Blueberries by the Boatload

Blueberries are in full season now – and we can’t eat enough of them! These delicious bite-sized berries have one of the highest antioxidant levels of any fruit or vegetable – specifically, the flavonoid anthocyanin, which gives them their blue color. They are also relatively low in sugar and may even play a role in blood sugar regulation, which makes them an ideal snack for schoolchildren.

We eat them fresh by the fistful this time of year and include them in our kids’ lunches.

We throw them into plain yogurt: About 10 blueberries added to a cup of cashew or other non-dairy yogurt, sweetened with a quarter teaspoon of maple syrup or 5 drops of liquid stevia extract, makes a delicious after-school snack. During the off-season, we use organic frozen blueberries from Costco.

And we even love them frozen in a morning smoothie, such as the “blueberry cheesecake” recipe that I learned from @theblendergirl Smoothies app.

What’s your favorite culinary use for the mighty blueberry?

Romancing the Romanesco

One of the most beautiful vegetables during the Spring season is the Romanesco. It is technically a broccoli but visually closer to a cauliflower. This remarkable-looking vegetable contains ample amounts of zinc, carotenoids, iron, vitamin C and folate.

Both the fractal pattern and the Fibonacci sequence formed by the spirals of the buds pique my mathematical side.

Purple Kohlrabi

June is National Fresh Fruit & Vegetables Month. It’s the perfect time to talk about Kohlrabi, an exotic-looking cruciferous veggie, high in vitamin C and native to Germany – and a veggie that you may not yet know. Its dense fibrous bulbs are crisp and crunchy. While the most common variety is green, the purple variety is a bit sweeter. We slice them into French fry-like wedges, dip in olive oil, season with paprika, garlic powder & sea salt and then bake.

Summer Squash

Summer squash (which includes zucchini) is one of those super-versatile veggies that accompany the transition from spring to summer. They are among the best sources of carotenoids – even more than carrots and sweet potatoes. Summer squash tastes wonderful boiled in a chicken stew with onions or even just boiled on their own with tomato sauce. Leave the skin on to benefit from these carotenoids.

Heirloom Tomatoes

Tomato season is upon us. Have you noticed the difference in flavors between supermarket tomatoes and farm-fresh heirloom 🍅 varieties? Once you taste the earthy sweetness of a Cherokee Purple, for instance, you will never go back to the bland store-bought beefsteaks. Now is the time to explore as many varieties as possible! Your taste buds will thank you.

The Merits of Sunflower Seeds

Sunflowers are undeniably beautiful to look at. And their seeds are nutritional powerhouses: they contain high amounts of free radical-neutralizing vitamin E, as well as phytosterols that reduce blood levels of cholesterol. As a snack, they pair rather well with pumpkin seeds, walnuts, cashews, raisins and goji berries.