Herbs - Vegetable/Fruit Summer Produce

Herbs (basil, chervil, chives, cilantro, dill, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon)

➤ When: You know summer is here when herbs are abundant in the garden. Although herbs are available all year, the herbs noted here are outstanding during the summer.

➤ What to Look For: Leaves should be fresh, with no signs of wilting or decay.

➤ Why: Replacing salt and unhealthy fats with the great flavors herbs add makes your arteries younger.

➤ How to Use: Herbs can be added to nearly any dish; they bring out extraordinary flavor and create a light but concentrated essence that enhances almost all foods. Mix more than one herb, just for fun. Use herbs generously in your recipes, especially to replace aging fats and oils as a source of flavor. Make pestos with any leftover herbs; chop milder herbs (in large quantity) as the base for tabbouleh; strew herbs over fish and under tomatoes. Use the stems, too: Chop some of the thinner ones together with the leaves.

This Tip was published in 'Cooking The RealAge Way, Turn Back Your Biological Clock with More Than 80 Delicious and Easy Recipes (MICHAEL F. ROIZEN, M.D. and JOHN LA PUMA, M.D.) - p183 and p184

Green beans - Vegetable/Fruit Summer Produce

➤ When: Green beans (string or snap beans) are at their peak in the early summer and, in warmer climates, even earlier. Green beans represent the young, tender stage (the first week) in a bean’s life. Especially tender are Blue Lake or Kentucky Wonder green beans and nearly any filet bean, or haricot vert. (The second stage produces shell beans—for example, cannellini, lima, and cranberry beans. The third stage produces dried beans—for example, black beans, scarlet runner beans, and Anasazi beans. All, when properly cooked, are vastly superior in flavor to canned or frozen beans.)

➤ What to Look For: Green beans can be green, yellow, or purple. Look for pods of any size that are bright in color and snap easily when bent. A few may have the stems still attached—that’s fine. Avoid soft beans that bend easily. The seeds inside should be tiny, soft, and hardly noticeable.

➤ Why: The RealAge-smart nutrients in green beans are calcium, folate, and potassium.

➤ How to Use: Green beans can be eaten raw. Just snap off the ends and eat, or use them for dipping. Cook green beans quickly, if at all. They can be boiled, sautéed, or stir-fried. Mix them with other seasonal vegetables or add to soups and stews at the end of the cooking process.

This Tip Recipe was published in 'Cooking The RealAge Way, Turn Back Your Biological Clock with More Than 80 Delicious and Easy Recipes (MICHAEL F. ROIZEN, M.D. and JOHN LA PUMA, M.D.) - p183

Garlic - Vegetable/Fruit Summer Produce

➤ When: Garlic is available throughout the year, although it’s usuallyplanted in the fall and harvested in the summer. Garlic is used in so many dishes, a RealAge cook couldn’t live without it. Look for elephant garlic, which is larger and milder than most other types.

➤ What to Look For: Always buy a whole, firm, tightly closed bulb. Watch out for black and brown spots, which indicate mold or bruising, and green sprouts, which indicate aging. Some varieties are purple at the top, and some are white; some bulbs are smaller, and some very large. Each has a slightly different garlicky flavor.

➤ Why: Garlic slows aging of both the arteries and immune system, thanks to its high content of selenium and potassium, and probably other phytonutrients as well.

➤ How to Use: Garlic usually isn’t eaten raw but is cooked as a flavoring for grains, vegetables, and sauces. If you want to eat a clove or two raw, mince the garlic and enjoy its taste in a freshly made guacamole or a white wine vinaigrette. Roasting garlic (350 to 375 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, or 500 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes) produces a sweet, buttery spread for crackers, breads, focaccias, and pizzas. Roasted garlic adds a wonderful roundness to soups, sauces, spreads, and stews and takes the place of extra oil. In addition, whole cloves often become sweet when simmered.

This Tip Recipe was published in 'Cooking The RealAge Way, Turn Back Your Biological Clock with More Than 80 Delicious and Easy Recipes (MICHAEL F. ROIZEN, M.D. and JOHN LA PUMA, M.D.) - p182

Figs - Vegetable/Fruit Summer Produce

➤ When: Fresh figs are at their best in July and August. Eating a ripe fig, with its seedy and chewy sweetness, is for many people a rite of summer.

➤ What to Look For: Look for soft figs. If they’re too firm, like golf balls, they won’t ripen properly. Figs should also be free of bruises, nicks, and mold. Black Mission figs taste especially good when they’re slightly shriveled.

➤ Why: The RealAge-smart nutrients in figs are fiber, calcium, and potassium.

➤ How to Use: Dried figs are often used in desserts but can be cooked with meats or added to salads. Chef Oscar of Emilio’s Restaurant in Santa Barbara tosses golden figs with Gorgonzola and arugula to make a special pizza. Use figs in pudding, tarts, and sauces. Fresh figs make a wonderful dessert because they’re sweet yet not too heavy. Serve them with dates, almonds, and rose water for a taste of Morocco. Dry any extra figs for use in the winter.

This Tip Recipe was published in 'Cooking The RealAge Way, Turn Back Your Biological Clock with More Than 80 Delicious and Easy Recipes (MICHAEL F. ROIZEN, M.D. and JOHN LA PUMA, M.D.) - p181 and p182'

Eggplants - Vegetable/Fruit Summer Produce

➤ When: The peak season for eggplant is August and September.

➤ What to Look For: Shininess is a good indication of freshness. Also, the eggplant should give only slightly to pressure; if it’s mushy, it’s overripe. The blossom end indicates whether it’s male (fewer seeds) or female (lots of seeds).

➤ Why: Eggplant is rich in potassium, which makes it a RealAge-smart choice.

➤ How to Use: Eggplant is seldom eaten raw. Try eggplant broiled, fried, grilled, roasted, and sautéed. It’s a very versatile vegetable. Its meatiness lends itself to many dishes—stews, moussaka, ratatouille, dips, and baba ghanoush. It can even be a stuffed dinner entrée in itself, perhaps loaded with chickpeas, tuna, roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, and sweet onions. Be careful about adding oil (even healthy oil), however, as eggplant is an “oil sponge.” Just a little oil makes eggplant great.

This Tip was published in 'Cooking The RealAge Way, Turn Back Your Biological Clock with More Than 80 Delicious and Easy Recipes (MICHAEL F. ROIZEN, M.D. and JOHN LA PUMA, M.D.) - p181'