Apricots

native to: China or Armenia
in season here: June to early July

Apricots, Prunus armenaica, are closely related to plums (more distantly, they join plums, peaches, and apples as relatives of the rose). They may have originally come from India or China and were certainly present in ancient Greece and Rome, but the general scientific consensus these days is that they came from Armenia. They were brought to Virginia in 1720, but didn't do all that well until they arrived in California in 1792, where the climate was much more suitable. Here in Washington State, of course, we think of them as being from Yakima and Wenatchee, and may even associate them with Cotlets. It's easy to tell if an apricot is reasonably local and delicious or has been picked green and imported hundreds or thousand of miles: the better an apricot smells, the more flavor it has. The essential oil from apricot pits is sold as bitter almond oil (just like almond extract is actually made from peach pits).

Apricots are one of summer's earliest fruits and provide plenty of beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin C, copper, and potassium. Their flavonoids and other polyphenols have been linked to heart health, and their carotenoids and xanthophylls are thought to protect vision. They are also a good source of catechins, an anti-inflammatory most commonly associated with green tea. They support bone health, with all the necessary minerals needed to grow bones and prevent osteoporosis. They've been used to treat digestive complaints, earaches, fever, skin problems, respiratory problems, cancer, and anemia (with what success, my superficial research doesn't mention). Apricot oil is used on strained muscles and wounds.

Read more:
label-style nutrition information for raw apricots
label-style nutrition information for dried apricots
World's Healthiest Foods
Live Strong

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Spiced cherries

Spiced cherries

The Royal Anne is the cherry that gives the best results in spicing. Put the cherries into a stone jar or porcelain pan. Heat one quart of good cider vinegar with two coffee cups of sugar; put into a muslin bag one teaspoon each of various spices, heat with the vinegar and sugar to the boiling point, then pour over the cherries and let stand over night. Repeat this a second time. Then put the cherries in glass bottles or jars, heat the vinegar a third time, pour over and seal. Fine with meats. Prunes are good spiced by this recipe, but the skins of the prunes must be pricked with a fork to prevent bursting.

From: Jennings, Linda Deziah (compiler), Washington women's cook book. The Washington Equal Suffrage Association, 1908.

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Citrus Shrimp and White Bean Salad

6 Tbsp. lime vinaigrette*
3/4 lb. small or med. shrimp, peeled and deveined
15 oz. canned white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley

4 cups arugula, lettuce, or salad mix
1 orange bell pepper, thinly diced

Heat 2 Tbsp. lime dressing over medium heat. Add shrimp and sauté until they start to turn opaque, about 3 minutes. Add beans and parsley and heat through. Divide greens and pepper among four plates for a side dish, or two for a main course. Top with shrimp mixture and drizzle with remaining dressing.

Adapted from meganwarerd.com

*Any kind of vinaigrette-style dressing will work, but Newman’s Own Light Lime Dressing is suggested. You can also make your own by mixing 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp. vinegar, 3 Tbsp lime or lemon juice, and black pepper and salt to taste.

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Sautéed spinach with garlic

1 lb. spinach, stemmed, washed, and patted or spun dry
1 Tbsp. olive oil or butter
4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Sizzle garlic in the oil or butter until it just begins to brown, about 3 min. If using butter, be careful not to burn it. Stir in about half the spinach, letting it wilt before adding the other half. Cook over high heat until the liquid from the spinach evaporates, about 5 min. Season and serve.

If you would like to serve this dish at room temperature rather than hot, use oil; the butter will congeal if allowed to cool.

Adapted from Vegetables / James Peterson. William Morrow, c1998. ISBN: 9780688146580

Mr. Peterson goes on to give a very similar recipe for chard, with a little more oil and a little less garlic. In fact, this technique will probably work with any greens you care to cook; it's also nearly identical to the nettle recipe Ray of OlyYoga fame recommends, except he adds a little chopped onion.

Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.