October celebrates National Popcorn Month, but you don’t have to limit your enjoyment of this crunchy snack to movie watching.

Popcorn lovers throughout America consume an average of 54 quarts each, totaling 1.7 billion quarts of popcorn annually. The ancient Aztec Indians used popcorn for everything from ceremonial headdress decoration to necklaces and ornaments. Explorer Hernan Cortes encountered popcorn in Mexico in the 16^th century. And during the Great Depression in America, 5-cent bags were sold by street vendors.

You can pop your own kernels using such easily found brands as Orville Redenbacher (www.orville.com), Newman’s Own (www.newmansown.com) and Jolly Time (www.jollytime.com) or purchase ready-made popcorn in a variety of flavors from The Popcorn Factory (www.ThePopcornFactory.com). The Popcorn Factory entered the Guinness Book of World Records by creating the world’s largest popcorn ball, eight feet in diameter and weighing 3,423 pounds.

Popcorn for breakfast? Yes, indeed when you add unflavored popcorn to your favorite muffin batter along with dried CRANBERRIES and chopped ALMONDS. You can even create Popcorn Biscotti, seasoned with RAISINS and dried APRICOTS.

Toss Popcorn with finely minced THYME, BASIL, OREGANO, PARSLEY and butter and use as a topping for TOMATO soup or chili. Popcorn bread batter mixed with diced green CHILES makes a delicious accompaniment to meat or seafood stew.

Popcorn tossed with chopped PARSLEY or minced GARLIC or CILANTRO is great to place atop macaroni and cheese just prior to baking.

With Halloween just around the corner, popcorn is a key ingredient to many "Trick or Treat" snacks. Make a variety of sweet popcorn balls, wrapping them in different color cellophane to note the flavor. Create sweet balls using maple syrup, PEANUTS and DATES; caramel, corn syrup and ALMONDS; ORANGE marmalade; chocolate, PISTACHIO and caramel; and COCONUT and ALMOND. For savory balls, blend natural popcorn with butter, CHIVES and shredded cheddar cheese or create a spicy Cajun ball blending the popcorn with butter, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, GARLIC powder, PECANS and PEANUTS.

CANTALOUPE MELON, a great source of beta-carotene, continues to be among the best values in the fruit category this week. SEEDLESS WATERMELON and HONEYDEW are also in plentiful supply at very reasonable prices.

Vitamin C-packaged KIWIFRUIT are plentiful at economical prices.

Smaller sizes of HASS AVOCADOS are the most reasonably priced and volume is plentiful.

California vineyards are producing excellent supplies of RED, BLACK and GREEN SEEDLESS GRAPES, an excellent source of the antioxidant resveratrol. Use clusters as plate garnish and fill wicker baskets and silver bowls with a trio of colors to decorate brunch tables.

MINNEOLA TANGELOS and NAVEL ORANGES are both in steady supply at reasonable prices, perfect for adding to bagged lunch sacks.

New crop APPLES are in plentiful supply, with prices decreasing. Among the best values are RED DELICIOUS and GRANNY SMITH.

California STRAWBERRIES continue in steady supply at moderate prices. Leave-on stems and dip BERRIES in dark chocolate fondue for a quick dessert option.

Hot-house grown TOMATOES continue to be an excellent value, with prices also moderate on COCKTAIL TOMATOES, perfect for party trays.

Both BARTLETT and BOSC PEARS are in steady supply at very reasonable prices. This high-fiber snack is also delicious poached and served with a RASPBERRY or BLACKBERRY sauce easily created by pureeing ripe FRUIT with LEMON juice.

As summer morphs into fall, good values continue on PEACHES and NECTARINES. Use them in cobblers topped with chopped NUTS, oatmeal and shredded COCONUT.

BANANAS are steady in volume at moderate prices. Marinate whole peeled BANANAS in ORANGE or PINEAPPLE juice, then bake until tender and top with cinnamon, nutmeg and finely chopped PECANS.

MANGOS are economical and in steady supply. Chop and blend with PAPAYA, GREEN ONIONS, GARLIC, CILANTRO, LIME juice, olive oil and pepper to create a colorful salsa to serve with roast pork or chicken.

New crop HARD SHELL SQUASH has arrived at market, with good supplies increasing on KABOCHA, GOLDEN NUGGET, BANANA and ACORN varieties. As Halloween approaches, look for full-size PUMPKINS and miniature PUMPKINS for jack-o-lantern decorating. Half Moon Bay, CA hosts the World Championship PUMPKIN weigh off October 8. ZUCCHINI SQUASH continues to be very economically priced. Cut julienne-style and sauté in olive oil with sliced ONIONS and TOMATOES.

GREEN BEANS are an economical side dish choice, served almondine-style or steamed with PEARL ONIONS and MUSHROOM slices.

WHITE ROSE POTATOES have decreased in price. Boil, slice into quarters and use in POTATO salad spiced up with freshly grated HORSERADISH or GINGER.

ASPARAGUS is steady at premium prices. Add steamed spears as omelet filling or steam and serve with a LEMON hollandaise sauce for an elegant side dish.

Incorporate plenty of leafy green vegetables into your salad like SPINACH, ROMAINE LETTUCE, KALE and COLLARD GREENS, all rich in Vitamin E to promote brain health. Salad toppings in steady supply include CUCUMBERS, CARROTS, CELERY, JICAMA, ENOKI MUSHROOMS, RADISHES, CACTUS PADS and GREEN ONIONS.

CAULIFLOWER and BROCCOLI are both economical side dish choices this week. Steam and serve with cheddar cheese sauce, or LEMON butter.

Invest now in a GARLIC braid to hang in the kitchen to use throughout the fall.

Keep your roasting pan handy this fall, with RED ONIONS, BEETS, TURNIPS, RUSSET POTATOES and PARSNIPS great for slow-roasting topped with fresh HERBS and olive oil.

Best values in cut flowers this week include SUNFLOWERS, DAISIES, MUMS and POM PONS in gorgeous rust, gold and reds. To keep blooms fresh longer, add crushed aspirin or a few drops of Clorox to your water. In the potted plant section, look for good values on MUMS, AFRICAN VIOLETS, MINIATURE ROSES and CALLA LILIES.

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