One of my favorite things about buying and cooking vegetables is that sometimes even old staples can surprise you.

I don’t know how long I’ve been cooking with leeks, but it has definitely been awhile. Last week though I had a leek epiphany: they are amazing!

Usually I use leeks at the start of a vegetable sauté. Nothing was especially different on the day of my epiphany, except I decided to cut the leek slices a little thicker than usual and let them brown a bit more before tossing in the other vegetables.

Spring Asparagus

Organic Purple Kale

I doubt the way I cut the leeks changed the flavor in any measurable way, but what it did was make them stick to the inside of the tongs I was using in chunks that were big enough for me to grab off and eat. Wow was I blown away.

So this week I was determined to stock up on leeks and experiment more with them. I was happy to see Dirty Girl Produce was selling leeks already cleaned, which I’m hoping will make storing and using them even easier.

Other than leeks, peas seem to be the star of the market right now. Sugar snap peas, English shelling peas and pea tendrils are everywhere and add a particular spring feeling to the market. I had a different agenda this week, but peas will soon be in my future.

Early Fava Beans

Snap Peas

Fava beans are also upon us and looking particularly beautiful. These are a labor-intensive vegetable, but well worth the effort as they are such a seasonal treat. I’m also loving artichokes these days, and will be sharing my favorite recipe later this week.

Spring salads should start making their way onto your menus soon. Seasonal lettuces like Miner’s lettuce, spinach and arugula are available, as are carrots, radishes and cucumbers.

Carrots and Radishes

Miner's Lettuce Bucket

Tomatoes are around too, though they still look much prettier than they taste. But I’m hopeful that they will be tasty soon, since I spotted my first basil this week.

First Basil

Tomatoes

Tiny broccolini are a vegetable I have been really enjoying the past few weeks, but it has been difficult to get a good picture of them until today. I like these because they are easier to work with than large broccoli crowns (just rinse and cook, no cutting) and are sweeter and more delicate. Definitely pick some up if you see them.

Strawberries

Broccolini

In fruit, strawberries are still the most exciting, though there is still a lot of delicious citrus available. But I’m really excited for the cherries and apricots I expect in the next few weeks.

And if you’re into flowers, you can’t go wrong this time of year at the farmers market.

Lupin Flowers

Today’s purchases:

• Fennel (Heirloom Organic Gardens)
• Carrots (Star Route Farms)
• Thyme (Star Route Farms)
• Watercress (Four Sisters Farm)
• Leeks (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Shallots (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Russian kale (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Ruby chard (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Asparagus (Zuckerman’s Farm)
• Meyer lemons (Hamada Farms)
• Mediterranean cucumbers (Happy Quail Farms)
• Three Africans coffee (Blue Bottle Coffee)

For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

Tough cuts were made this week. Read about why not liking foods is unnecessary, agave nectar is worse than high-fructose corn syrup and saturated fat is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Oh, and how diets make you gain weight. The list goes on….

I read many more wonderful articles than I post here each week. If you’d like to see more or just don’t want to wait until Friday, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@summertomato) or the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. For complete reading lists join me on the social bookmarking sites StumbleUpon and Delicious. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you there. (Note: If you want a follow back on Twitter introduce yourself with an @ message).

Links of the week

• Cilantro Haters, It’s Not Your Fault <<The title of this article is interesting since the final point is that you can overcome food aversions with the proper attitude. Not liking foods is one of the most overrated activities of mankind, and I urge everyone to learn to love foods you don’t like. (New York Times)
• This Sweetener Is Far Worse Than High Fructose Corn Syrup <<Excellent review of the problems with fructose and the delusion of agave nectar. Read this! (Huffington Post)
• By any other name, Mediterranean diet protects the brain <<Saturated fat worshipers take note, those who ate the most had a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease–even in NYC. (Los Angeles Times)
• Low-Cal Diets May Make You Gain Weight <<Diets cause weight gain. Diets cause weight gain. I can’t stress this enough. Starving yourself thin only lasts a short while, then you gain back even more. Lifelong habits are what shape your health. Bonus: living is way more fun than dieting. (Medline)
• Apples, Oats and Your Immune System <<Some people were arguing in the comments last week that fiber is either useless or bad for you. Turns out the science says otherwise. (Dr. Weil’s Blog)
• 10 common fast food sandwiches way worse than KFC’s Double Down <<Brilliant observation by Yoni Freedhoff. Seems the Double Down isn’t actually the worst thing to ever happen to fast food. (Weighty Matters)
• Pimentón: It’s Spanish for ‘Better Than Paprika’ <<As usual, I’m weeks ahead of the NYTimes. But in all seriousness, this is a great exploration of the glories of smoked paprika.
• People get hungrier when they’re starved for sleep <<Evidence is mounting that sleep deficiency causes you to make bad decisions, especially when it comes to food. This is easy enough to avoid if you make an effort. (Medline)
• Fresh Peas & Mint- Signs of Spring & Garden changes <<This recipe is simple, elegant and the epitome of spring. It also contains some of the most beautiful food photography you will ever see. (White on Rice Couple)
• Raisinets are totally good for you <<BS of the week. Props to @geeksdreamgirl for this pic. Just look at the packaging and tell me food companies aren’t evil. You’d think this candy were a bona fide health food!

  

What did you find worth reading this week?

Asparagus and Radishes

I made a San Francisco rookie mistake today at the farmers market.

Yesterday was so incredibly beautiful I didn’t think it was possible we could have rain today. I was wrong and should have known better.

Completely unprepared, I found myself at the farmers market in the rain with no umbrella, a light hoodless jacket and tiny little non-waterproof shoes. Consequently, I didn’t feel much like lingering and did most of my purchases at just a few farms.

But despite my quickness to depart, I did notice the arrival of fava beans this week. Exciting!

First Fava Beans

Another rookie mistake I made was not showing up early enough to get the good strawberries. Anyone who visits the market regularly knows that the most special items tend to be gone by 9am. This morning I was told my strawberries were gone by 8:30. When the weather gets warmer there will be strawberries by the truck load, but until then the early bird catches the worm.

But I didn’t miss out completely. The artichokes I bought last week were so mind blowing that I had to get them again. I also noticed that collard greens are looking particularly tasty.

Collard Greens

Small Artichokes

And though radishes have been around for a few weeks, they are just now starting to look really beautiful.

Carrots have also been impressing me the past few weeks. Every time I eat one I think with pity about all the kids growing up thinking that those flavorless bagged “baby carrots” are what vegetables really taste like. The real thing is as sweet as candy.

Adorable Carrots

This week I finally broke down and bought an heirloom tomato. I’ve been putting this moment off knowing they wouldn’t be quite good yet. But these are starting to look pretty awesome, so I took the plunge. It was good, but not great.

Heirloom Tomatoes

Fresh eggs are not to be missed this time of year. Even if you cannot afford to eat them regularly, I recommend heading to the farmers market and picking some up at least once. You’ll be amazed. Use them to make a special brunch. (Pro tip: Try them with a sprinkle of smoked paprika)

Meyer Lemons

Eatwell Eggs

You should also stock up on Meyer lemons while you have the chance.

And though these are things I didn’t actually buy, they are great examples of why I love my farmers market so much. Purple potatoes and low sugar jam FTW!

Very Low Sugar Jam

Purple Potatoes

Today’s Purchases:

• Heirloom tomato (Bruins Farms)
• Swiss chard (Iacopi Farm)
• Baby artichokes (Iacopi Farm)
• Leeks (Iacopi Farm)
• Broccolini (Iacopi Farm)
• Collards (Everything Under The Sun)
• Shallots (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Carrots (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Meyer lemons (Hamada Farms)
• Black quinoa (Boulette’s Larder)

Is it spring for you yet?

For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

I’m really excited for you guys to read these articles, there are some gems in here. I especially love the research showing that you should think of food as “tasty” rather than “healthy” to feel more satisfied and eat less. Also, for those interested I’m featured today over at the One Thing blog.

I read many more wonderful articles than I post here each week. If you’d like to see more or just don’t want to wait until Friday, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@summertomato) or the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. For complete reading lists join me on the social bookmarking sites StumbleUpon and Delicious. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you there. (Note: If you want a follow back on Twitter introduce yourself with an @ message).

Links of the week

• 7 Disruptive Foods Changing the Way We Eat <<A food article hasn’t scared me this much in quite awhile. This is why I don’t buy Dole bananas. (Wired)
• The Claim: For Better Muscle Tone, Go Lighter and Repeat <<Awesome mythbusting by the New York Times. Weight lifting makes you sexy.
• Calling a Food ‘Healthy’ May Make You Hungrier <<Call it tasty instead! This is why I emphasize taste over all else. Eating foods you believe are delicious makes them more satisfying. (HealthDay)
• KFC’s Bacon Sandwich On Fried Chicken “Bread” Starts Killing People Nationwide April 12 <<BS of the week. Please tell me no one believes this is good for Atkins dieters. Please. (The Consumerist)
• This ‘Biggest Loser’ did it all by himself <<Most of you have probably figured out by now that I think The Biggest Loser is evil, but I LOVE this story about a man who found his own healthstyle and lost more weight than anyone on the show ever. (Los Angeles Times)
• Fruits, Veggies Have Modest Effect on Cancer Risk <<New data suggest eating fruits and veggies isn’t enough to stave off cancer, but it is a start. Pro tip: Try cutting out the junk too. And don’t forget vegetables still help with stroke and heart disease, so don’t stop eating them.  (HealthDay)
• Iron Chef Your Leftovers and Stop Throwing Away Perfectly Good Food <<We’ve all let good food go bad in the fridge. Here’s some handy tips to prevent it. (Lifehacker)
• Finally! Scientific proof that greasy breakfasts are good for us! <<This almost got my BS of the week, but I was afraid people would misunderstand. I agree that breakfast can impact your metabolism all day, and fewer refined grains are better for breakfast. However, I do not see how we can conclude anything about human metabolism from mice eating mouse chow. Humans eat whole foods. (Los Angeles Times)
• Is Induction Cooking Ready to Go Mainstream? <<As a foodie and a geek, I find the idea of magnetic cooking incredibly intriguing. I doubt I’d make the plunge, but it was fun to read about. (New York Times)
• Salad Dressing of Strawberry Balsamic Reduction <<It’s strawberry season! This recipe for strawberry balsamic salad dressing sounds divine. (Jenn Cuisine)

What inspired you this week?

With the launch of the iPad I was excited to review and recommend a few of the early release health apps for Summer Tomato readers. But after spending a few days browsing apps from the “health,” “diet,” and “food” categories it became clear such a post would be impossible.

At this point there is still nothing worthy to recommend.

So far there are only a handful of healthy eating apps, and by far the majority of them are calorie counters and rudimentary or overly complicated food journals. Some of them seem okay for what they are, but I couldn’t picture myself using them or recommending them to anyone looking to get healthy.

But my time searching wasn’t entirely wasted. In my quest it appears I may have stumbled upon the worst (aka funniest) iPad app in existence.

HealthCalc XL is supposed to be a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator and health assessment app. I’m not sure why you would need this on your iPad, but since it is free I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

So far, so good.

To calculate BMI the interface is pretty close to what you might expect. Since BMI is a ratio of height to weight, you can enter those fields. Unfortunately, however, the default measurement units are centimeters and kilograms, which isn’t particularly useful for most of us here in the U.S. You can switch over to feet and “lbf” (presumably that means pounds) if you wish, but this requires an extra step.

In addition to height and weight, HealthCalc XL asks for your age, gender and physical activity level. No standardization of what is considered “low,” “middle,” or “high” activity levels is provided.

Once you’ve entered this information you hit the “calc” button for a read-out of your “BMI,” “Ideal weight,” “recommended calory” (no, I did not mistype that), and an assessment of your health in the form of: “You are”

This is where the fun starts.

HealthCalc XL does not sugar coat your health assessment for you. And chances are it thinks you are carrying a few too many pounds.

Anything at the higher end of the normal BMI range (typically measured as between 18.5-24.9) HealthCalc XL considers “a little fat” (see top image). If your BMI creeps above 27, HealthCalc XL is sure to tell you “You are fat.”

And if your BMI is higher?

Whether you agree with HealthCalc XL’s assessment or not might be a point of debate if the BMI was calculated correctly. Unfortunately, it is not.

According to HealthCalc XL, a highly active 5’5″ woman weighing 100 “lbf” has a BMI of 19.4.

In reality this height and weight pair calculates to a BMI of 16.6 and is considered significantly underweight.

But HealthCalc XL considers her “standard.” This is more than wrong, it is dangerous. Young girls are the most prone to body images and incorrect BMI calculations can fuel eating disorders and other health problems.

At the end of the day, HealthCalc XL is both mean and incompetent. I hope it never applies for a service job in San Francisco.

Have you found any decent health apps yet for iPad?