From crisp corn to juicy peaches and watermelon, your local produce department is brimming with a bounty of colors, flavors and textures. Get cooking with summer’s finest fruits and veggies or simply enjoy them raw. Cherries: Cherry season is short but oh-so-sweet. Add cherries to salads, desserts and salsas — and keep an eye out for unique varieties like Rainier and Timberline cherries. Watermelon: With its perfectly sweet juice and satisfying crunch, watermelon is the ultimate summer companion and portable thirst quencher. Watermelon stars as an afternoon snack or summer salad ingredient. Although it’s best to enjoy ASAP, cut watermelon can be refrigerated for two to three days. Corn: Long hot days and warm summer nights make corn on the cob a must. Corn performs well either boiled or grilled and is generally at its sweetest when eaten as close to harvest as possible. Keep an eye out in your store’s produce department for local farmers’ bounties. Okra: A summer staple in the South, okra is a great veggie to keep stocked. Fried okra and gumbo are the usual go-tos, but okra really shines when it’s pickled, picking up smoky flavor on the grill or halved and roasted into oven fries. Stone Fruits: Juicy stone fruits like peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines peak at different times throughout the summer. Firm stone fruits are perfect for grilling, but if you prefer a riper fruit, store it on the counter until there’s a slight give. #FitnessFriday #SummerVeggies #SummerFruits #ForYourHealth (fb)

🚑✨ “We’re not just meeting patients in the ER, we’re meeting them in their living rooms.” In this episode of Conversations on the State of Healthcare, Alinda Bailey Manager of the Community Paramedic Program at Cape Fear Valley Health shares how community paramedics are flipping the script, focusing on prevention over reaction. From emergency response to proactive care, this team is building bridges to better health. 🩺🏡 🎧 Listen here: https://rss.com/podcasts/conversations-on-the-state-of-healthcare/2032888/ 👩‍🚒👨‍🚒 Happy National EMS Week! Thank you to all the incredible EMS professionals who go above and beyond every day. 💙 (fb)