NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
July 29, 1999
Zucchini is not the only fruit that produces like a rabbit. Cucumbers proliferate, and spinach grows in copious clumps in our garden. Likewise, by mid-August those short, straggly rows of beets have ballooned into canopied behemoths sporting lush green tops and ruby red roots. Not that I'm complaining. In fact, I feel lucky, challenged really.
As most home gardeners will attest, it's not easy concocting new ways to eat all that wholesome bounty. But making ice cream out of garden produce is drawing a line in the topsoil that I won't likely cross.
Evidently, some New York City chefs have no such qualms. A recent article in The New York Times written by Rick Marin chronicles what these cooks (kooks?) are capable of: making cucumber, roasted beet and tomato-cumin ice cream.
Now, sweet potato ice cream I would try because it's probably indistinguishable from most versions of pumpkin. But fresh corn ice cream? Or bay leaf-flavored ice cream? Other trendy flavors include white pepper, Serrano chili, Sichuan peppercorn and oatmeal (sans the fiber, I'm guessing). Spinach is included for coloring in one restaurant's garden mint ice cream.
Perhaps someday when I have nothing better to do than destroy the texture and fiber content of bushels of fresh vegetables, I'll attempt to make some Swiss chard and sangria ice cream. But until that day (which will probably fall on the 12th of never), I'll be content to eat garden produce in a more time-honored manner. The recipe that follows is one I've adapted. The original appears on a Danish Internet site (http://sunsite.auc.dk/recipes/english/o0360195.html).
Cucumber-Beet Salad
Yield: 8 servingsIngredients:
1 head leaf lettuce
1 head romaine lettuce
2 medium cucumbers
1 medium beet, cooked, chilled and grated
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
½ cup canola oil
salt to tasteProcedure:
Separate the leaf lettuce and romaine heads into individual leaves, wash and blot dry with paper toweling. Tear leaves into bite-size pieces, and fill large salad bowl. Cover with damp paper toweling and refrigerate until serving time. Meanwhile, scrub and cut cucumbers in half lengthwise and then crosswise to create thin half-moons. Refrigerate the cukes. Combine orange and lemon juices, honey, mustard, and orange peel in small bowl; whisk in oil and season to taste with salt. To assemble salad, pour about half the dressing over the lettuce and toss to coat. Arrange cucumbers in center and beets around the cucumbers. Serve remaining dressing on the side.
What's Your Take on This, Julie?
I've been anticipating a load of zucchini or cucumbers on my doorstep from a neighbor with a garden (or this column's co-writer), but none has appeared so far. I guess I'll have to live up to my name and be a Garden with a garden next year.
There are bushels of reasons to add more fruits and vegetables to the diet. They're low in calories, nearly fat-free, high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and best of all, they taste good. Current research on phytochemicals (plant chemicals) is very promising. The pigments, in particular, are closely linked with reducing the risk of different types of cancer and other diseases.
Lycopenes, which provide the red color to tomatoes, may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Cooking the tomatoes may help release the active compounds, so try eating more salsas and tomato-based sauces. Carotenes, which lend their hue to carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe and many other gold/orange vegetables, may lower the risk of lung cancer. Spinach contains the carotene, "zeaxanthin," which may reduce our risk of eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration, two of the leading causes of blindness.
Spinach, tomatoes and potatoes also contain saponins, a type of carbohydrate which may reduce cancer and heart disease risks. The indoles and isothiocyantes in cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli may inhibit DNA damage that triggers some types of cancer.
To help you on your way to 5 a Day--at least three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit--try this salad recipe. A serving (one-eighth of the recipe) contains 160 calories, 14 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber, plus one-third of the recommended daily amount for both vitamins A (as beta carotene) and C. The fat from canola oil is mainly in the monounsaturated form, which has been shown to be more heart healthy than other types.
When fresh produce from your garden or a farmer's market is but a memory, serve up the canned, frozen or dried. If you're concerned about nutrient content of fresh versus processed, remember that commercial vegetable companies process quickly after harvest for minimal nutrient loss. Most nutrient loss occurs when we overcook vegetables at home, so use as little water as possible and cook only to the tender-crisp stage.
Think of your plate as an artist's palette. Along with breads, meat and dairy products, paint it with a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables. For answers about preserving your own food, check with your local office of the NDSU Extension Service or visit our Web site at www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/subfood/htm.
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Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136
Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187
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