Many West Virginians struggle to maintain a healthy diet and weight, a fact that puts us at or near the top of many an unwanted national list.
This is not news. Being constantly surrounded by comfort foods like biscuits and gravy, chicken and dumplings, macaroni and cheese, apple pies and such will do that to you.
But what might surprise many is just how plentiful and accessible locally grown fresh, healthy produce is for most state residents.
"Really nice farmers markets are sprouting up all across the state now," says Kevin Pauley, communications director for the American Heart Association in West Virginia. "We're really lucky here in West Virginia to be surrounded by so much agriculture so close. A lot of states don't have that."
To help shed light on that fact, the American Heart Association is teaming up with the West Virginia Farmers Market Association to sponsor a "Market Fresh Recipe Challenge" to help showcase the state's agricultural bounty.
Now through Oct. 1, contestants can submit their own original recipes featuring West Virginia foods grown and sold at local farmers markets.
A panel of judges will select winning recipes based on simplicity of preparation, prominence of accessible and affordable West Virginia produce, nutritional value, creativity, overall appeal and historical/cultural significance, if applicable. Winners will receive prizes (still to be announced) and will be featured in a recipe book published at the end of the contest.
"When you look at Appalachian culture, a lot of the family recipes that have been passed down through generations are loaded with sugar, salt and fat," Pauley says. "There are even some folks still cooking with lard."
But back then, he explained, people needed those extra calories to fuel their bodies for all of the hard manual labor they did. Now times have changed. We live in a cubicle society and lead less-active lifestyles, so we don't need all of that extra fat.
"What we typically think of as a traditional Appalachian meal doesn't have to be the only type of food we eat. It's OK to indulge in something that is not so good for you from time to time, just not every day."
Pauley hopes this recipe contest will help people see that.
"We want to help people think more healthfully about their meals so they nurture better habits and develop a new way of thinking about the food they put in their bodies. Once they see how delicious fresh food can be, we hope that creates a snowball effect that will keep them on a better path for years to come," he explains.
"And we hope the contest instills a sense of pride among contestants, who feel really good about the recipes they create, and among the state's farmers, by shining a spotlight on their efforts."
Pauley said organizers worked hard to create a contest that supports healthier eating, local farmers and state pride.
"This is a true win-win any way you look at it," he said. "My hope is that people really embrace not only this contest, but also the principles it supports in a way that can truly change their lives."
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For more details and a submission form to enter, visit www.wvfarmers.org/recipe-challenge.
You'll also find a sample recipe there showing how to format your entry.
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Need a little inspiration to enter the "Fresh Market Recipe Challenge?"
Summer is the best time to get your hands on a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables - and local produce guru Bob Corey can offer some great ideas on what to do with it.
The CEO of local produce supplier Corey Brothers has expanded the reach of his popular televised cooking segment by offering more than 20 years' worth of the best episodes on a new website.
"The Produce Corner with Bob Corey" - which spanned 23 years as a local news segment on TV stations nationwide and three years on the Food Network - is now available on YouTube and at www.producecornerwithbobcorey.com.
After taping more than 3,000 segments in his TV career, Corey selected nearly 300 of the most informative to showcase online. These videos guide viewers through and entire year of seasonal produce, offering nutritional information, cooking tips and more along the way.
Hundreds of recipes can also be easily printed and forwarded from the site.
In addition to helping inspire home cooks to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables into their diets, Corey hopes the new resource will be utilized by restaurants, grocery stores and other food-related businesses as well.
"The Produce Corner with Bob Corey website, its episodes and recipes are available to incorporate into produce personnel training," he said.
"My vision is for the site to be an interesting and entertaining training and education tool to complement existing produce training programs to further educate managers, staff and trainees - as well as chefs, apprentices and culinary students who may not have the knowledge to convey to their customers information about an item or how to prep, fix and prepare it for their enjoyment."
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Daily Mail. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or by email at dailymailfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook and Pinterest as "DailyMail FoodGuy," on Twitter as "DMFoodGuy" and read his blog at http://blogs.charlestondailymail.com/foodguy.