Time restraints are no excuse for a poor diet. Sure, we’re all busy shuttling back and forth between responsibilities, but according to Gloria Varney, owner of Nezinscot Farm in Turner, you can still provide a healthy meal for your family in about the same amount of time it takes to wind around a fast-food drive-through.

“We’re not cooking for ourselves anymore, and because of that we’re going out and eating out more and eating whatever seems appealing,” she says, standing in her kitchen/store/cafe wearing a multi-colored apron and chopping vegetables.

She’s making Brown Rice Medley, a simple, well-balanced dish of mixed vegetables, rice and cheese. The added bonus? It only takes 15 minutes if you cook the rice ahead of time — perfect for parents after work or folks on the go.

Varney has a degree in community health education and a secondary degree in nutrition. She has owned and operated Nezinscot Farm in Turner with her husband, Gregg, for the past 13 years. They organically grow produce, raise livestock and make certified-organic dairy products. The vegetables she’s cutting up today — garlic, onions, peppers, asparagus, mushrooms — were grown right at her farm.

“Knowing where my food is coming from is very important to me. I like to use as much organic as possible. It’s more wholesome; the flavors are enhanced and garlic tastes like garlic, mushrooms taste like mushrooms,” she explains as the heady aroma of sauteing vegetables fills the room.

In anything that Varney makes — whether it’s a dish to be served at brunch in the farm’s cafe, something patrons can pick up and take home at the store or a meal for her own family — she always tries to make sure there is an array and balance of colors.

“I’m always thinking about color and making things look as appealing as possible to the eye because that really satisfies close to half of your appetite, and the benefit of the taste afterwards enhances that.”

Varney says that if people expect a meal to look a certain way and it arrives at the table completely different, their visual expectation has not been met and people tend to overeat to fill that void.

While she adds cooked rice to the cast iron skillet full of veggies, Varney uses the example of a fast-food chain hamburger commercial. The burger looks absolutely mouthwatering on television, but when you actually receive the meal from the restaurant, it in no way compares to what you were expecting. You feel let down and, to compensate, you may eat more to try to satisfy the visual aspect of your hunger that was not met, she explains.

She notes that making sure the meals you present your family are visually appealing, even when pinched for time, is just as important as the ingredients.

Varney dresses a serving dish with baby spinach and places the rice mixture atop. Reds and greens, browns and purples stand out on the bed of greens. She grabs a tub of feta cheese — made right here at the farm — and crumbles it on top.

There are carbohydrates, protein, vegetables and dairy all in one delicious meal. “This is quick, easy and nutritional. There’s no excuse,” she says.

Brown Rice Medley

 (serves 7-8)

1 red pepper

1 head of garlic (yes, one head)

8-12 mushrooms (crimini, shitake or a mixture of both)

12 spears asparagus, cut into one-inch cubes

1 medium onion (red or yellow)

2 cups uncooked brown rice

Olive oil

2-3 tablespoons low-sodium tamari soy sauce

Feta cheese

Raw baby spinach

Prepare the rice. Put 2 cups water and 1 cup uncooked rice in a pot. Bring to a boil, stir and cover leaving a small gap for steam to escape. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until rice is tender and the desired consistency. Remove from heat, drain any excess water if necessary and set aside. (Alternatively, use a rice cooker and cook the rice during the day.)

While rice is cooking, wash and finely chop the first four ingredients. In a cast iron pan, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add chopped vegetables to the cast iron pan and saute on medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Add 2-3 tablespoons low-sodium tamari soy sauce to the veggies. Stir. When the onions turn translucent and the vegetables still have some crunch, add the asparagus and stir to mix. Cook for another minute.

Add 4 cups cooked rice to the cast iron pan and stir to coat. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Serve over a bed of washed, uncooked baby spinach.

Modifications:

Rice: You can substitute any type of rice for the brown rice in the recipe. Recommendations include jasmine, long- or short-grain rice or a mixture of white and brown.

Veggies: This dish should use whatever produce is in season, and can easily be adjusted for other vegetables. Options include peas, carrots, beets, beans and more. Be creative!

For a heartier flavor: Add 1½ cups dried cranberries and 1 cup walnuts.

Meat: Any types of sausage, ground beef or turkey go well in this recipe. Add as much or as little as you want. Roughly a half-pound of ground meat will suffice. Add the meat to the uncooked chopped vegetables and saute along with them. Continue cooking as outlined in recipe above.

* This keeps for several days refrigerated.

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