Healthy Eating

I just came back from my annual women’s weekend of bridge playing, joke-telling, reminiscing over the 25 years of our friendships and, of course, eating.


As we are aging the topic of health seems to loom ever more prevalent. The recipe we discuss the most is one for a long, healthy and enjoyable life. Our “special treats” for the weekend have changed drastically over the 25 years that we have gathered at Mary’s cabin on Ottertail Lake. We always had good food—excellent as a matter of fact—but with less of an eye on sparing fat and cholesterol and sugar. But the excellence of our repasts has only grown as we strive for and actually choose healthier foods.

It helps that we usually meet in late August and also that Mary has a prodigious garden of vegetables from which we are urged to help ourselves to cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, herbs and leeks. Our meals resemble the Mediterranean diet more and more.

People have been studying the diet of the Mediterranean region for a long time, instinctively recognizing its health-giving properties. In recent years the body of research has adding scientific weight to the premise: the people of the countries along the Mediterranean including France, Italy, Greece and more generally enjoy longer life spans and lower rates of heart disease and cancers than people in northern Europe and the United States. It is largely made up of legumes, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and, of course, olive oil. Some scientists believe that olive oil may actually be the key to the healthy Mediterranean cuisine. “If there is one ingredient that really defines this diet,” says Dimitrios Trichopoulos, M.D., of the Harvard School of Public Health, “it is olive oil.”

Olive oil graced our just-picked tomato and fresh mozzarella cheese nestled on a bed of basil leaves. Olive oil was at the base of the hummus into which we dipped our baked pita wedges. The pesto made with olive oil, basil leaves, was so loved that it became a second dip—even though it was slated for an accompaniment to another dish. Balsamic vinegar and fresh basil added to sun-kissed heirloom tomatoes made a fantastic side dish. We dined and drank red wine—another proven promoter of good health—and had a roaring good time (which doesn’t hurt one’s health, either). All in all, it was a very successful weekend and the eating was fine.

The food of the Mediterranean may seem exotic but it is easy to make and the ingredients are easy to find—especially now. Here’s a delicious vegetable soup served with pesto that will fill you up for almost no calories:

South-Of-France Vegetable Soup (serves 4)

5 cups defatted chicken stock, homemade or canned
1 cup rinsed and drained canned white beans or cooked dry white beans
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup chopped tomatoes
½ cup thinly sliced carrots
½ cup thinly sliced onions
½ cup thinly sliced leeks
½ small zucchini, thinly sliced
½ cup halved green beans
½ cup cubed butternut squash
2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 ounce whole wheat angel hair pasta, broken

In 4-quart pot, combine stock, white beans, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onions, leeks, zucchini, green beans, squash, parsley, thyme, garlic and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the pasta. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until the pasta is tender.

Pesto (makes 1 ¼ cups)

2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp pine nuts
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic and pine nuts. Process with on/off turns until finely chopped. (Add a little oil as necessary to make blending easier.) Transfer to a bowl. Thoroughly stir in the oil and Parmesan to form a creamy sauce with the consistency of thick gravy.

To use add a spoonful to a bowl of the vegetable soup and swirl. Or spoon some over a platter of thick tomato slices and eat as a salad. Drizzle it over fresh goat cheese to spread on crusty bread. Add to hot pasta for a main dish, or as above, use as a dip for fresh vegetables or pita chips. It will store for a month in the refrigerator but stir it together before serving as it will separate as it sits.