It’s too hot to cook, let alone eat anything warmer than a popsicle.  And yet, the bounty of summer produce is upon us. With so many tasty vegetables coming into season, it seems a shame not to at least make an earnest attempt to prepare a respectable meal.

My solution to this conundrum has been to dive face-first into cucumbers, of all things.

I’ll grant that most of the year, I tend to overlook the cucumber.  The generic supermarket variety has a tendency to be waxy on the outside and overcome with large, mushy seeds on the inside.  But more and more, I’m seeing smaller, firmer and less seedy cucumber varieties being sold at my local groceries– not to mention the very appealing local offerings now available at the farmer’s market here (and from my mom’s backyard garden) on the East coast.   All of a sudden, the humdrum staple of year-round salads started beckoning me, and I was reminded of just how good this cool, watery, crunchy and refreshing vegetable can be.

If you’re looking to fall in love with cucumbers again, look for varieties like the English cucumber (long, skinny and almost seedless), Lebanese or Kirby cucumbers (short, smooth and also almost seedless) in lieu of the fat, waxy, garden cucumbers you’re used to seeing.

Eating Cucumbers

OK, so cucumbers may not be the nutritional powerhouses of the vegetable world, but they have enough redeeming qualities to earn a space on our plates nonetheless.  They’ve got a bit of vitamin C, a bit of fiber, potassium, folate and Vitamin A… and a whole lot of water.  (If you buy an unwaxed variety of cucumbers, you can leave the skin on for extra Vitamin C and fiber.)  In this regard, they can help deliver some nutrients while filling you up on a negligible number of calories.  One cup of sliced cucumber has just 14 calories and 3g of carbohydrate (1 of which is fiber).

Cucumbers work great as a substitute for higher-calorie (and higher carb) foods: I love sliced cucumber rounds in place of crackers to serve smoked salmon-type hors d’oeurves at parties; or tossing a generous amount of julienned cucumber ‘noodles’  in with noodle salads to replace some of the noodles (try this trick with the sesame-peanutty noodle salad recipe below).

Cold Sesame Peanutty Soba Noodles with Cucumber

Here are four ways I’ve been enjoying cucumbers these past few weeks:

• Asian Cucumber salad: There are a million permutations on this surprisingly addictive salad of cucumbers sliced paper-thin and marinated in a simple mixture of rice vinegar, salt and sugar.  A mandoline will come in handy here for fast slices of ribbon-like cukes, but the salad still works beautifully with thicker slices cut by hand (you may want to let it marinate for a bit in this case to allow the vinegar to soften the slices a bit).  It’s so very fast and simple to make, and the taste and texture of cool, crunchy cucumber bathed in tangy vinegar is about the only thing that’s managed to lure me away from my recent pickle addiction.  Literalists will undoubtedly point out that cucumbers bathed in vinegar are, essentially, a version of pickles.  To which I would reply: Don’t judge me.

• Cold Sesame Peanutty Noodles with Cucumber: Ever since I spotted a huge bunch of bionic scallions and a pile of cute little Kirby cukes at the Farmer’s Market, I have been craving this salad.  I finally made a batch today, and plan to bring the leftovers with me to work.  Using wheat-free tamari sauce and 100% buckwheat soba noodles keeps the recipe gluten-free (read labels; some soba noodles use a mixture of wheat flour and buckwheat).  If you’d like to make it a more substantial one-dish meal, you can toss pieces of grilled/sauteed chicken breast or organic tofu into the salad; either would go great.  If you use a mandoline or Titan Peeler to julienne your cucumbers, they’ll take on a pasta-like texture that, when tossed together with the cooked noodles, adds some incredibly satisfying texture to the dish.

• Cool Cucumber Soup: In France, cold cucumber soup was on offer everywhere we turned.  I suppose in a country where the metro isn’t air conditioned and they don’t serve you ice with your beverages, a cool, refreshing appetizer like this one can do a lot to revive one’s flagging spirit in the July heat.

• Refreshing Cucumber Water: The nice people at my gym have started putting spa waters into the ladies’ locker room for everyone to enjoy.  Sometimes it’s a pitcher of icewater laced with grapefruit slices, other times its lemon, and once in a while, its sliced cucumber.  I think it’s a lovely idea to make a pitcher to keep in the fridge during the summer months… especially to quench your thirst as you come inside from the blasting summer sun.  Some retailers have started selling “infusion pitchers” to help us lazy folks along with our homemade flavored water projects, as well.

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The Quintessential Soup for Locavores: Zucchini Curry soup at Moulin Brégeon

I’m just back from my second annual gluten-free summer vacation to France.

This year, we decided to visit the Loire Valley, since I figured what better time to visit a region renowned for its wineries and soft goat cheeses than when you’re pregnant?  Of course, I won’t lead you to believe for one second that my experience was in any way ascetic; even without the bread and wine, I happily, deliciously and easily found an extra 600 calories a day (and then some!) for the twins.  And even though it involved bending numerous pregnancy food safety dictates, I ended the week a bit heavier than when I started and no worse for the wear.

The cuisine in the Loire Valley was simple and delicious, featuring locally-grown produce in season, like strawberries, cherries and zucchini.   Locally-grown mushrooms also played a starring role, and locally-caught pike perch (fish) and locally-made goat cheeses are ubiquitous.

While our meals were quite varied, the one dish that kept resurfacing was some version of a curried zucchini puree.   At La Licorne restaurant in Fontevraud L’Abbaye, it showed up as a luxurious, warm,

Curried Zucchini Mousse at La Licorne

mousse-like amuse bouche that was clearly spiked with a generous bit of creme fraiche.  At a small tapas cafe (Le 7) elsewhere in town, it arrived as a thick, cold puree meant for spreading on bread–almost like a zucchini-curry hummus.  But the last–and by far most successful– variation on the theme was a cold, pureed soup served by our lovely and talented hosts at Le Moulin Brégeon, possibly one of the most idyllic places on the planet.

Moulin Brégeon’s Curry Zucchini Soup

This recipe was graciously provided by Bernard at Moulin Bregeon (a man whose talents, incidentally, would put Martha Stewart to shame.  It’s almost worth the trip just to sample his homemade elderflower syrup or cherry jam).   After having tasted the cool soup, which was incredibly refreshing after a long, hot day of touring around the region, I expected the recipe to be a considerably more involved and nuanced affair than it turned out to be.  The actual process is astonishingly simple, and really highlights the difference that locally-grown, fresh ingredients make from a flavor perspective.  In our case, the zucchinis used for the soup were picked from the inn’s garden just 3 hours before dinner, and we watched Chef Pascal clip some chives and pansies for the garnish just moments before we were seated for dinner.  Bernard emphasized the importance of using small, younger zucchini for this recipe–about 6 oz each– rather than the monster-sized zucchini we’re used to buying in the U.S.   He also mentioned that the trick to the texture is really blending the soup until it is a very smooth and creamy with no chunks or visible pieces; this gives such a velvety and rich effect without using any cream whatsoever.  For my vegan readers, I’m sure a vegetable broth would substitute just fine for the chicken broth.  While I’ve never much been one for cold soups (or making soup in the summer), I must say that this dish won me over; it’s a lovely substitute for a salad to start off a summer meal, or would make a fine half of a light soup-and-salad lunch.

Chef Pascal gathering the garnishes for the soup from the front garden

Serves 4

One large, peeled onion cut fine

2 tablespoons virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons curry powder

4 young zucchinis (~26 ounces total, or about 1.7 lbs), washed and cut in fine rounds

~4 cups (1 liter) of chicken broth

1. Pour the oil in a big pot, throw in the onion, the curry and a pinch of salt. Brown until the onion is tender (3 or 4 minutes).
2. Add broth and zucchinis, cover and reduce heat, cook for 20 minutes.
3. Blend until the soup is creamy.
4. You can eat this soup hot or cold; you can also add more curry if you like it spicier.
5. Garnish with fresh chives if desired

Approximate nutrition information per serving (this is so un-French to add, but I know many of you are watching your weight and counting carbs, so I hope I will not be considered too gauche for doing so): ~120 calories, 10g carbohydrate (of which ~2.5g is fiber), 6.5g protein and 8g fat (the healthy, unsaturated kind). This is a very diabetic friendly recipe (less than one carbohydrate exchange per serving), so long as you don’t go and start mopping up the leftover soup streaks in your empty bowl with lots of spongy bread!  (You will surely be tempted to do so).

Bon apétit!

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B.Y.O.B: Bring Your Own Bread. Egg salad sandwich with anchovy garlic butter and aged provolone from Il Cane Roso... on a GF baguette I brought from Mariposa.

New York may be the gluten-free pizza capital of the world, but San Francisco wins my vote for the gluten-free sandwich mecca.  I’ve been here for almost a week, and I’m delighted to report that I’ve had more delicious, gluten-free sandwiches than I’ve had in the three years since I went gluten-free.

Great Sandwiches Start with Great Bread

San Fran’s secret weapon in the gluten-free sandwich wars is Oakland-based, gluten-free Mariposa Baking Company, which turns out exceptionally soft, squishy sandwich breads and crusty-outsided-chewy-insided baguettes.  While I didn’t get the chance to visit their

Pre-made GF sandwiches at Mariposa's Ferry Building kiosk

large, Oakland retail bakery, I did stumble upon the company’s kiosk in San Francisco’s famous Ferry Building, where fresh-baked muffins, coffee cakes, cinnamon rolls and cookies were flanked by a display of just-made breads, rolls, bagels and focaccia… all 100% gluten-free.  While they did sell a pre-made GF sandwich to grab-and-go, I opted instead to buy a baguette and bring it to a local lunch spot to see if the friendly Left Coasters would make me one of their signature, environmentally-pedigreed sandwiches on the GF bread I brought myself.  They obliged, and I had the distinct pleasure of being able to order something fancy off the sandwich section of a menu for the first time in years.  The Mariposa baguette did not disappoint… and the sandwich itself was rapturous.

Mission: Great Gluten Free Sandwich

The mesmerizing Pabellon sandwich at Pica Pica

The next great GF sandwich that passed my lips was from the exclusively GF restaurant Pica Pica in the Mission district.  The shtick at Pica Pica, a Venezuelan-inspired place, is that all breads and doughs are exclusively corn-based.  All sandwiches can be made on a choice of 3 corn-based breads: Arepa, Cachapa or “Maize’wich,” a sort-of fusion of the first two.  I opted for the “Pabellon”: an impossibly delicious combination of shredded skirt steak, sweet plantains, black beans and cheese, sandwiched in between 2 pieces of sweet Maize’wich bread in a tight little package of South American bliss.  (This sandwich was the perfect example of why I choose to follow a “flexitarian” diet rather than a strictly vegetarian one: every once in awhile, when shredded skirt steak and black beans show up in a sandwich alongside *plantains* for God’s sake, one needs to rise to the occasion.)  Of course, for stricter vegetarians than myself, Pica Pica also offers two very appealing sandwich options, as well as two GF empanada options, and a handful of salads, soups and sides that are meat-free.

The Future of Gluten-Free Sandwichdom

As I dust the crumbs off of my t-shirt, there’s lots of very cool gluten-free bread research going on–mostly out of Italy– that promises to transform the world of gluten free sandwich-making for the better.  Italian researchers have discovered a clever method of fermenting wheat flour with sourdough bacteria for long periods of time that detoxifies the gluten in the wheat without ruining its desirable texture-enhancing properties during baking.  These researchers have tested such breads with significant wheat flour content on the intestinal cells of people with celiac disease in test tubes and observed no inflammatory response.  Next stop: “in vivo” human subject tests.  If this process can be perfected and shown to be safe in people with celiac disease, the gluten-free bread landscape may explode with palatable new options.  Wheat-bread based sandwiches may once again become part of our collective foodscape, and we won’t need to visit San Francisco every time we have the hankering for a stellar sammy.  For me, however, this past week has been a sneak preview of the gluten-free sandwich future.  And I can tell you one thing, friends: the future is *very* high carb.  Hope you’ve got a gym membership.

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While Hibiscus-based, caffeine-free beverages have been enjoyed for ages throughout the world (particularly in the Caribbean) for their flavor and their natural diuretic properties, the ingredient appears to be enjoying its 15 minutes of fame here in the U.S. for the first time.   Natural hibiscus sodas have hit Whole Foods (careful; they’re quite high in sugar); non-carbonated Hibiscus beverages (also high in sugar) are giving pomegranate juice a run for its money as the trendy cocktail mixer of choice; and the Republic of Tea has launched a whole new collection of Hibiscus “Superflower” teas, touting the flower’s natural richness in Vitamin C (though they don’t actually list the Vitamin C content).

Hibiscus for High Blood Pressure

The recent popularity of Hibiscus has been given a boost by recent research in pre-hypertensive and mildly hypertensive people showing that three 8-oz cups of hibiscus tea per day (hot or cold)

Dried hibiscus leaves may be sold as "sorrel" at international groceries

lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 7.2 points.  These effects were believed to result from a combination of Hibiscus’ observed effect on relaxing blood vessels, its diuretic properties, and/or the beneficial effects of the flower’s brightly-hued anthocyanin pigments (those same heart-healthy flavonoids found in berries and red wine).  In this way, unsweetened Hibiscus tea  joins Coconut Water as a very refreshing, low calorie summer drink that may especially benefit people with mildly elevated blood pressure.  (Of course, cutting out some sodium from the diet never hurt, either.)

Four Ways to Enjoy Hibiscus

• Starbucks Unsweetened Passion Iced Tea (0 calories).  My favorite way to enjoy Hibiscus.  And yes, of course you can make your own version at home using Hibiscus Tea bags.

• Hot hibiscus tea for a relaxing, caffeine free tea option.  Major brands like Tazo (Passion flavor) and Republic of Tea have hibiscus varieties, and hibiscus is a key ingredient in most of the berry “zinger” tea flavors by Celestial Seasonings.

• Iced Hibiscus Ginger Tea: Take Martha Stewart’s recipe and replace the 3/4 cup sugar she calls for with 1/4 cup Agave Nectar.  (Substituting Agave yields 190 calories for the whole batch; 24 calories per serving, assuming it serves 8.)

• Homemade Hibiscus Soda: Dilute sweetened 1-2 oz Hibiscus beverage (Hibisca) in a tall glass of club soda; squeeze in a bit of fresh lime juice and serve.  Note: Hibisca contains 16 calories/4g sugar per oz… so try using 1-2 oz of Hibisca per tall glass of icy club soda to capture the flavor but keep the calories and added sugar on the lower end of 16-32 calories per serving.  This has about 1/3 (or less) of the sugar and calories of a store-bought, sweetened Hibiscus soda.

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Dried chipotles

You’d have to be blind to miss the fact that bacon is having an extended moment in the foodie scene.  This past year alone I’ve come across bacon chocolate, bacon jam and bacon-chocolate-chip pancake mix on the sweet side, and bacon-everything on the savory side.

OK, I get it.  Bacon is supposedly very delicious.  It makes everything taste smoky and yummy.  But having developed my own fair share of unhealthy food vices in the past 34+ years of bacon-free living, I’m determined not to succumb to the bacon craze and get addicted to one more thing that isn’t good for me.  Especially when the universe provides such an elegant, vegetarian, healthy and bacon-esque flavor substitute in the form of chipotle peppers, whose flavor is addictive in its own right.

Chipotles are not a specific variety of pepper, but rather derive from regular, over-ripe jalapeños that have been transformed via smoke-drying into a divine new species of deliciousness: a smoky-sweet, spicy, complexly-flavored pepper that transforms vegetarian soups, stews, bean dishes, cooked vegetables and sauces into fuller-bodied, almost meaty-tasting dishes.  It’s pure alchemy.  Chipotle goes beautifully with beans (especially black beans), sweet potatoes (or winter squash), cilantro and lime.

Just as the nicotine patch is useful for weaning smokers from their cigarette habit, I think chipotle is similarly effective to transition hard-core meat-eaters into a more plant-based diet that still feels ‘substantial’ and hits some of the same flavor buttons found in bacon-tinged foods.  Besides, unlike fatty bacon, which packs on the pounds and clogs the arteries, capsaicin-rich hot peppers, like jalapeños (and by derivation, chipotles), are super low calorie and appear to actually increase metabolism for several hours after eating them, according to the latest research out of UCLA. And while I’m not suggesting that a high-chipotle diet will promote weight loss by any means, it most certainly will not promote weight gain in the way that, say, a high-bacon diet would.

Even more interesting are some of the therapeutic benefits of regular (think daily) capsaicin intake.  When eaten, the burning heat that capsaicin produces actually overwhelms nerves that transmit pain signals (particularly in the gut) when they’re chronically exposed to it, and it desensitizes them.  For this very reason, a gastroenterologist colleague of mine actually recommends a daily dose of capsaicin-rich foods (he’s partial to a morning Virgin Mary drink with tabasco) to help ease the pain associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).   So take that, bacon!

Making the Swap

I typically use chipotle in one of two forms: as a dried powder (I get mine from Kalustyan’s in NYC) or canned in Adobo sauce.  You’ll find the latter in the Mexican section of most reasonably large supermarkets, or in specialty markets/bodgeas that carry a lot of Mexican foods.  Chipotles are also sold as whole, dried peppers in specialty markets, but I tend to find that I can meet all of my chipotle needs with the more convenient powdered and canned forms.

Because chipotles have an element of heat to them that bacon does not, you’ll want to approach your substitution carefully, depending on your tolerance for spiciness.  If you’re using canned chipotles in adobo sauce, you can also consider just using the adobo sauce itself rather than mincing the pepper and adding those.  Since the peppers have been marinating in it, the adobo sauce (a tomato and vinegar based concoction) conveys the wonderful chipotle flavor with a little bit less heat.  Whatever you use, start conservatively and taste as you go.

My Favorite Healthy Chipotle Recipes

• Chipotle-Black Bean Filling: use the “filling” from this Tamale recipe from the Mod Mex cookbook as I do: in omelets, breakfast burritos, tamales… or even as a bean dip for raw veggies.  I strongly recommend that you double or triple it; it’s
  

  The Chipotle-tinged Beluga Lentil Salad I'll be bringing to your Memorial Day BBQ if you invite me over

  positively addictive.

• Beluga Lentil Salad: substitute the chorizo that the recipe calls for with 1 tsp of dried, powdered chipotle.  Hard-cooked eggs are optional (I usually leave them out).  This is a fantastically delicious, sophisticated bean salad with a substantial kick to it owing to the roasted poblanos and the powdered chipotle I substitute.  (To read more about my favorite variety of lentils–belugas– check out this previous post.)

• Sweet Potato Salad with Chipotle Lime Dressing: I’m so over those heavy, mayonnaisey summer potato salads.  This is a super-simple potato salad alternative that uses Vitamin A and fiber-rich sweet potatoes and a bright, lively chipotle dressing that adds some kick.  Stick to just 1/3 cup olive oil; it’s plenty.

• Chipotle Lime Marinade/Sauce: Every once in awhile, you stumble on a random internet recipe that just rocks your world.  I’ve been using this one for years, though I cut down the oil it calls for by at least half (3/4 cup is a bit excessive, no?).  I love this fiery, bright orange sauce on fish tacos, or as a marinade for grilled fish or shrimp.  (It would work great for chicken breast or tofu as well.)  For the fish tacos: I just grill some firm white fish fillets with olive oil, salt and pepper (wild-caught Alaskan/Pacific Halibut, Pacific/Alaskan Cod or Sea Bass are sustainable choices that work well), and serve it with some shredded cabbage for crunch, chopped red onions (optional), chopped cilantro and diced avocado alongside warmed organic corn tortillas with the sauce on the side.  I let people build their own tacos to spec.

• Collard Greens with Chipotle and Garlic:  Just because traditional southern collards are typically made with ham hock, bacon or pork fatback, doesn’t mean you can’t achieve an equally appealing smoky flavor without the pig.  You’ll see what I mean after tasting this lovely and simple preparation.

• Pumpkin and Yellow Pepper Soup with Chipotle: OK, so the recipe technically calls for Smoked Paprika, but I substitute powdered chipotle instead for a little more of a kick.  It’s a little out of season now, but you’ll want to file this one away for Thanksgiving time… trust me.

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During the winter, berries that have traveled from South America are outrageously expensive and lack their characteristic, in-season sweetness.  For this reason, I tend to make do with the frozen variety to accessorize winter pancakes or add color to the occasional smoothie.  But when they’re in season (that’s now!), I buy fresh clamshells of domestically-grown berries almost daily for eating with cereal or in plain yogurt.  And lest you be swayed by the outrageous health claims of exotic, imported so-called “superberries” (like Acai and Goji), I’d like to make a case for why the run-of-the-mill strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries you find locally this time of year are “superfoods” (though I cringe to even use that silly word)  in their own right.

Your Body loves Berries

In addition to being a good source of Vitamin C, heart-healthy folate and cholesterol-reducing soluble fiber, berries contain high levels of beneficial compounds called polyphenols–particularly a type of polyphenol called flavonoids.   The flavonoids responsible for the bluish-purple color in berries, called anthocyanins, are potent antioxidants that work on their own as well as in concert with Vitamin C to exert health benefits throughout the body, including in blood vessels, eyes and on skin-supporting collagen.  Anthocyanins are the same heart-healthy pigments found in red wine, by the way, only some studies suggest that they’re present at even higher concentrations in blueberries than they are in wine.  Great news for the teetotalers among us!

It’s these flavonoids in berries that researchers believe to be behind the favorable impact of berries on reducing blood pressure, reducing blood clotting propensity among platelets and improving “good” (HDL) cholesterol levels in regular berry-eaters compared to non-berry eaters.  (The effective dose in this particular study was 6oz of whole berries (fresh or frozen) or about 4.5oz of berry juice daily… or a combination thereof.)  For people at risk for heart disease and stroke, adding berries to your regular shopping list (in addition to foods like dark chocolate and nuts) can help manage your risk levels downward, naturally.

Other flavonoids in berries have also been linked to a possible role in cancer prevention, particularly ovarian and colon cancer, though the body of research currently lacks prospective, human studies to validate the promising findings from lab research and epidemiological observations.  A respectable amount of observational research does suggest, however, that people with diets higher in berries tend to have lower rates of cancer incidence and death.

I also recommend berries as a great addition to the diet of people with diabetes.  Because of their high fiber content, you can count a relatively larger portion of berries as a single fruit serving (or, the equivalent of 15g of carbohydrate). 3/4 cup of blueberries or blackberries is considered one fruit serving, as is 1 cup of raspberries and 1 1/4 cup of strawberries.  Pair one of those generous berry servings with a cup of plain, Greek-style yogurt and you’ll have an incredibly delicious, low-carbohydrate snack that tickles your sweet and tangy tastebuds equally.

Choose Organic berries, Fresh or Frozen

Sadly, berries are among the most pesticide-heavy of all fruits sold in the US.  (Guess we can’t blame the insects for finding berries so appealing…)  For this reason, spending extra to buy organic berries is something I’d recommend doing if you can afford to do so, particularly if you’re pregnant or feeding the berries to your children.

It’s also worth noting that the anthocyanin content of berries is very diminished in processed berry-derived foods, like baby food or berry-studded breakfast cereals.  If you want the full benefits of berries, stick to fresh or frozen versions.

Lastly, the summer berry bounty lends itself well to eating berries in sweet or savory renditions.  While nothing beats a plain bowl of fresh mixed berries for dessert, here are some ideas for using berries in main dishes as well:

• a classic Spinach Salad with Berries sure is a tasty way to kick off a meal
• use blueberries in your ground meat to help reduce the amount of harmful carcinogens in your grilled burgers (get the Blueberry Burger recipe here)
• try Martha’s Summer Salad with Blueberries as an incredibly refreshing option for the upcoming Memorial Day BBQ circuit
• Blueberry Basil salsa to top your grilled chicken or fish, anyone?
• When I was a kid, my mom packed me cream cheese and jelly sandwiches for lunch, but this fresh Strawberry and Cream Cheese sandwich looks waaaay tastier for kids!
• A Raspberry, Avocado and Mango salad that uses berries for the salad AND the dressing makes good use of your berry surplus

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