What to Eat: Food that’s good for your health, pocket and plate

UK government tests conducted in recent years identified a problem with residues of an insecticide in celery that is known to be toxic to wildlife and can have adverse health effects for people heavily exposed to it. The maximum residue limit for the insecticide in question has been tightened. The latest results of testing, however, still show that almost half of all celery samples contained residues. So it is a good idea to buy organic celery whenever possible. Pesticides are not used in organic celery production.

A BRITISH TRADITION RIPE FOR REVIVAL

White blanched celery, grown as an autumn and winter vegetable, is a great British speciality. Its production is mainly centred in the Lincolnshire Fens, Lancashire and Bedfordshire. Less is grown now than in the past, as the earthing-up of soil is quite labour-intensive, which adds to the grower’s costs. It is also a crop that is susceptible to frost. Many consumers find the appearance of green celery more attractive and assume that it is fresher and healthier, which isn’t necessarily true. For all these reasons, this once distinctive British-grown vegetable has been pushed off the shelf by a steady, year-round supply of green celery grown in warmer countries, mainly Spain. But seasonal white celery, with its less one-dimensional flavour, is ripe for a revival.

How is celery grown?

The traditional way to grow celery is to cultivate plants from seed in a greenhouse, then transplant them into deep trenches where they are earthed up to blanch them. Keeping the heads out of the light reduces the amount of chlorophyll in the stalks and leaves, and produces white celery that is pale and tender with a more nuanced flavour than green. More commonly these days, however, celery is grown above the ground like other crops and sold green. White or green, it is cut by hand.

Where and when should I buy celery?

Green celery, usually imported, is always on sale. White and green British-grown celery is a seasonal treat to snap up from the end of September until the end of December.

Will celery break the bank?

Celery is extremely affordable. Organic celery is consistently one of the lowest-priced organic vegetables you can buy. Celery is a very forgiving vegetable so it makes a great fridge stand-by and there is never any need to waste any. However old it may be, once trimmed, it will still have a use, even if only to add flavour to a stock made from a well-picked chicken carcase.

Courgettes, marrow, squash and pumpkin

The eye-catching contours and colours of courgettes, marrow, squash and pumpkin flag up a useful and easy-going family of vegetables. They keep well, for months in the case of the harder winter squashes, and their obliging ability to soften down to a pulp and combine unobtrusively with other ingredients, almost as a thickener, makes them very handy indeed.

With courgettes, colour is a distraction – green or yellow, they all taste the same – but small is beautiful. If you can get the finger-slim, new-season crop, they have a sweeter, slightly nutty flavour and a firm texture. The larger they grow, the more watery and insipid they become. They contain lots of water, so there’s no need to add any. Other thin-skinned summer squashes, such as the dinky little gem and the flying saucer-shaped patty pan, have similar-tasting flesh to courgettes, but their high ratio of skin to flesh doesn’t appeal to everyone and makes them more of an occasional novelty crop than a trusty staple. The main thing marrow has going for it is size and shape – perfect for stuffing – although if you are going to go to that bother, cabbage, tomatoes or peppers will produce tastier results.

Among the orange-coloured squashes, it’s easy to be impressed by the quirky ensemble of turban-shaped Turk’s head squash, stripy green kabocha, and heart-shaped, ribbed acorn, but they take a while to prepare and the flavour doesn’t always merit that investment of time. Butternut squash gets the popular vote. It isn’t so time-consuming to prepare because you can use a potato peeler, and the velvety, sweet orange flesh is wonderfully rich, sometimes so rich and sugary that it is almost too much and on its way to being a pudding. Pumpkins look fantastic, but their flesh is meek and insipid by comparison. If you feel inspired to do something with them other than carve a Hallowe’en lantern, go for the heaviest and firmest you can find to be sure of getting the maximum amount of usable flesh.

Things to do with courgettes, marrow, squash and pumpkin

• Grill long thin slices of oiled courgette on a ridged, cast-iron grill pan. Serve at room temperature drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, chopped fresh mint and crumbly white cheese such as Lancashire or feta.

• Use larger, more watery courgettes to thicken up and add bulk to any liquidized vegetable soup, instead of stodgier potato or lentils.

• Butternut squash rarely disappoints in a soup but, to stop it resembling baby food, sweat the flesh with onions and lots of fresh ginger then finish it off with coconut milk and a very generous dusting of grated nutmeg. Add red lentils if you want to make it heartier.

• You can make something of larger courgettes by sautéing slices in a heavy pot with unsalted butter, a soft, over-ripe fresh chopped tomato, a garlic clove, sea salt and a generous grind of black pepper, then cooking very slowly with a lid on until they soften. Chuck in a handful of torn fresh basil at the end.

• Marrow finds a purpose in chutney, where its bland flesh comes alive with the assertive flavours of vinegar, sugar and spices.

• The best recipes for pumpkin are American, such as custardy pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake. Pumpkin works really well in desserts with treacle and sweet spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom.

Are courgettes, marrow, squash and pumpkin good for me?

Courgettes, marrows and other types of thin-skinned squash such as patty pan are mainly made up of water, but they do provide some vitamin C, which supports the immune system, and soluble fibre, which slows down the rate at which sugar is released into the bloodstream, along with useful minerals like manganese, magnesium and potassium. The harder, heavier, orange-fleshed types of squash, such as butternut, kabocha and pumpkin, have more going for them nutritionally because they contain less water and are a more concentrated source of these vitamins. They are also a rich source of carotenoids, such as cryptoxanthin. Some research suggests that people who eat more carotenoid-rich food have a lower risk of cataracts, heart disease and certain cancers. The darker-fleshed the squash or pumpkin, the more carotenoids it contains.

Pesticide residues have been a concern with courgettes in recent years, so much so that the European Commission has issued EU-wide alerts. Since pesticide residues are toxins, it is best to minimize exposure, and therefore to buy organic courgettes. Marrows, pumpkins and squash seem to be more or less free from residues.

How are courgettes, marrow, squash and pumpkin grown?

Courgettes, marrow, squash and pumpkin are field-grown crops. Sometimes in cold weather they are grown under polytunnels or covered with plastic or fleece to protect them from cold and encourage them to mature earlier. Courgettes, marrows and pumpkins all grow in the UK and Ireland, although many of the courgettes we eat also come from Spain and France. Hard-skinned winter squashes are imported from Europe, usually Italy and Greece, and also from South America, South Africa and Egypt.

Are courgettes, marrow, squash and pumpkin green choices?

To cut down on needless environmentally destructive food miles, eat courgettes, marrow and other thin-skinned squashes in summer, pumpkins in autumn, and thick-skinned British winter squashes in winter. Try to avoid imports at other times of year by focusing on seasonal vegetables grown closer to home. If you find yourself choosing among imported winter squashes such as butternut, go for those grown in Italy and Greece over those from further afield. If you buy these Europe-grown winter squashes when they are on offer, and store them for future use in a cool place, like a garden hut, cellar or unheated room, they will keep for months.

INEDIBLE GIANTS

The enduring popularity of courgettes and marrows in our gardens speaks volumes about how easily they grow. Even the least dedicated gardener with the shortest attention span can produce courgettes. In no time you get yellow flowers which, given a couple of warm, sunny days and a bit of rain, can turn into edible courgettes in the blink of an eye. Left ignored, a modest courgette will reinvent itself as a marrow.

For its part, the super-sized marrow drops into the scene like an alien invader from outer space. One minute there is only a flower. The next, it is taking over the garden. The English have something of an obsession with this watery vegetable, which has nothing to do with taste, and everything to do with scale. Rural competitions for prize marrows are hotly contested, and debates over judging can become as acrimonious as those over the lightest Victoria sponge. As evidence of the English dedication to the marrow, in 2008 a Norfolk grower, Ken Dade, went into the Guinness Book of Records for producing the world’s biggest marrow on record. Weighing in at sixty-five kilos, and resembling a gigantic gherkin, it took two men to carry it. The prize-winning seeds were retained to produce more massive marrows in future years, and the flesh dutifully composted. Needless to say, no one seriously considered eating it.

Where and when should I buy courgettes, marrow, squash and pumpkin?

UK- and Ireland-grown courgettes, marrows and other thin-skinned summer squashes such as little gem and patty pan, are in season from June to September. The more unusual types generally only turn up in organic vegetable box schemes and at farmers’ markets. UK- and Ireland-grown pumpkins and winter squashes are in season from late August until November. Imported, thick-skinned, winter squashes, such as butternut, are available year round.

Will courgettes, marrow, squash and pumpkin break the bank?

Courgettes and marrows are always cheap. You will pay more for novelty summer squashes like patty pan. Fresh pumpkins are great for making lanterns, but for pies and other recipes, tinned pumpkin pulp might end up being cheaper. Imported winter squashes cost more than courgettes or marrow, but they contain a lot less water and a little goes a long way. Half a butternut squash, for instance, will make a decent quantity of soup. You pay a premium in supermarkets for the more unusual-looking winter squashes, such as acorn, Turk’s head and kabocha, largely because of their novelty value. Those in vegetable boxes and at farmers’ markets will usually be cheaper.

Green beans and runner beans

There’s no real substitute for the satisfying crunch and bite of juicy green beans. This is the vegetable that comes closest to asparagus in the sophisticated, sexy vegetable stakes. Also known as French or round beans, they are long, thin, smooth and stringless. They can be eaten simply topped – although fastidious people might prefer also to tail them – as they have no fibrous strings. The fine or extra-fine grades represent skinny supermodel standards for cosmetic desirability, but thicker ‘bobby’ or ‘round’ beans, and more unusual types, such as long (snake) beans and wax beans, which are used in Asian cuisines, have every bit as much flavour.

Green beans go rapidly downhill with age as their attractive sweet, bright flavour gives way to a dull, even bitter, taste. Most of the imported green beans on sale in the UK are a good few days old by the time we buy them. Telltale signs of beans that are older than they should be are that they have a dull, matt finish and look limp or puckered. A really fresh green bean should be juicy, stiff and snap cleanly when bent. Some people believe in boiling them briefly so that they are still crunchy and squeak when you bite into them, but while beans should never be overcooked or soggy, they are better when just soft and cooked through.

Flatter, longer, rougher-skinned runner beans with their less predictable shape don’t have the same crunch as green beans, but bring a satiny texture to the table. They need their strings removed and are usually served not whole, but thinly sliced. Runner beans are more fibrous than green beans, but, on the plus side, they last much better than green beans, and there are those who prefer their more buttery taste. They are at their best when they are small and tender, so avoid those that look extra-long, coarse and knobbly as they may be a little woody within.

Things to do with green and runner beans

• Combine cooked pasta with cubes of boiled potatoes, halved cooked green beans and pesto in the Ligurian tradition.

• Raw and very thinly sliced green beans add crunch to Asian-style salads dressed with lively ingredients such as lime juice, fish sauce, fresh chilli and sesame oil.

• Green beans blanched in boiling water for three minutes, strained, refreshed in chilled water to keep the colour bright and cut into small batons, are a must in a proper salade Niçoise.

• Steam green beans and smoked haddock and top with poached egg.

• Add crunch to crunch by dressing blanched green beans with nut oil and adding crushed toasted hazelnuts or pecans.

• Runner beans turn soft and voluptuous if you stew them slowly in olive oil with tomatoes and garlic. Add oregano and/or a stick of cinnamon during cooking or throw in some chopped mint or dill at the end.

Are green and runner beans good for me?

Feel free to eat green and runner beans until they are coming out of your ears. They are an abundant source of the antioxidant vitamins C and beta-carotene, which help neutralize the damage done by harmful free radicals that can predispose the body to disease, and vitamin K, which is important for bone health. They also provide the body with soluble fibre, which slows down the rate at which sugar is released into the bloodstream, folate, which helps prevent birth defects, and beneficial minerals, most notably manganese and potassium. If you want to get the maximum nutrition from fresh green beans, avoid those that have been pre-prepared. Topped and tailed beans keep less well than the whole sort as the cutting weakens the structure of the beans and speeds up vitamin loss.

There is an ongoing problem with pesticides in green and runner beans. Government tests in recent years have detected relatively high levels of residues, almost always in imported beans. They have found samples of beans with multiple residues, residues of pesticides that are illegal in the UK, and residues that have been above the maximum permitted limit. The situation has been serious enough for the Food Standards Agency to issue rapid alerts to retailers and importers. If you want to reduce your exposure to pesticide residues, choose organic beans. Organic standards more or less outlaw the use of pesticides, and no residues have been found in recent years in organic beans.

How are green and runner beans grown?

Green and runner beans are grown in open fields. Most of those we eat come from Kenya, Zimbabwe or Morocco. Green and runner beans from Africa are transported using an elaborate chain that ensures that they are rapidly chilled after picking, then kept refrigerated at every stage in their journey to the store. Supermarkets and exporters insist that they can get African beans from field to plate within forty-eight hours, still really fresh, but the reality is that they do not emerge from this process radiating true vitality and freshness. UK-grown beans will almost certainly be fresher, especially if you get them from a farmers’ market or farm shop.