It’s All About Nutrition!

Cucumber Nutrition Information

Complete cucumber nutrition information as stated by the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 20 (2007) is shown in the chart below.

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Spinach Facts and Recipes

Spinach is a native plant of Persia and was introduced to China in the 7th century.

Spinach is a member of the goose-foot family and is closely related to beets and chard.

Spinach is of the highest quality when eaten fresh. It loses nutritional properties every day after picking. Refrigeration can slow the deterioration but even doing that does not prevent half of the major nutrients from being lost by the eighth day after harvest.

There are advantages to both cooking spinach and eating it raw. While cooking spinach reduces Vitamin C and folate levels, it boosts beta-carotein and lutein bioavailability at the same time. Lightly steaming spinach will help preserve nutrients. Best option is to maybe alternate both cooked and raw.

There are many different varieties of spinach, these are some of the main types:

Savoy (Dark green, crinkly and curly leaves. Commonly found in supermarkets.)

Flat/smooth leaf spinach (Most commonly used for canned and processed spinach products.)

Semi-savoy (Hybrid variety with slightly crinkled leaves. It has the same texture as savoy, but is esier to clean.)

Baby spinach leaves are soft and tender in texture and are flat, spade-shaped . Unlike mature spinach varieties that generally require blanching to mellow the bitter taste, baby spinach has a very clean and mild flavor. Unlike other spinach varieties baby spinach is not gritty or sandy and the stems do not need to be removed.

Spinach Recipes

Spinach And Pasta Salad Recipe

Ingredients
9 ounce package linguine
7 ounce package pesto with basil
5 cups shredded fresh spinach leaves
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 cup halved thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
1.Cook linguine according to package directions then rinse and drain.
2.Combine pasta, spinach, tomato, onion and pine nuts in large bowl.
3.Combine pesto, lemon juice and salt in small bowl then add to pasta and toss well.
4.Serve immediately or refrigerate.

grouprecipes.com

Spinach and Cheese Recipe

Ingredients:
3 medium eggs, beaten.
20 oz of frozen chopped spinach.
4 oz of cheddar cheese, grated.
1 cup of cottage cheese.
¼ cup of butter, softened.
2 teaspoons of flour.
Salt and pepper.

Preparation Instructions:
Cook the spinach as directed on its packaging, then drain.
Mix the spinach, cottage cheese, cheddar, butter, eggs, flour, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix throughly.
Spoon into a greased baking dish and Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50-60 minutes.

spinachrecipes.org

Spinach Dip Recipe

1 cup safflower mayonnaise
1 bunch freesh spinach, chopped
1 cup chopped green onion
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2-3 drops Tabasco auce
ground pepper to taste
1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Put mayonnaise in a blender; add spinach and green onion.
Blend for 2-3 minutes.
Spoon into medium size bowl; fold in the yogurt and remaining ingredients, except parsley.
Chill
Just before serving, add parsley.

cooks.com

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Pearl Onion Facts and Recipes

Contrary to common opinion pearl onions are not a specific variety of onion but a type of tree onion. Pearl onions are small, round, white or red onions harvested when about 1 inch or less in diameter. While still attached to their stems they resemble overgrown scallions or green onions and are often called boiling or baby onions. They are much sweeter than common bulb onions with the white version having a much milder flavor than the red. Pearl onions have traditionally been pickled and used as a garnish and in cocktails but over the years have been incorporated into many mainstream recipes such as casserole dishes such as succotash.

Pearl Onion Recipes

Snap Peas and Pearl Onions

1 lb. sugar snap peas
18 pearl onions, peeled
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp. minced fresh mint leaves or 1 tsp. mint flakes
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. salted cashews

Wash pea pods and remove strings and ends.
Saute onions in butter in a large saucepan. Add peas, mint and water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 to 8 minutes, or until crisp tender. Remove from heat; add cashews. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Cooks.com

Pickled Onions

1 1/2 lb. pearl onions, peeled
2 tbsp. pickling salt
1 1/2 c. white vinegar
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. pickling spices

Drop onions in boiling water to cover. Boil 3 minutes; drain. Place in cold water. Combine 2 cups water and pickling salt; pour over onions. Let stand 12 hours. Drain; rinse thoroughly.

Combine vinegar, sugar and pickling spice; bring to boiling. Pack onions in hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Cover with pickling liquid, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath (half pints) for 10 minutes. Makes 4 half pints

Cooks.com

Caramelize Pearl Onions

Ingredients
•1 pint fresh pearl onions, peeled
•1/4 cup water
•3 Tbsp. sugar
•1 Tbsp. butter
•1/2 cup orange juice

Directions
1.heat water, sugar and butter in a pan large enough to place the onions in a single layer so they are just touching.
2.Add onions and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking until onions begin to caramelize. Gently toss to glaze all sides.
3.When onions are a deep brown, add orange juice and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

grouprecipes.com

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Here are some random yet interesting facts

about beets

Ancient documents describe beets growing in the hanging gardens of Babylon around 800 BC.

Beets as we know them today are derived from wild sea beets that originated around the coasts of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

6 Amazing Beet Recipes

Beet Pancakes

1 cup minced cooked beets
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 egg yolks, beaten
3 tablespoons heavy cream – or – 3 tablespoons undiluted canned milk
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Fruit marmalade or preserves

Combine all ingredients, except marmalade. Cook as for pancakes in a hot buttered skillet. Serve with marmalade or preserves.

From www.justvegetablerecipes.com.

Mandarin Beet Salad

1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained, 2 tablespoons liquid from can reserved
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cups sliced cooked beets
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together mandarin orange liquid, vinegar oil and mustard. Add beets and drained oranges. Toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serves 4.

From www.foodnetwork.com.

Beets & Red Cabbage

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
1 1/2 cup shredded cooked beets
1/3 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch skillet or Dutch oven moderate heat. Add cabbage. Sauté, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook covered, until tender, 10 minutes.

Serves 4.

From fooddownunder.com.

Pickled Beets

1½ pound beets
1 cup cider vinegar
½ cup beet water, reserved from cooking
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
½ teaspoon pickling spices
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar

Wash beets and scrub well. Cook in water to cover until tender. Drain, reserving ½ cup of cooking liquid. Slip off the skins and cut with a ridged vegetable cutter (or just slice). Bring the vinegar and beet water to a boil. Mix the spices, salt and sugar. Add to the vinegar and let boil again. Arrange the beets in clean canning jars. Add the hot vinegar mixture to cover the beets. Seal, cool and store in refrigerator. For longer shelf life, boil in hot water bath for 15 minutes.

Makes 2 pints.

From “Superbly Swedish: Recipes and Traditions,” 1983.

Beet Risotto

3 to 4 medium beets, washed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped fine
2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
4 cups hot water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Washed, chopped beet greens (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 tablespoons grated romano cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Wrap beets in aluminum foil and place in a baking pan. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, until beets are tender. Remove from oven and unwrap beets, allow to cool a bit, peel the skins away and dice the beets.

Heat oil in large saucepan, add the onion and garlic, sauté for 4 minutes. Add rice, 2 cups hot water, wine and dried seasonings. Cook uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in beets (along with optional beet greens, if desired), remaining 2 cups of hot water and parsley. Cook 10-12 minutes, continuing to stir until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

Adapted from Vegetarian Rice Cuisine by Jay Solomon.

Orange Pickled Beets

1 teaspoon orange zest
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 large beets (or equivalent), cooked and thinly sliced
3 large shallots, thinly sliced

Whisk zest, juice, oil, mustard, sugar, allspice, salt and pepper in a bowl until well-combined. Add beets and shallots; toss until vegetables are mixed and well-coated. Refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 3 days before serving. To serve, mix well. Adjust seasoning. Serve chilled or at room temperature

Makes 2 cup

From “Chicago Tribune” August 7, 2005, courtesy of Abby Mandel.

For more beet recipes see our previous post containing some beet salad recipes.

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Picking (harvesting) Broccoli

It is important to wait until the heads of the brocolli plant reach full size which most often will be about 4 to 6 inches in diameter. When harvesting broccoli you should cut the head about 7 inches down the stem. Weather conditions play a major role when deciding on timing of your harvest. Hot temperatures most often make the heads become loose and cause florets to open into yellow flowers. Cooler temperatures allow the heads to grow tightly and prevent florets from flowering. You should check the heads of your broccoli every other day when daytime temperatures reach or above 70ºF. Cut those that have reached full size at that time. After the heads are cut you will start to see side shoots forming with smaller florets. These tender shoots can be harvested and used the same way as the main head. After harvest, submerge heads in cold water, drain, and refrigerate in airtight containers or plastic bags to keep fresh.

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