September celebrates National "Gallus Domesticus" Month - that’s the fancy Latin scientific name for Chicken, one of the world’s most popular sources of animal protein.

Whether you present it in your menus stir-fried, roasted, barbecue sauced, broiled, grilled or deep-fried, Chicken always makes a satisfying comfort-food meal.

Chicken scores very high on the nutrition scale, an excellent source of cancer-protective B vitamin niacin as well as selenium, important for the body’s overall metabolic health. Chicken breast is a very good alternative to beef steak as an entrée because it contains less than half the fat when served without skin.

Virtually every ethnic group has found some delicious way to present chicken on the dinner table. For the Pennsylvania Dutch, it’s chicken pot pie, rich with CARROTS, CELERY, ONIONS and POTATOES.

The Chinese offer chicken that’s flavorful as well as fragrant with Kung Pao Chicken, including red chili PEPPERS, WATER CHESTNUTS, GARLIC, ONIONS and PEANUTS. Chinese LEMON chicken makes good use of a CITRUS FRUIT favorite.

Chicken Cordon Bleu is a French classic, pounded chicken breast rolled around ham and Swiss Cheese, baked in a cream sauce.

Italian cooks are expert at preparing chicken in dishes such as Chicken Tetrazinni, cooked and shredded chicken blended with CRIMINI MUSHROOMS, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES and GARLIC in a white wine cream sauce and baked in a bed of linguini pasta.

Cooks in the American South pride themselves on juicy and tender fried CHICKEN marinated in buttermilk for added flavor. Serve with mashed POTATOES and steamed GREEN BEANS for an easy and delicious supper.

SEEDLESS GRAPES, both RED FLAME and GREEN THOMPSON, are among this week’s best FRUIT values.

BANANAS continue to be very reasonably priced. Add slices with some honey to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in children’s lunch bags.

HASS AVOCADOS continue to be plentiful. Add a slice to your Bacon, LETTUCE and TOMATO sandwich.

Dress up your salad with TOMATOES, now in plentiful supply with prices decreasing. Supply also continues good on specialty variety, full-flavored HEIRLOOOM TOMATOES.

First of the season BARLETT PEARS are arriving from California orchards. The BARTLETT is a great snacking PEAR with a fragrant aroma and a yellow-reddish blush when fully ripe.

New crop GALA APPLES are also in steady supply at reasonable prices. Core and stuff with brown sugar, RAISINS, WALNUTS and honey and bake.

KIWIFRUIT is plentiful at economical prices. Peel and slice very thinly as a jewel-like topping for vanilla custard tarts.

Volume continues plentiful on CANTALOUPE MELON, with prices very reasonable. Good values continue as well on both seeded and seedless WATERMELON.

Production continues to be peak for PEACHES, BLACK and RED PLUMS as well as NECTARINES, with prices holding in the moderate range.

PINEAPPLE prices have decreased on a favorite tropical from Hawaii.

PINK GRAPEFRUIT from California groves is in plentiful supply at moderate prices. Use the freshly squeezed juice to create a refreshing frozen granita.

PAPAYA from Mexico is in plentiful supply, with prices decreasing.

ICEBERG LETTUCE is very plentiful at economical prices, making this salad favorite one of the best VEGETABLE values offered this week.

Salad toppings in good supply include CELERY, CUCUMBERS, SPROUTS, CARROTS, JICAMA, MUSHROOMS, RADISHES and GREEN ONIONS.

Good values in side dish choices this week include BROCCOLI and CAULIFLOWER.

New crop RUSSET POTATOES are the best value by the prepackaged bag. Enjoy them baked, stuffed or fried.

GARLIC from the Gilroy growing region of California’s Central Coast is in plentiful supply at very reasonable prices. Add roasted GARLIC to mashed POTATOES.

SWEET OLATHE CORN from Colorado has arrived and is reasonably priced. Keep in the husk and grill until tender, then slather with HERB butter.

ONIONS are in plentiful supply, with sweet MAUI, BROWN, WHITE BOILER and ITALIAN RED varieties all moderately priced. Thinly sliced ONIONS grilled in extra-virgin olive oil make a delicious topping for hot dogs or hamburgers.

ZUCCHINI, CUCUZZA and CHAYOTE SQUASHES are among the best side dish values this week for steaming, stuffing, baking or frying.

ACORN and BUTTERNUT SQUASH are among the first arrivals of new crop HARD SHELL SQUASH.

Good values continue on fresh JALAPENO and ANAHEIM CHILE PEPPERS.

DAISIES, MUMS, BROMELIADS and KALANCHOE are among the best values in blooming potted plants. ROSES, ANTHURIUMS, CARNATIONS, SNAPDRAGONS, DAISIES, GLADIOLAS and SUNFLOWERS are plentiful for cut arrangements.

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