for Tucson Food Week, the coordination is spearheaded by Lilly Steirer of Lilly’s Table.

Sign up to receive daily inspiration and learn about the local food scavenger hunt. You can check out the calendar here.

(Photo: Peppers picked at Apple Annie’s U-Pick Farm in Willcox, AZ.)

Did you know peppers are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, especially red pepprs? Red peppers are a good source of the carotenoid called lycopene touted to prevent prostate cancer. Vitamins A and C help prevent cell damage, cancer, and diseases related to aging, and they support immune function. Peppers also reduce inflammation found in arthritis and asthma. Vitamin K promotes proper blood clotting and strengthens bones.

Sprouts Farmers Market just had a 3 red peppers for $1 sale. Peppers can be sauteed with onions and sausage to eat as is or pour over pasta or a baked potato, or added to an omelet. I also like to saute finely diced peppers and toss into meat loaf or a burger or add to a salad for crunch and color.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 15th, 2012 at 5:55 am and is filed under Desert Locavore, Food Ethics, Food Personalities, Health. Tags for this post: food day, sustainable food, Tucson food, Tucson food day. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.