Food-wise, July's 'dish' is all about fresh vegetables and glorious stone fruits, you know, like peaches and apricots and plums. Where's the best place to find these? At the local farmers market, of course! This month's edition of Fun & Healthy Food Ideas is focused on getting out, cooking in, and eating healthfully.

Explore the Farmers Market It's prime time for fresh vegetables and fruits, you'll find the freshest, the most unusual, the most flavorful at your local farmers market. Go early, take a quick survey trip around to see what stands are selling, which ones are busy. Then explore more slowly. It's easy to get overwhelmed so start off simple. My suggestion: Pick one vegetable that's familiar but until now you've only purchased at the supermarket.

Go Raw Many vegetables can be eaten raw -- and may just surprise you how good they are, raw, unadorned. Think raw eggplant, diced small and tossed with chopped celery and red pepper and a little salad dressing. Think zucchini, sliced thin and arranged in beautiful circles on a plate, then drizzled with a little vinaigrette.

Veg(etari)an for a Day If you eat meat, set aside one day a week (perhaps the day you visit the farmers market?) to skip animal-based protein. If you are a vegetarian, set aside one day a week to skip all animal-based products.

Feast on Tomatoes Skip the supermarket tomatoes and head to the farmers market for local home-grown or farm-grown tomatoes. Then gorge ... start sliced tomatoes with no more than a little good salt or a tiny sprinkle of sugar. The tomatoes will last for only a couple of months, eat your fill.

Share the Health Make a double batch of a big vegetable salad, maybe a slaw or potato salad or better yet, a salad with a grain like barley, quinoa or wild rice. Pack a cup or two into a dish and deliver to a neighbor. "I made so much salad, I thought you might enjoy some too."

Make Pesto Pick up a big bunch of fresh basil and toss it into the food processor with garlic, good salt and olive oil and a little fresh Parmesan if you like. Spread onto crusty bread, toss with hot pasta and chopped tomatoes, toss with a few sauteed zucchini.

Find Your Little Chef Rent the movie Ratatouille, then make ratatouille at home.

Found Food Find a jar, a box, a something in your pantry or your fridge, something that you've been meaning to do something with or will go to waste. Then go to Food Blog Search or BlogHer Search to find a recipe.

Fresh Herbs It's not too late to put a couple of herbs in pots in sunny spots. Stop at a nursery to see if they still have a few herbs left to sell. Good bets include basil, rosemary and chives.

Expand Your Horizons If you always visit the same farmers market, find a new one and see what's different.

FARMERS MARKET FINDS from FAVORITE FOOD BLOGS

Eating San Francisco ~ Baby Turnips and Greens and Urban Farmstand
"Ever since the farmer's market came to my hood, I've been making fantastic discoveries. Most of the time, I'll pick up a vegetable I've never prepared and ask the folks working the table how I can put it to use. I'd say that 9 times out of 10, their recommendations are rattled off within 30 seconds, and require little prep work. After all, farm-fresh ingredients are usually so flavorful, you really need little other than a little salt and pepper, oil or butter."

Frantic Home Cook ~ Cucumber Cantaloupe Salad
"When I was growing up, my Appalachian dad called this thing a muskmelon. So when I grew up and someone asked me if I liked cantaloupe, I said, “Never had it.” Of course, when I saw it, I thought, “Oh, we hillbillies just call it muskmelon.”"

Family Style Food ~ Roasted Corn Salad with Basil & Tomatoes
"This is a perfect potluck dish for summer entertaining – the recipe is simple to make and it’s a crowd pleaser – who doesn’t love fresh sweet corn?"

And you?
And you, what's your favorite fun and healthy food activity this month? Leave an idea, a recipe or a link to a recipe in the comments!

This summer, BlogHer food editor Alanna Kellogg is all about easy summer recipes.