While we enjoy having the reputation as one of the Capital Region’s number one Italian specialty stores, we like to remind our customers that Roma Foods also serves as a grocer carrying some of the freshest fruits and vegetables year round. With summer here, we are currently stocked with some of our summer favorites that serve as HEALTHY additions to meals and barbeques.
Fresh strawberries- Did you know that the United States harvests about 60 million pounds of strawberries a week during peak growing season? Luckily for our Roma customers, summer is strawberry season and these sweet beauties are abundant this time of year! Looking to ditch the sugary cereal for breakfast and add a healthy alternative? How about swapping your morning cereal for a fresh smoothie made with strawberries and bananas? For those with dairy restrictions, add soy chocolate milk to further sweeten your smoothie! Recipe here.
Asparagus- This is one of our favorite vegetables, especially with summer picnics in season! Asparagus tastes good on its own, when grilled and drizzled with olive oil and garlic, or it can be chopped and added to your favorite pasta dish to add some additional flavors. Use this tasty vegetable to cook up our Roma Asparagus Salad with a Pancetta-Balsamic Vinaigrette! (see recipe below)
Greens- At Roma we enjoy assorted greens such as kale, spinach and escarole. Why are they one of our favorites?- they can be EASILY and QUICKLY cooked and added to any meal. Escarole, a less bitter member of the endive family, is rich in many vitamins and minerals, especially in folate and vitamins A and K, and is high in fiber. Kale chips are a healthy alternative to potato chips and add a crunchy texture for those looking to diversify any meal. To add additional iron to our diet, we even add cooked spinach to our morning scrambled eggs.
Melons- Fresh melons such as watermelon and cantaloupe are the juiciest and most flavorful during the summer months. Watermelon slices are a favorite edition to any backyard barbeque as well as a refreshing snack on a hot summer day. Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint is a quick and easy dish that can be brought to any summer party. Cantaloupe is the base to any great fruit salad and we all know that fruit salad is great addition to any meal, be it a healthy breakfast or a light after-dinner dessert.
Fresh fruits and vegetables can be found at Roma Foods. If you have questions about the fresh produce and vegetables our store carries, call us at 518-785-7746 (our Latham store) or 518-587-6004 (Saratoga store). Additional information about both stores can be found on our website at www.romafoods.com.