SPINACH
Description
While clearly visible as
a green leafy vegetable, spinach actually falls into a different food family
than many other well-known green leafy vegetables. In the cruciferous vegetable
family you will find collard greens, kale, mustard and turnip greens, bok choy
and arugula. Spinach, however, is not a cruciferous vegetable but belongs to a
food family known as the chenopod or amaranth family. (The science names here
are Chenopodiaceae and Amaranthaceae.) Among other
green leafy vegetables in this chenopod group, beet greens and Swiss chard are
perhaps the best-known (and of course beets themselves are also members of this
food family). Yet foods in the chenopod family also extend outside of the
vegetable group. The grains amaranth and quinoa are also members of this same
food family that contains spinach and Swiss chard.
The genus/species name
for spinach is Spinacia oleracea, and within this genus/species can
be found many different varieties of spinach. Most popular descriptions of
spinach varieties include three groups: savoy, semi-savoy, and flat-leafed.
Savoy varieties of spinach typically feature leaves that are more curly and
crinkly, and "springy" to the touch. Flat-leafed varieties are much
more flat just like their name suggests, as well as smoother and often more
broad. Some of the flat-leafed varieties of spinach are quite famous for their
spade-shaped leaves. Semi-savoy varieties fall somewhere in the middle of this
curly versus flat spectrum. Some people consider the flat-leafed varieties of
spinach as easier to clean, but we have not found spinach cleaning to be
difficult in the case of any varieties. It's worth noting here that you will
often hear flat-leafed spinach also being referred to as smooth-leafed spinach.
Alongside of these
distinctions between savoy, semi-savoy and flat-leafed, you will also hear
spinach varieties being referred to by color. For example, purple passion
spinach and red mountain spinach are terms that you might hear in this context.
While these varieties still belong to the chenopod family of foods, but they do
not belong to the same genus/species of spinach as has been included at WHFoods
(Spinacia oleraceae. Purple passion spinach and red mountain spinach
actually belong to the genus/species Atriplex hortensis and
are often described as being members of the orach subgroup within the chenopod
family.
You may also hear
spinach being referred to as Malabar or New Zealand spinach. In this case, we
have left the chenopod family entirely, and we have shifted over into a
different family of foods known as the Basellaceaefamily. While the
leaves of Malabar/New Zealand spinach may appear similar to the spinach leaves
that we are familiar with in the supermarket, these leaves actually grown on a
vine and they have their own unique nutrient composition.
In general, spinach is a
cool season crop and sensitive to excessive heat. It is also fairly fast-growing.
Given its fast growth rage and susceptibility to heat, spinach can quickly form
flowers and seeds and put more energy into this flower/seed development than
into leaf growth. The emergence of flowering and seed development in plants is
called bolting. Because spinach can be quick to bolt (thus producing fewer
large-sized leaves), spinach growers often talk about spinach varieties as
either "slow-bolting" or "fast-bolting." Slow-bolting
spinach is more heat resistant and thus slower to form flowers/seeds.
Slow-bolting is not necessary the same as highly productive, however, and
growers often look for trade-offs between rate of bolting and rate of
growth/leaf formation.
Some popular varieties
of savoy spinach include Bloomsdale, Harmony, and Avon. Popular flat-leafed
varieties include Red Kitten, Corvair, Bordeaux, and Space. Semi-savoy
varieties include Indian Summer, Tyee, and Melody.
History
Spinach is generally
regarded as being native to the Middle East, and appears to have been
cultivated there for well over a thousand years. Trading between the Middle
East and Asia is believed to have been responsible for the migration of spinach
to several Asian countries, and today there are few places in the world where
spinach is not found as a cultivated food.
Within the United
States, the average adult consumed 1.7 pounds of spinach in 2014, and
California served as the largest spinach-producing state with about 45,000
harvested acres. Arizona, New Jersey, and Texas combined with California to
account for 98% of all commercially grown spinach in the U.S.
On a global level, China
currently produces the greatest amount of commercially grown spinach, with the
United States, Japan, and Turkey also falling into the Top 10 countries for
spinach production.
How to Select and Store
Choose spinach that has
vibrant deep green leaves and stems with no signs of yellowing. The leaves
should look fresh and tender, and not be wilted or bruised. Avoid those that
have a slimy coating as this is an indication of decay.
At WHFoods, we encourage
the purchase of certified organically grown foods, and spinach no exception.
Repeated research studies on organic foods as a group show that your likelihood
of exposure to contaminants such as pesticides and heavy metals can be greatly
reduced through the purchased of certified organic foods, including spinach. In
many cases, you may be able to find a local organic grower who sells spinach
but has not applied for formal organic certification either through the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) or through a state agency. (Examples of states
offering state-certified organic foods include California, New York, Oregon,
Vermont, and Washington.) However, if you are shopping in a large supermarket,
your most reliable source of organically grown spinach is very likely to be
spinach that displays the USDA organic logo.
Do not wash spinach
before storing as the exposure to water encourages spoilage. Place spinach in a
plastic storage bag and wrap the bag tightly around the spinach, squeezing out
as much of the air as possible. Place in refrigerator where it will keep fresh
for up to 5 days.
Here is some background
on why we recommend refrigerating spinach. Whenever food is stored, four basic
factors affect its nutrient composition: exposure to air, exposure to light,
exposure to heat, and length of time in storage. Vitamin C, vitamin B6, and
carotenoids are good examples of nutrients highly susceptible to heat, and for
this reason, their loss from food is very likely to be slowed down through
refrigeration.
Avoid storing cooked
spinach as it will not keep very well.
Tips for Preparing and Cooking
Spinach should be washed
very well since the leaves and stems tend to collect sand and soil. Before
washing, trim off the roots and separate the leaves. Place the spinach in a
large bowl of tepid water and swish the leaves around with your hands as this
will allow any dirt to become dislodged. Remove the leaves from the water,
empty the bowl, refill with clean water and repeat this process until no dirt
remains in the water (usually two to three times will do the trick). Spinach
sold in bags has been pre-washed and only needs to be rinsed. If you are going
to use it in a salad, dry it using a salad spinner or by shaking it in a
colander.
Nutrient-Rich Way of Cooking Spinach
Spinach is only one of
three vegetables we recommend boiling to free up acids and allow them to leach
into the boiling water; this brings out a sweeter taste from the spinach.
Discard the boiling water after cooking; do not drink it or use it for stock
because of its acid content.
Quick Boiling—similar to
Quick Steaming and Healthy Sauté, our other recommended cooking methods—follows
three basic cooking guidelines that are generally associated in food science
research with improved nutrient retention. These three guidelines are: (1)
minimal necessary heat exposure; (2) minimal necessary cooking duration; (3)
minimal necessary food surface contact with cooking liquid.
Use a large pot (3
quart) with lots of water and bring to a rapid boil. Add spinach to the boiling
water. Bring water back to boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove spinach from pot,
press out liquid with a fork, place in a bowl, toss with our Mediterranean
Dressing, and top with your favorite optional ingredients. For details see
1-Minute Spinach.
Health Benefits
Outstanding Broad-Based Nourishment
Spinach is already
widely-enjoyed as a food, and its commonplace appearance in salad bars as well
as many different types of cuisine may lead us to forget just how impressive
this leafy is in terms of nourishment.
We've created the chart below using our WHFoods
Rating System to summarize the unique status of spinach as a nutrient-rich
food:
|
Nutrient
|
Nutrient Type
|
Spinach Ranking Among All 100 WHFoods
|
Spinach Rating Using Our WHFoods Rating System
|
|
Magnesium
|
Mineral
|
1st
|
Excellent
|
|
Iron
|
Mineral
|
1st
|
Excellent
|
|
Vitamin B2
|
Water-Soluble Vitamin
|
2nd
|
Excellent
|
|
Vitamin B6
|
Water-Soluble Vitamin
|
2nd
|
Excellent
|
|
Vitamin K
|
Fat-Soluble Vitamin
|
2nd
|
Excellent
|
|
Vitamin E
|
Fat-Soluble Vitamin
|
2nd
|
Excellent
|
|
Vitamin A
|
Fat-Soluble Vitamin
|
2nd
|
Excellent
|
|
Folate
|
Water-Soluble Vitamin
|
3rd
|
Excellent
|
|
Calcium
|
Mineral
|
3rd
|
Excellent
|
|
Potassium
|
Mineral
|
3rd
|
Excellent
|
|
Manganese
|
Mineral
|
5th
|
Excellent
|
|
Copper
|
Mineral
|
8th
|
Excellent
|
It's also worth noting
in this context that spinach also serves as a very good source of 6 additional
nutrients, including fiber, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, protein, and choline,
and as a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B3, pantothenic acid, and
selenium.
EGGPLANT
Description
Eggplant,
or aubergine as it is called in France, is a vegetable long prized
for its beauty as well as its unique taste and texture. Eggplants belong to the
plant family of Solanaceae, also commonly known as nightshades, and are
kin to the tomato, bell pepper and potato. Eggplants grow in a manner much like
tomatoes, hanging from the vines of a plant that grows several feet in height.
One
of the most popular varieties of eggplant in North America looks like a
pear-shaped egg, a characteristic from which its name is derived. The skin is
glossy and deep purple in color, while the flesh is cream colored and spongy in
consistency. Contained within the flesh are seeds arranged in a conical
pattern.
In
addition to this variety, eggplant is also available in a cornucopia of other
colors including lavender, jade green, orange, and yellow-white, as well as in
sizes and shapes that range from that of a small tomato to a large zucchini.
While
the different varieties do vary slightly in taste and texture, one can
generally describe the eggplant as having a pleasantly bitter taste and spongy
texture. In many recipes, eggplant fulfills the role of being a complementary
ingredient that balances the surrounding flavors of the other more pronounced
ingredients.
History
The
ancient ancestors of eggplant grew wild in India and were first cultivated in
China in the 5th century B.C. Eggplant was introduced to Africa before the
Middle Ages and then into Italy, the country with which it has long been
associated, in the 14th century. It subsequently spread throughout Europe and
the Middle East and, centuries later, was brought to the Western Hemisphere by
European explorers. Today, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, China and Japan are the
leading growers of eggplant.
Although
it has a long and rich history, eggplant did not always hold the revered place
in food culture that it does today, especially in European cuisines. As a
result of the overly bitter taste of the early varieties, it seems that people
also felt that it had a bitter disposition—eggplant held the undeserved and
inauspicious reputation of being able to cause insanity, leprosy and cancer.
For
centuries after its introduction into Europe, eggplant was used more as a
decorative garden plant than as a food. Not until new varieties were developed
in the 18th century, did eggplant lose its bitter taste and bitter reputation,
and take its now esteemed place in the cuisines of many European countries,
including Italy, Greece, Turkey and France.
Tips
for Preparing and Cooking
Tips
for Preparing Eggplant
When
cutting an eggplant, use a stainless steel knife as carbon steel will react
with its phytonutrients and cause it to turn black. Wash the eggplant first and
then cut off the ends.
Most
eggplants can be eaten either with or without their skin. However, the larger
ones and those that are white in color generally have tough skins that may not
be palatable. To remove skin, you can peel it before cutting or if you are
baking it, you can scoop out the flesh once it is cooked.
To
tenderize the flesh's texture and reduce some of its naturally occurring bitter
taste, you can sweat the eggplant by salting it. After cutting the eggplant
into the desired size and shape, sprinkle it with salt and allow it to rest for
about 30 minutes. This process will pull out some of its water content and make
it less permeable to absorbing any oil used in cooking.
Rinsing
the eggplant after "sweating" will remove most of the salt.
Eggplant
can be baked, roasted in the oven, or steamed. If baking it whole, pierce the
eggplant several times with a fork to make small holes for the steam to escape.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (about 177 degrees Celsius) for 15 to 25
minutes, depending upon size. You can test for its readiness by gently
inserting a knife or fork to see if it passes through easily.
GREEN BEANS
Description
Legumes are plants that bear fruit in the form of
pods enclosing the fleshy seeds we know as beans. Peas are one of the few
members of the legume family that are commonly sold and cooked as fresh
vegetables. Other members of the legume family, including lentils, chickpeas,
and beans of all colors are most often sold in dried form. There are generally
three types of peas that are commonly eaten: garden or green peas (Pisum
sativum), snow peas (Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon) and snap peas (Pisum
sativum var. macrocarpon ser. cv.). Garden peas have rounded pods that are
usually slightly curved in shape with a smooth texture and vibrant green color.
Inside of them are green rounded pea seeds that are sweet and starchy in taste.
Snow peas are flatter than garden peas, and since they are not fully opaque,
you can usually see the shadows of the flat peas seeds within. Snap peas, a
cross between the garden and snow pea, have plump pods with a crisp, snappy
texture. The pods of both snow peas and snap peas are edible, and both feature
a slightly sweeter and cooler taste than the garden pea. Peas and other legumes
belong to the plant family known as the Fabaceae, which is also commonly
called the bean family or the pulse family. In fact, commercial production of
peas is commonly placed within the category of pulse production, and like its
fellow legumes, peas are often referred to as "pulses."
History
The modern-day garden pea is thought to have
originated from the field pea that was native to central Asia and the Middle
East. Because its cultivation dates back thousands and thousands of years, the
green pea is widely recognized as one of the first food crops to be cultivated
by humans. Peas were apparently consumed in dry form throughout much of their
early history, and did not become widely popular as a fresh food until changes
in cultivation techniques that took place in Europe in the 16th century. Peas
are now grown throughout the world in nearly every climatic zone, and are
widely consumed in both fresh and dried form.
While growing approximately 3 million tons of peas
per year, Canada is currently the largest world producer and exporter of peas.
France, China, Russia, and India are also large-scale producers of this legume.
Despite being a large-scale producer of peas, India is also the world's largest
importer of this food due to its great popularity in that country.
Tips for Preparing and Cooking
Tips for Preparing Green Peas
Before you remove the peas from the pod, rinse them
briefly under running water. To easily shell them, snap off the top and bottom
of the pod and then gently pull off the "thread" that lines the seam
of most peapods. For those that do not have "threads," carefully cut
through the seam, making sure not to cut into the peas. Gently open the pods to
remove the seeds, which do not need to be washed since they have been encased
in the pod.
The classic way of cooking garden peas is to line a
saucepan with several leaves of washed Boston or Bibb lettuce and then place
the peas on the lettuce. You can then add fresh herbs and spices if you desire.
Cover the peas with more lettuce leaves, add one or two tablespoons of water,
and cover the pan. Cook the peas for about 15 to 20 minutes, after which they
should be tender and flavorful.
Snow peas and snap peas can be eaten raw, although
the cooking process will cause them to become sweeter. Either way, they should
be rinsed beforehand. Healthy Sautéeing is
one of the best ways to cook these types of peas.
The Nutrient-Rich Way of Cooking
Of all of the cooking methods we tried when cooking
green peas, our favorite is Healthy Sauté. We think that this method provides
green peas with the greatest flavor.
Healthy Sauté—similar to Quick Boiling and Quick
Steaming, our other recommended cooking methods—follows three basic cooking
guidelines that are generally associated in food science research with improved
nutrient retention. These three guidelines are: (1) minimal necessary heat
exposure; (2) minimal necessary cooking duration; (3) minimal necessary food
surface contact with cooking liquid.
To Healthy Sauté green peas, heat 3 TBS of broth
(vegetable or chicken) or water in a stainless steel skillet. Once bubbles
begin to form add green peas, cover, and Healthy Sauté for 3 minutes. Transfer
to a bowl and toss with our Mediterranean
Dressing.
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