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Health NutritionA Delicious Fall Bounty Is Now Availableby Emily Bender The first time I ate a fresh fig, I was sitting in a fig tree with my friend Jeffrey discussing how we were going to get married when we grew up (We were 5 years old. Too bad for him that I came out later). And that was the last time until a few years ago when I re-discovered the joys of our local fall fruits and vegetables.I have always considered myself a summer person. I love hot weather—especially those really hot days in September, swimming, tart nectarines, peaches dripping sticky juice down my chin, and the satisfyingly sour skin and sweet flesh of plums. Tomato basil salad, fresh sweet corn--need I go on? It wasn’t until I moved to Fairfax that I began to appreciate the fall harvest. It’s hard to miss around here. I have 3 apple trees and a pear tree in my yard, my next door neighbor has a persimmon tree right out front, and it is practically impossible to walk down the street in this town without stepping on a fallen fig. The farmers markets are overflowing with beautiful greens and hardy winter squashes. In our mild climate, the autumn is perhaps our most abundant time of year. It’s a dreamy time for cooks and gourmands—and it also makes your friendly neighborhood gay nutritionist jump for joy. Let’s start with the familiar. I hardly need to mention the tasty benefits of apples and pears. Filled with fiber and antioxidants, these fall staples are great snacks with cheese, nuts or nut butters. Or bake, poach or steam them for a delicious no-sugar added treat. Asian pears, also available now, are a sort of cross between an apple and a pear. They come in different varieties, from apple-like to almost butterscotch-like in flavor. I love them with French goat brie. Cruciferous vegetables, those form the cabbage family, are famous for their cancer-fighting properties. Many experts list them in their top 10 health promoting foods. This family of veggies includes broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, turnips, rutabagas and collard greens, and they are all at their best right now. Kale, a nutritional powerhouse, brings us calcium, magnesium, vitamin K, fiber and beta-carotene. I like to braise my Kale in chicken broth: Wash and tear or cut leaves from stems, tear or chop them in to smaller pieces. Melt a tablespoon of butter or coconut butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add kale and toss with tongs to coat. Add _-1 cup of chicken broth or stock. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes until the leaves are soft and dark green. Collard greens are delicious sautéed with onions, salt and pepper and a bit of cumin thrown in. Let’s talk persimmons. I know lots of people who are intimidated by this gem. Granted, unless we are Japanese, most of our moms didn’t send us to school with persimmon slices, but I encourage you to try one. The bright orange color is a good tip off that persimmons are full of vitamin A. In addition, they are high in folate, potassium and fiber. There are 2 varieties, and I have yet to meet a persimmon lover who did not have an opinion on which one was more delicious. They are: Fuyu persimmons (my favorite), shaped almost like a beefsteak tomato with larger leaves, can be eaten firm or soft. Hachiya persimmons have a pointy bottom, like a big roma tomato, must be eaten when they are VERY soft. An unripe hachiya persimmon is not a good experience. Persimmons can be eaten out of hand, baked into breads and cookies, or served, as I prefer them, with some fresh goat cheese, Affinois brie or other cheese of your choice. (Yes, I do love fruit and cheese. Does it show?). When my partner’s dad was in town a couple of months ago, we ate at Chez Papa, a French bistro in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. As an appetizer, I ordered their figs stuffed with goat cheese, wrapped in prosciutto and then grilled. I don’t know when I have tasted something more sexy. Too bad we were accompanied by our parents and our baby. That would have been a super opening for a date! Figs are just a really sexy fruit. Cut one in half appreciate the, shall we say, “womanly” shape. The aphrodisiac cookbook Intercourses by Martha Hopkins and Randall Lockridge dedicates a chapter to the delectable fig. It is unbelievably sweet and smooth in texture, but with the added titillation of the tiny seeds! My nutritionist self lusts after their high fiber content, and abundant calcium and magnesium, but mostly I just lust after their flavor. Enjoy them plain, grilled or presented on a plate with walnuts and goat cheese, drizzled with honey. Pomegranate is one of the classic fertility-enhancing foods for women. So all you ladies who want to get pregnant—eat up! Cut open a pomegranate and eat the seeds plain or put them in salads. Around our house, we like to eat them with toasted pecans. The bright red kernels, besides being delicious and easy to feed one by one to your sweetheart, are filled with age and toxin defying anti-oxidants. There is even some research that suggests they can help lower LDL cholesterol. So enjoy them in abundance this fall. You can’t get them at any other time of year. Emily is a Certified Nutrition Consultant practicing in Fairfax. She can be reached at Emily@gourmethelping.com. |
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