When I began the research for this month's newsletter, I was suprised at all the interesting things I found. Some of the facts were things that I should have realized, had I ever taken time to think about them. Others were things that were new even to me. But they were all interesting, fun and light hearted- just like summer should be. So pour yourself a glass of lemonade, grab a chair and prop up your feet on a hot summer's day for some fun reading! Answers are at the bottom, so don't scroll down and peek too soon if you want to play the game!
1. What is the only fruit that has seeds on the outside?
2. What is the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, cooked, canned or in any other form but fresh?
3. Which vegetable has three times as much vitamin C as an orange and twice as much as iron as spinach?
4. What vegetable is more heat and drought tolerant than cabbage? (Hint: This is why it's popular in the southern states.)
5. Which vegetable comes in white, yellow, orange, green and purple varieties?
6. What nut did the Romans shower newlyweds with as a fertility charm?
7. Which fruit is a member of the rose family?
8. What fruit is more effective at waking you up in the morning than caffeine?
9. There are two vegetables that can live to produce on their own for several years. All others must be replanted. What are these two?
10. Ancient Greeks held this herb sacred, using it to decorate tombs and as prizes for victors in contests. What is it?
11. What vegetable was thought to be poisonous in the United States until 1820? The Pilgrims would display you in the public square and ridicule you if they caught you growing it. (Now it's the most popular vegetable grown by home gardeners!)
12. A particular variety of this this vegetable did not gain popularity until Thomas Jefferson grew it in his garden in the 1800's. What is it?
13. This vegetable is grown in a small form today, but the ones grown by the ancient Greeks and Romans weighed between 40 and 100 pounds. What is it?
14. This vegetable was once thought to cause fever, epilepsy, and insanity. What is it?
15. These have been around a long time and have been found by archaeologists in cave dwellings dating back to 9750 B.C, but did not gain widespread popularity in the US until the 1600's. What are they?
Answers:
1. Strawberries 2. Lettuce 3. Peppers 4. Collard greens 5. Cauliflower 6. Almonds 7. Pear
8. Apples 9. Asparagus and Rhubarb 10. Parsley 11. Tomatoes 12. Heading lettuce
13. Radishes 14. Eggplant 15. Peas
