by Graham Kerr
Place the leaves in a steamer; add the basil, black pepper, lemon juice, and salt. Steam 4-6 minutes or until tender but still nice and green.
Per serving: 28 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 6 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 4 g dietary fiber, 161 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable
COLLARDS WITH A SPICY TWIST
Collards are a grand staple in Southern cooking, but this recipe recommends a much shorter cooking time than what’s traditionally done, to retain more color.
SERVES 4
1 pound collard greens
½ teaspoon nonaromatic olive oil
2 ounces Canadian bacon, chopped
(optional)5
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch cayenne
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Wash the collards and remove the heavy stems. Stack a third of the leaves on top of each other and roll into a cigar. Cut into ¼-inch ribbons. Repeat with the rest of the greens. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Fry the bacon until it starts to color. Add the collards, thyme, and cayenne, and stir to mix well. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes or until the leaves are tender but still green.
Sprinkle on the lemon juice and serve.
Per serving: 49 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 6 g carbohydrate, 5 g protein, 4 g dietary fiber, 207 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Very Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable
SOUTHERN JAPANESE MISO AND SWEET POTATO SOUP
If you haven’t yet tried miso, this could be your best chance at success. It’s wonderfully aromatic, and the bright shiny threads of collard greens do wonders for its looks.
Miso is a soybean paste obtained from the fermenting process used to make tamari. In its golden variation, it can be found in the refrigerator sections at health food stores and good supermarkets. It is delicious and can be added to many vegetable soups or casseroles to great effect for both taste and nutrition.
SERVES 4
8 ounces soba (Japanese buckwheat) noodles
or whole wheat spaghetti
6 cups low-sodium vegetable stock (see page 288)
3 dried shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and discarded
6 green onions, white parts cut on the
diagonal into ½-inch slices, greens cut into
¼-inch rings
2 carrots, cut on the diagonal into ½-inch slices
1 medium sweet potato, cut into ½-inch pieces
(yield 1½ cups)
1 medium turnip, cut into ½×1-inch strips
¼ cup white miso
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 pound collard greens, stems removed, cut
into ⅛-inch strips
Place the noodles in a large pot of vigorously boiling water and cook for 10 minutes or until tender but not soft. Drain, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking, and set the colander over a pot of hot water to reheat.
While the noodles are cooking, bring the stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the shiitakes, remove the pan from the heat, and let soak for 10 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, reserving the stock, and cut in thin strips; set aside.
Bring the stock back to a simmer over medium heat. Add the white parts of the onion and the carrots, and cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the sweet potato, turnip, and mushroom strips, and simmer 10 more minutes or until the vegetables are tender but still firm.
Dissolve the miso paste in a bit of the hot stock, add cayenne, and stir the mixture into the soup. Scatter the collards onto the surface, stirring until well mixed. Simmer 3 minutes.
Divide the noodles among four heated bowls and ladle the soup on top. Scatter the green onion over all. Please serve everything very hot—the rising cloud of aroma is a treat in itself.
Per serving: 195 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 40 g carbohydrate, 5 g protein, 3 g dietary fiber, 943 mg sodium. Exchanges: 2 Starch, 1 Vegetable, ½ Fat
Corn
Zea mays var. rugosa
Once again the designers have had their way, and the golden yellow corn of my youth (and yours?) has morphed into red, blue, black, white, and all kinds of mottled split personalities.
They all share a common sweetness that is profoundly more delicious on the day they are picked. Along with the sweetness, however, come the inevitable calories from carbohydrates. But when served on the cob, their sheer visual size can help limit their effect on those with diabetes. Corn does come complete with quite a high fiber content, and each gram of fiber can be deducted from the overall carbohydrate total.
I’ve always enjoyed the way the kernels can be used in sauces, soups, and casseroles; as fritters; in pancakes; and even in waffles! They supply little sunbursts of color along with the sweetness, but they also introduce a texture that can be wonderful when set against a smooth, mild background, as in my Corn Chowder (page 134).
There is a pretty obvious cultural preference for buttering corn, which can sometimes be overdone—so much so that the treat of the season can become a potential threat. I’ve suggested a saffron- (or turmeric-) colored sauce as a visual alternative. It obviously doesn’t taste like butter, but it is, in its own right, very pleasing.
I really don’t have the space for corn, and I live almost next door to some of the finest corn in the world!
Having said that, I’m still keen to see how it works. My pals recommend Golden Midget for a smaller garden, since it grows only 36 inches high. The soil needs to be just above 70ºF. Corn needs moderate water until the plant flowers and then heavier watering for the growing season. The soil must be kept moist without flooding the plant’s shallow root system until the tassels appear. At this point, the water needs to go deep until the silks form. This is when the male flower tassel releases pollen, which drops on the female flower silk. The plant may need a gentle shaking to help the pollination take place.
You can test when the ear is ready by pinching a corn kernel; it should be milky.
The Numbers
Quantities on the cob vary to such a degree as to defy measurement, so the reference used here is to kernels that can be easily measured.
For each 100 g kernels (3.5 oz; ½ cup): 108 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 25 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 3 g dietary fiber, 0 mg sodium
Annual/Tender/Warm Season Water: Moderate to heavy
Sun: Full
Companion Planting:
PRO: Bush beans, beets, cabbage, squash CON: Tomatoes, pole beans
Pests: Aphids, armyworms, beetles, earwigs, birds, raccoons
Diseases: Wilt, rust, corn smut
Soil: Sandy loam for early growth varieties; clay/peat for later harvest varieties
Fertilizer: Heavy feeder; fish emulsion twice—on planting and when tassels form pH: 6.0-7.0
Varieties: Early Sunglow, Indian Summer, SH2 (very sweet), Golden Midget (3-foot stalks)
Zones: 3-11
Planting: Seed 1 inch deep (outdoors), 2 weeks after last frost Germinate: 4-10 days
Harvest: 60-100 days
Rotation: Plant nitrogen-fixing crop like bush beans before planting
Edible: Kernels
Corn
CORN ON THE COB IN THE HUSK
Warmth speeds the conversion of sugars to starch, which results in a less sweet ear of corn. Corn should be stored in the refrigerator but not more than one day. It’s best eaten the day it’s picked.
SERVES 4
4 ears corn with husks
½ cup low-sodium vegetable stock (see page 288)
1½ teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch
Touch of powdered saffron (optional)
Gently pull back the husks around the corn without pulling them clear off. Remove and discard the silk. Pull the husks back up around the corn and tie at the top with kitchen string or a piece of wire if you’re going to grill them.
Steam in a single layer over boiling water in a large flat steamer for 15 minutes; microwave in a single layer on high 9-12 minutes (fewer ears will take less time); or g
rill.
To grill over hot coals, first soak in cold water for 15 minutes then grill, turning once—15 minutes for small ears and up to 30 minutes for very large ones.
Allow to cool a little before removing the husks. If possible, run each ear under cold water to cool the husks enough to handle.
Combine the stock and arrowroot or cornstarch (you can add saffron for a butter color). Heat and stir until it clears and thickens. Brush on the corn in place of butter before serving. Then if you can’t do without it, by all means add your butter!
Per serving: 94 calories, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 19 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 68 mg sodium. Exchanges: 2 Starch
CORN CHOWDER
Most chowders find their appeal in what I call mouth round fullness, a texture that comes from butter, heavy cream, and starch. I set out to keep the texture and lose the possible risk from too much fat. Try adding good bread and a crisp salad to make this a lunch worthy of celebrating the season.
SERVES 6
FOR THE CHOWDER
½ teaspoon light olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
6 ears corn, kernels shaved off the cob
(yield 3½ cups)
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon finely diced parsley stalks
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated skim milk
2 cups soy milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons dry white wine (I prefer dealcoholized Chardonnay)
FOR THE GARNISH
½ teaspoon canned chipotle pepper (smoked jalapeño) or ¼ teaspoon ground, if dried
⅓ cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
To make the chowder, warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low. Sauté the onion and ½ cup of the corn kernels 12-15 minutes until very soft. Stir occasionally so the onion doesn’t brown. Add the thyme, parsley stalks, salt, and black pepper.
Transfer the onion mixture to a blender and add ½ cup of the evaporated milk. Purée the mixture for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining evaporated milk and blend for another 3 minutes or until silky smooth. Return to the saucepan along with the remaining corn.
Pour the soy milk into the blender to pick up any flavorful bits left behind, and pour into the saucepan with the corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Combine the cornstarch with the wine to make a slurry. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the slurry. If you will not be serving the soup right away, set it aside and allow it to cool. A few minutes before you are ready to serve, return the soup to the heat and stir occasionally until warm and slightly thickened.
To prepare the garnish, warm a small frying pan over medium-high. Sauté the chipotle, bell pepper, and parsley for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Serve the chowder in warmed bowls and top each serving with 1 heaping tablespoon of the garnish.
Per serving: 213 calories, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 40 g carbohydrate, 16 g protein, 3 g dietary fiber, 9 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1½ Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1 Fat-Free Milk
Cucumber
Cucumis sativus
My first crop of cucumbers was anything but cool. Since cukes are actually well known as heat lovers, I planted a full row that allowed them to creep out over our concrete and fine-pebble driveway. I expected them to spread out, but they stayed close to the fence, where, despite their being crowded, they blossomed vigorously.
I made an apparently classic mistake in leaving them too long to harvest. So one day they were nicely green and relatively small at 5-6 inches; the next day, a number of them turned a pale green, and then—bingo!—they went yellow! And bitter! And bloated!
In the midst of this failure, a straggly little plant that I’d been given by a friend, who described it as a pickling gherkin (Diamant), went into overdrive against the sheltered sunny wall of our new greenhouse, delivering a bountiful supply of tiny 1½-inch footballs.
My plan for next year is to grow the English style—I promise you that this has nothing to do with bias! I shall grow them on a trellis and see if they’ll make it in the space vacated by the gherkins.
The good thing about the trellis is that it provides good air circulation, which in my judgment clearly trumps a hot driveway!
The Numbers
Cucumbers of any variety are pretty cool if you’re following a weight-loss program. They are also among the lowest sodium foods available and promote the healing of tendon tissue with their high silica content.
For 100 g raw (3.5 oz; ½ cup): 13 calories, 0 g fat, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 1 g dietary fiber, 0 mg sodium
Cucumber
Annual
Water: Moderate to heavy (watch leaves going yellow to judge amount needed)
Sun: Full (3 hours minimum)
Companion Planting:
PRO: Bush bean, cabbage family, lettuce, squash
CON: Potatoes, herbs
Pests: Aphids, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, mites
Diseases: Anthracnose, mildew
Soil : Sandy loam with good drainage
Fertilizer: Compost well; fish emulsion 1-2 times per month; fertilize with plenty of phosphorus and potassium, moderate nitrogen
pH: 6.5-7.5
Varieties : General Lee, Northern Pickling (small pickles), Armenian (greenhouse English style), Diamant (an early gherkin)
Zones: 4-7
Planting: Seed ¾-1 inch deep outside when soil temperature above 68ºF, 12 inches apart
Germinate: 5-7 days
Harvest: 55-65 days when uniformly green and smaller size (5-6 inches); don’t allow to yellow
Rotation: Don’t follow other cucumber plants
Edible: Fruit
CUCUMBER RAITA SALAD
This is a classic cooling side dish for curries.
SERVES 4
1 English cucumber or young slicing cucumber
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped spearmint
½ cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Wash the cucumber and partially peel in long strips, leaving alternating stripes of green skin and white flesh. Cut lengthwise into long thin slices, then across into matchsticks. Combine with the onion, cilantro, and spearmint in a large bowl.
Whisk the yogurt, lime juice, cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper together to make the dressing. Toss with the vegetables and let sit for 10 minutes to marinate. Serve with any hot dish to cool your burning mouth!
Per serving: 27 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 6 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 1 g dietary fiber, 166 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable
CUCUMBER SALAD WITH TOMATOES
As an appetizer, this is hard to beat. It almost makes taste buds sit up and beg! Sometimes I like to peel the cucumbers in strips, showing 1-inch tracks of green and white. It adds both color and texture.
SERVES 4
2 cups diced cucumber, partially peeled
1 cup seeded and diced tomatoes
¼ cup chopped sweet onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill or ½ teaspoon dried
½ cup Treena’s Vinaigrette (see page 74)
Toss together the cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, dill, and vinaigrette. Chill 1 hour and serve.
Per serving: 43 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 1 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 372 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 1 Fat
SALMON WITH CUCUMBER SAUCE
In the Skagit Valley, this is about as close to home as it gets to a perfect example of FABIS (fresh and best in season).
SERVES 4
2 cups peeled, seeded, and diced cucumbers
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup dealcoholized white wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with
2 tablespoons dealcoholized white wine (slurry)
1 cup yogurt cheese (see page 290)
FOR THE SALMON
2 (12-ounce) skinless, boneless King salmon fillets
1 teaspoon light olive oil
Dash toasted sesame oil
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
⅛ teaspoon salt
In a medium saucepan, combine the cucumbers, dill, mint, white pepper, and salt, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the wine and slurry, and stir until the sauce is thickened, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and let cool. Stir in the yogurt cheese very gently.
To make the salmon, preheat the broiler. Place a rack in a broiler pan and cover with foil.
Pour the oils onto a plate and sprinkle with the white pepper and salt. Season both sides of the salmon fillets by wiping them through the oil on the plate. Place the salmon on the prepared broiler rack and broil 3-4 inches from heat, 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the salmon to a cutting board.
To serve, cut each salmon fillet in half. Spoon a bed of sauce onto each dinner plate and place one piece of salmon in the middle. Drizzle more sauce in a narrow band down the center of the salmon.
Per serving: 375 calories, 19 g fat, 6 g saturated fat (14% calories from saturated fat), 9 g carbohydrate, 39 g protein, 0 g dietary fiber, 272 mg sodium
SZECHUAN CUCUMBER SALAD
SERVES 4
