Hidden Benefits

Can you actually eat more, eat healthier and still lose weight? Does it sound too good to be true?

It's not a "miracle" diet or a weight-loss pill.

It's a matter of eating more vegetables and fruits. I often suggest starting a meal with a vegetable salad or soup. Research shows that this simple step curbs your appetite, so you end up eating fewer calories over all.

Earlier this year, a small but intriguing study found another way that vegetables can be used to reduce your total caloric intake.

Researchers added vegetable purees to main course casseroles and desserts. The purees added additional bulk to the food, while reducing the total amount of calories per serving.

Participants who ate the "manipulated" food ate 200 to 350 fewer calories per meal than those who ate the same food minus the vegetable puree. Their daily vegetable consumption also increased significantly. None of the research subjects were told about the added vegetables. They didn't notice a significant difference in taste or satiation when they were finished eating.

Should you cut calories by adding pureed zucchini and cauliflower to your favorite macaroni and cheese recipe? It's not a bad idea. It may even help get finicky youngsters (and adults!) to eat vegetables that they might otherwise spurn. (On the other hand, you'll want to introduce whole "real" vegetables to your children so they'll develop a liking for them at an early age.)

I suggest serving as many whole vegetables as possible, and adding vegetable purees when you think it might be helpful to your family's diet. If you're trying to lose weight, adding purees to casseroles, soups and desserts is certainly a good strategy.

It's easiest to add vegetable purees that will either appear "hidden" or will enhance your favorite foods. Spicy dishes like chili and hearty pasta casseroles take well to added vegetable purees. Tomato puree adds a rosy touch to macaroni and cheese (see my recipe), while cauliflower puree blends in with the color of the cheese sauce. Pureed squash, pumpkin, applesauce, bananas, carrots, zucchini and pineapple all work well in baked goods, especially cakes, quick breads and muffins using cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and other hearty spices.

Here's a delicious cupcake recipe chock full of vegetables and fruit:

Carrot Cupcakes (Parve)

1 can (8 oz/227 gm) juice-packed crushed pineapple*
1 cup grated carrots
½ cup pitted prunes
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 whole egg
1 egg white
½ cup sugar
¼ cup canola or light olive oil

Preheat the oven to 325F/165C. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Drain the pineapple in a strainer and reserve ¼ cup of the juice. Heat this reserved juice until it's hot.

Using a food processor, grate the carrots and measure 1 cup. Remove them from the processor and set aside. Put the prunes and the hot pineapple juice in the processor and process until smooth.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger in a small bowl and set aside.

Whisk together the egg, egg white, sugar and oil. Whisk in the prune puree. Add the dry ingredients and then the pineapple and carrots.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 20-30 minutes, until they spring back when lightly pressed. Let them sit in the pan for a few minutes, then cool completely on a cooling rack.

Makes 12

* I've never found crushed pineapple in Israel. (Even though Dole brand is sold here, they seem to just bring over slices and tidbits.) I use whatever is available, drain it and puree it in the food processor after I've grated the carrots.

Stamps of Israel - Nutrition Smart!

I couldn't resist posting an image of these Israeli stamps.

And not just because they're so pretty to look at. When you're done peeling off the stamps (local postage rate only), there's nutrition information printed on the back that's yours to keep. Vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and their health benefits are listed for grapes, oranges, lemons, avocados and pomegranates. Grown in Israel, of course.

So run down to your local post office and ask for the fruit stamps. Tell them you just want to brush up on your nutrition!

Winter Squash in Summer

Making aliyah has its challenges – language, culture, manners (or lack of) all require getting used to – or not. Even the food takes getting used to. Although Israel has modern grocery stores and an abundance of locally grown produce, food elicits nostalgia, and most olim (new immigrants) want at least a little "taste of home" once in awhile.

For me, that nostalgia hits once a year, at Thanksgiving. Turkey, stuffing, wild rice, cranberries and pumpkin pie, which I can easily do without all year round, start to make my mouth water. So I roast a turkey breast, bake cornbread and make stuffing. I cook wild rice with dried cranberries. But American-style pie pumpkins aren't grown here.

There's another problem with winter squash (that's what pumpkins are) in Israel – they come to market in the middle of summer! Right now, in July, we're eating the most delicious squash of the season – and I don't mean zucchini, which haven't been offered for months by our organic subscription farm. The fresh picked butternut squash is wonderful. Acorn squash – new in the Israeli market, is small, sweet and nutty tasting.

Here's a very easy way to cook winter squash: Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the stem and cut the squash in half lengthwise, from the stem end to the bottom. Take out the seeds. (A grapefruit spoon makes it easy.) With your fingers or a brush, rub the cut edges and the inside of the squash with olive oil. Sprinkle the surfaces with salt and pepper and bake, cut side down on the baking sheet until the edges begin to brown and the squash is soft.

With the abundance of delicious winter squash throughout the summer, I really don't miss it during the winter. What do I make for dessert on Thanksgiving? I use what's readily available at that time of year and make sweet potato pie!

Apricot Jam – Easy on the Sugar and Easy on You

Between the fruit trees in our yard and the nearby orchards (now subdivisions), there was always a surplus of summer fruit when I was growing up. First my mother made pies, and then jelly and jam. I remember pouring a layer of melted wax over the jelly – an old (and not very safe) method for sealing.

Now I still enjoy making jam, but usually in small batches. Last year I made cardamom fig preserves and apricot jam. When this year's crop of berries arrived from the Golan, I made blackberry jelly, raspberry preserves with berry liqueur and cherry jam.

Making jam does take time and effort. Between standing over the stove and stirring, cleaning jars and processing them in a water bath, it's definitely a project. And then there's the sugar. Jam takes a huge amount of sugar – most recipes call for equal weights of fruit and sugar.

Then I found a recipe for apricot jam that I had cut from a magazine ten years ago. (Yes, in addition to keeping recipes on my computer, I still clip and file.) It's nearly effortless and it uses just a little sugar and no pectin. (That's also good, because pectin isn't available in Israel.)

Pit and cut up the apricots. Add a small amount of sugar and lemon juice. Microwave.

Between cooking for a few minutes in the microwave, the jam cools for up to 3 hours before getting zapped a few more times. That's about it. There's no water-bath processing, so you'll have to store this jam in the refrigerator. It should last for several weeks.

Of course, I had to play around with the recipe. I used demerara sugar instead of white and added Amaretto to the first batch. The second batch has chopped candied ginger (I'm sure I used too much – but that just means more for me!) and a splash of orange juice.

Apricot season just ended here, but next week I'm hoping to try the recipe with plums.

PS We're not big jam eaters, but I still find plenty of uses for it. A small spoonful is wonderful with plain or frozen yogurt. I recently used homemade blackberry jam to fill two layers of a very simple birthday cake. I'm thinking of some apricot jam, white wine and herbs for this Shabbat's roast chicken. I also like to pour the jam into small glass jars and give them as gifts.

Microwave Apricot Jam (adapted from Sunset Magazine)

1 ¼ pounds (½ kilo) fresh apricots

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup sugar (white or demerara)

2 tablespoons Amaretto, orange-flavored liqueur or orange juice

Wash and pit the apricots. Cut them into quarters and put them into a large microwave-safe bowl. (I use an 8-cup Pyrex measuring cup.) Add the sugar and lemon juice to the apricots and mix.

Heat the mixture in the microwave, on full power, for 6 to 8 minutes, until it boils. Take it out, stir gently and let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

Microwave the mixture again for 5 or 6 minutes, or until it comes to a full boil. Take it out, stir and let sit again for 1-3 hours.

Now stir in the liqueur or juice and microwave for 12-15 minutes, stirring every 4 minutes. You should see lots of big bubbles. Pour the jam into clean jars (I pour boiling water into them so they're sparkling clean.) Cover, cool and store in the refrigerator.

Makes 2 cups

Too Much of a Good Thing

Can you eat too many vegetables?

Apparently so.

I've written about orthorexia nervosa – a condition where a person sets severe rules about food and restricts his or her eating to the point of becoming sick.

Eating too much of one food may also be problematic.

Recently, an elderly American woman was diagnosed with a serious thyroid condition. She was nearly comatose and barely able to breathe when admitted to the hospital. The cause? Huge amounts of raw bok choy – a variety of leafy green cabbage that she ate in the hopes of controlling her diabetes.

How much is too much? In this case, it was 2 to 3 pounds (1 – 1 ½ kilo) of raw cabbage every day. Compare that to one serving size of raw cabbage, which is 1 cup or 2 ½ ounces (70 grams).

Personally, I don't know how anyone could eat that much cabbage in one day. Or any other single food, for that matter. (No, I can't even imagine eating that much chocolate daily!) But obviously, it happened. And she's not the only person who thinks that eating a certain food will prevent or cure an illness.

Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable. And, along with broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale and other types of cabbage, it's certainly high in fiber, vitamins and disease fighting phytochemicals. But, like any other food, more is not necessarily better. Five to ten servings a day of vegetables and fruits means choosing a variety, not just one.

We've learned a lot about nutrition lately. But I'm still giving people the same advice now as I did 30 years ago:

Eat a well-balanced diet. Eat foods from all of the food groups. And eat a moderate amount.

This common-sense approach still goes a long way on the road to good health.

Should You Still Eat Vegetables?

A recent study has been making bold headlines. The eating habits of over 478,000 European men and women were tracked over eight years.

What did they find?

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables doesn't significantly protect against cancer.

That sounds pretty straight forward. But let's look at some of the details.

There was a slightly lower risk of getting cancer among those who ate lots of fruits and vegetables. The authors describe it as a very modest association.

Heavy alcohol drinkers who ate a large amount of fruits and vegetables had a lower risk of developing cancers specifically caused by smoking and drinking.

The study looked at vegetable consumption during adulthood. Could eating vegetables and fruits during childhood protect against cancer later on? We don't know.

The issue of specific phytochemicals that may reduce cancer risks was not addressed. For example, it's believed that lycopene (found in tomatoes) may help reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.

The study was based on self-reported dietary habits, which is not always an accurate assessment.

I wouldn't use this study as an excuse to cut back on fruits and vegetables. Even if they won't significantly reduce your cancer risk, their valuable vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals benefit you in other ways. There's strong evidence, for instance, that eating at least five servings a day of vegetables and fruit lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke. And cardiovascular disease kills many more people than cancer.

And let's not forget something very important – fruits and vegetables are just plain delicious!

Processed Food – How Depressing

I can't say that processed food – or the thought of it, gets me depressed It’s sad to see money wasted on sugar, salt and fat-laden foods. But it doesn't put me in a funk.

Then again, I'm not eating much of it.

The first study to look at dietary patterns and depression (British Journal of Psychiatry, November 2009) proved rather interesting. It was one small study based on recall. And a single study obviously has its limitations.

What was so interesting?

People in the study who ate a lot of processed foods were at higher risk for depression than people who ate a more nutritious whole-food based diet.

I always thought that people ate processed food because it tasted good. Shouldn't tasty food make you feel better?

Apparently not.

We're not at all sure why depression was more prevalent among those who ate more processed food. Maybe there's a connection between sugar intake and depression. Or heart disease and depression. Perhaps insulin resistance plays a role.

And how does a whole-food diet protect against depression? Folate (a vitamin found in many fruits, vegetables and legumes) may affect neurotransmitters involved in depression. Fish, a good source of polyunsaturated fats, may reduce depression.

The study's lead author doesn't think it’s just one nutrient. In his opinion, it's the cumulative and synergistic effect of lots of different nutrients.

It's too early to draw conclusions. But what's there to lose?

Oranges, Grapefruit, Tangerines...

Wonderfully juicy citrus is in peak season right now.

We all know that citrus fruit is a great source of Vitamin C. But did you know that citrus fruits may also help fight cancer? They contain powerful anticarcinogens called limonoids.

Eat the whole fruit (instead of just drinking juice) and you'll also benefit from a nice amount of fiber.

Grain Gratins

What's a gratin? It certainly wasn't anything in my mother's repertoire. Well – actually it was. But she called it a casserole.

If you want to get technical, a gratin is baked in a shallow pan and a casserole in a deeper one. Both are served in the dish they're baked in. I envision a gratin having a rich creamy interior and a crispy crust. A casserole brings to mind a thriftier concoction of leftovers mixed with sauce to stretch into another meal.

Here's the basic idea of a gratin based on grains:

Combine cooked rice (or other whole grain), a vegetable, sauce and a little cheese; mix them together and put it into a shallow baking dish; sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake. That's it!

The sauce (called béchamel) doesn't have to be a high fat, high calorie fancy French affair. You can make it with low-fat or non-fat milk or even vegetable stock. Use olive or canola oil instead of butter. Make the sauce in the microwave to cut the prep time in half. You can even mix it all together in the morning and bake it just before serving. What could be easier?

Since I nearly always serve a whole grain for Shabbat dinner, I prepare more than I need so I'll have "planned" leftovers for another meal during the week. I'm careful to keep grains parve, so they can be served with meat on Erev Shabbat and later as part of a dairy meal.

Here's what I made from last Shabbat's leftover red rice:

Rice and Broccoli Gratin

Prepare a white sauce in the microwave:

Put 2 tablespoons of canola oil and 1/4 cup finely minced onion into a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Microwave the onions for a minute or two, until they're soft. Whisk 2 tablespoons of flour into the oil and onions and microwave for another minute. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of low-fat milk and microwave, whisking occasionally, for 2-4 minutes, until the sauce is thick and starts to boil.

Meanwhile, cut leftover steamed broccoli (a cup or two) into bite-sized pieces. Put it into a mixing bowl with 2 cups of cooked red rice. Shred a little kashkeval (or other variety) cheese into the bowl. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Pour the cooked sauce over the rice mixture and mix it all up. Pour it into a lightly greased shallow casserole or pie pan and sprinkle some bread crumbs over the whole thing. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 20-35 minutes, until it's heated through and bubbly.

Shimon Peres' Secret

President Shimon Peres' secret to a long and healthy life has finally been revealed – he eats lots of fruits and vegetables!

During a recent meeting with Israel's Fruit Grower's Association, he shared his strategy, which includes eating fruit salad with every meal.

Peres had high praise for Israeli hi-tech agriculture while tasting some of their interesting new fruits: blue, red and black bananas, apple-flavored bananas, jackfruit, Japanese raisins and Indian plums.

Having met President Peres, I can tell you that he looks at least 10 years younger than his 86 years.

I think he's got a great strategy.

Just don't wait around for those blue bananas.

Winter Eating

Should you differently now that it's winter?

Obviously, there are basics for healthy eating all year round – lots of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts and low-fat protein.

But there are some special considerations during the winter months.

For boosting your immune system, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables are your best bet. Eat vitamin C rich citrus fruit, strawberries, and kiwi. Avocado, sweet potatoes, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots and other root vegetables are full of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to help keep you healthy during the cold and flu season.

Does winter weather leave you feeling "blue"? Complex carbohydrates are high in mood-boosting serotonins that can help lift your spirits on gray winter days. Eat oatmeal or other whole-grain cereal for breakfast. Choose whole-grain bread for sandwiches. Aim for at least three servings of whole grains a day.

Don't forget to drink. In the winter, you may not feel very thirsty. But fluids are essential for controlling body temperature –whether it's hot or cold outside. Drink tea (herbal, green and black), soup and water. If your throat or sinuses feel sore, fluids are just the thing to help soothe them.

Do you stay away from dairy products during the winter? There's no science behind the belief that dairy foods increase mucous or influence upper respiratory infections. Probiotics in yogurt may actually help protect your immune system, and low-fat dairy foods are an excellent source of calcium and vitamins A and D.

Some of us (like me!) never manage to thoroughly warm up until April or May. But food can help. Casseroles, stews, cholent and soup are a real comfort on cold winter days. Now is the time for hearty bean and lentil soups, minestrone and chili.

A soothing winter meal might be a bowl of thick soup with whole-grain bread or savory muffin. Then there's hot cocoa (made with low-fat milk, cocoa and just a bit of sugar) and soothing green tea. Just wrap your hands around the cup, sip slowly and you'll be warmed up within minutes!

Citrus Compote (Parve)

Now that our kumquat tree is loaded with ripe fruit, I've been making this compote a lot. It makes a lovely Shabbat dessert. The recipe is very flexible – use red grapefruit, blood oranges, pomelos or whatever citrus is available. I often use just oranges and tangerines. Add a dash of orange-flavored liqueur or orange extract to the syrup if you'd like. You can even skip the kumquats. (Recipe adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)

8-12 fresh kumquats

½ cup orange juice

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon orange zest (preferably organic)

8-10 pieces assorted citrus fruit

Slice the kumquats, remove any seeds and set aside. Bring the orange juice and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the kumquats and orange zest to the syrup and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Peel and seed the citrus fruit, removing as much of the white pith as possible. Slice the fruit into rounds or smaller pieces, depending on the size of the fruit and your preference. Save all of the juice and put it into a bowl with the cut up fruit. Pour the syrup over the fruit and mix well. Refrigerate until cold.

Cauliflower – Vegetable, Pasta Sauce or Soup (Parve)

I like cauliflower. Not just because it's one of those good-for-you cruciferous vegetables that dietitians rave about. I find it visually attractive, tasty and very versatile. If you need convincing, here's an easy and delicious recipe.

Use half a cup of broth and serve as a vegetable. More broth turns it into pasta sauce. Add the full amount and you have soup. Serve with a sprinkling of grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, if you'd like.

By the way, this technique works well with broccoli too.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 medium head cauliflower, separated into small florets

½ to 4 cups vegetable broth (homemade is best; find out how)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté or saucepan. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's soft and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cauliflower and cook, stirring, until the cauliflower begins to soften. This should take between 5 and 10 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth, salt and pepper. (See instructions above for the amount of broth to use.) Bring to a simmer and cook just until the cauliflower is just tender. Don't let it get mushy!

Fruit and Vegetables – The Frozen Option

Mid-winter produce can start looking a little sad right now. Hopefully you still have a decent selection of winter squash, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage) and greens like chard and kale. Most of us can count on potatoes and carrots all year round.

As for fruit – apples, pears, bananas and citrus are usually available in the winter. In Israel we have local kiwi, persimmons and strawberries now as well.

I'm not a big fan of "long-distance" produce – fruits and vegetables grown thousands of miles away and flown in to satisfy our urge for raspberries in January. You see them here occasionally as well. Last week my green grocer had pineapples from Costa Rica and apples from the US. Thanks, but I'll stick with what's grown locally.

During the winter, think frozen – for a change of pace and when fresh are not in season.

Frozen fruit and vegetables are minimally processed. They're blanched first (immersed in a boiling water bath) to destroy enzymes that would otherwise effect their color, flavor and texture. Next they get a quick freeze. Most are flash-frozen soon after being picked, assuring that nutrients remain intact.

There's always a bag of frozen baby peas and artichoke hearts in our freezer. I've never been successful with broccoli, cauliflower or brussel sprouts, but corn and green beans are winners.

You can buy frozen mixed vegetables too (not just peas and carrots!) – good for soup, casseroles and side dishes. Look for vegetables with no added salt or fat.

Don't forget frozen fruit. For a special winter treat, add frozen blueberries or raspberries to your favorite muffin recipe. Perk up a winter apple or pear crisp with frozen cherries or berries.

Frozen fruit and vegetables are great convenience foods. Just cook in a little boiling water or in the microwave, and serve. Delicious, nutritious, easy and fast!

To Every Thing There is a Season …

And the time for strawberries is spring.

That's what I always thought. Until I moved to Israel. Here, strawberries take you by surprise in November. By February or March, they're gone.

Normally that wouldn't bother me. I 'm fine with butternut squash and cauliflower in July. I didn't expect the growing seasons here to mimic those in the US. But Passover without strawberries was difficult. Don't they always go with rhubarb and asparagus – those special, "eat them first on Pesach" treats?

Last year we had a pleasant surprise. Strawberries started in winter and stayed on the shelves through Pesach. Either the farmers figured out how to extend the growing season or European countries weren't buying our berries. Finally, we had strawberries for Pesach.

Strawberries are back now. Whether they'll still be here for Pesach is hard to know. We're just enjoying them for as long as they're here.

Strawberries are a great source of vitamin C. They're high in fiber, folate, potassium and a variety of phytochemicals – compounds that act as antioxidants in the body. Their lovely red color comes from the phytochemical anthocyanin.

In the US, strawberries are on the "Try to Buy Organic" list. They're particularly susceptible to damage from insects, so they're likely to get a heavy dose of pesticides.

But most Israeli strawberries get a different treatment. Insects. "Good bugs" (like wasps) that destroy the "bad bugs", so that pesticides aren't needed. It's an ecologically friendly system of pest control developed here in Israel.

Slice strawberries into cereal, fruit salad, yogurt, pancakes or waffles. A touch of sugar or balsamic vinegar helps bring out their flavor.

Want something creamy with your strawberries? Mix a cup or so of low-fat ricotta cheese with a spoonful of powdered sugar and a drop or two of vanilla. Serve alongside fresh strawberries. Use it instead of whipped cream in strawberry shortcake or layer it with strawberries and lady fingers.

To Peel or Not to Peel

Getting ready to make latkes? Think twice before you peel those potatoes. Peels add a lot more than flavor and texture.

When you toss potato peels, you're tossing a significant amount of fiber, potassium, vitamins and phytochemicals.

It's true with other vegetables as well. The skin of sweet potatoes and eggplant, for instance, contain vitamins, minerals and the potent antioxidant quercetin. Most of the fiber in apples and pears is in the skin.

What about pesticide residue?

Organically grown is your best choice, especially with apples, pears and potatoes, which can be heavily sprayed. If conventionally grown produce is your only choice, be sure to wash it carefully. (Organically grown produce should also be washed to get rid of the dirt.)

So when you make latkes this Chanukah, save yourself the time and energy of peeling potatoes. You'll be saving some valuable nutrients at the same time.

Chag Sameach! Happy Chanukah!

Fast and Sweet

Unexpected guests?

No time to make dessert?

Feel like a little something sweet with your tea?

Here's a dessert or snack to put together in just a few minutes. All you need are dates and almonds, walnuts or marzipan.

1. Use a small sharp knife to pit the date. Check that the inside is clean.

2. Fill the pitted date with a whole almond, half a walnut or some marzipan

3. Arrange the filled dates on a small plate

That's it. Unless you want to sprinkle some powdered sugar over the dates.

Dates are quite sweet. But they're also high in fiber and potassium. Nuts are high in healthy monounsaturated fats.

If you're looking for delicious marzipan, try the not-too-sweet Israeli marzipan from Kfar Tabor. It's made with almonds, sugar, water, glucose and alcohol. It actually tastes like almonds rather than sugar!

Their (mainly Hebrew) website is www.marzipan-tavor.co.il

Fig Season

As much as I love apricots, peaches and nectarines, I'm quite happy to see Italian-style prune plums at the green-grocer right now. Not that I'm complaining, but it's been an especially hot summer, and prune plums are the first sign of summer's end. Along with plums are the new crop of early apples and pears – a sure sign of fall.

You can still buy melons and other summer fruit. And if you're lucky, you'll find one of late summers' very special treats – fresh figs. Here in Israel, they're available in August and September.

Figs have a short season and they're extremely fragile, so don't store them for more than a few days. We love eating them fresh, but when it's peak season, I roast them in the oven for a special treat.

Slice the figs in quarters, almost to the base and arrange them in a shallow baking dish. If you want, add a cinnamon stick or a few crushed cardamom pods. Drizzle the figs with a small amount of honey mixed with some orange juice. Bake, uncovered, until the syrup starts to thicken and the figs get brown at the edges. Eat them warm or at room temperature.

Figs are one of the biblical seven species native to Israel. The Rambam wrote about their therapeutic value, including their use in relieving constipation.

In fact, figs are easily digestible and especially high in fiber – a nutrient lacking in most of our diets. They're a good source of potassium and one of the few fruits containing iron and calcium.

If you miss fresh fig season, you can buy several varieties of dried figs year-round. Of course, they're much higher in calories than fresh, so don't overdo it.

Another Summer Tart

Almond Fruit Tart (Dairy)

Almonds enrich this dough, so the amount of butter is minimal. And since the almond skins are brown, the whole-wheat flour fits in without even being noticed. Use juicy, summer fruit, like apricots, plums, nectarines or peaches.

½ cup whole almonds

¾ cup sugar

Dash salt

¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

3 tablespoons (50 grams) unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Sliced fresh fruit (see suggestions above)

1 tablespoon demerara or other coarse sugar

9-10" (23 -25cm) tart pan with removable bottom

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C)

Spray the tart pan with cooking spray.

Combine the almonds, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add the flour and baking powder and pulse to mix.

Add the egg and butter and pulse until the dough just comes together around the blade. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan.

Arrange the sliced fruit in circular patterns on the dough, and press it in a little. Sprinkle the fruit with 1 tablespoon of sugar. (This brings out some of their juice and gives a nice finish to the tart.

Bake for about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is soft.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the rim and finish cooling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8-12

Picture Perfect Summer Fruit Tarts

These two tarts showcase seasonal summer fruits in very different ways. The first is a light sponge cake topped with fresh fruit. The second (coming in my next blog) features a crisp almond crust baked with juicy summer fruit. Try them both for rave revues!

Fresh Fruit Tart (Parve)

Bake a simple sponge cake in a specially-designed recessed pan. (* see note below) Then turn the cake upside down and fill it with sliced fresh fruit. Stunning!

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons water

4-5 cups fresh berries, cherries or sliced peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots or figs

Red currant jelly or strained apricot jam, for glazing

One 10-11" (25-27.5cm) round recessed pan (see note below)

Preheat the oven to 325 F (165C)

Spray the baking pan generously with cooking spray.

Whisk together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

Combine the eggs, sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high speed until thick, creamy and pale. (This may take up to 10 minutes.) Reduce the speed, add the water and continue to beat on high, until the mixture is foamy.

Stop the mixer, add the flour mixture and mix on low speed, just until blended.

Pour the batter into the well-sprayed baking pan and bake for 15-18 minutes, until the top of the cake feels springy to the touch. Cool the cake on a rack for 10 minutes. Carefully invert it onto a cake dish to cool completely. (You may need a small knife to loosen the cake from the scalloped edges of the pan.)

When the cake is completely cool, arrange the fruit in circular patterns, starting along the outside and working in. I like to arrange sliced fruit around the outside and berries in the middle.

Heat the jelly or jam just to thin it, and brush it over the fruit. It will give it a nice glaze and prevent it from discoloring.

* The pan is called a flan, shortcake or Mary Ann pan. You can find it on-line at www.cookswares.com Use a standard tart pan if you can't find one.

Serves 8-10

Coming Next... Almond Fruit Tart