Article synopses by Yvona Fast

"Tilapia"
Although relatively new to the fish section of your supermarket, tilapia is one of the oldest fish around and has been in wide use since ancient times. Known by some as "St. Peter's Fish," one of the legends surrounding tilapia claims it was the fish that Jesus multiplied in the Bible story of the Loaves and the Fishes. Read the article

"Signs of Spring"
Although we can't yet see the flowers and are still awaiting the arrival of migrating birds, there is one sure sign that spring is on its way: the work of making maple syrup has begun. Read the article

"Harbinger of Spring"
Our asparagus patch is still asleep, deep under the earth, covered with a white quilt of ice and snow, but local markets have the green stalks in abundance. The first vegetable to be harvested, asparagus is a true harbinger of spring, available in supermarkets from March through June. Read the article

"The Humble Spud"
The potato. Americans each eat more than a hundred pounds of potatoes a year. Most are consumed as potato chips and French fries in fast food establishments. Although potatoes are very common and versatile, few people take the time to cook and prepare them at home. Read the article

"Summer's Simple Sweetness"
The long, hot days of summer give way to the cool nights of fall, and the time for corn harvest is here. I remember one summer, walking through a cornfield, peeling back the husks and eating just-picked corn raw off the cob—and wondering why we ever bother to cook it. Read the article

"B is for... Beet"
Many Americans know beets from alphabet books, but few have experienced the delicious sweetness of this bright, crimson-red vegetable. Beets are sweet, with higher sugar content than sweet potatoes or carrots, yet are very nutritious and fairly low in calories. They may appear rough and crunchy on the outside, but once cooked beets are wonderfully sweet, soft and buttery.Read the article

"Fruit of Paradise"
In Yugoslavia, where I lived for a couple years, tomatoes are known as "paradisa". Aptly so; nothing compares to the taste of a tomato eaten straight off the vine, fragrant, juicy, and warm from the heat of the late afternoon sun. Indeed, I fantasize that the tomato, rather than the apple, was the true fruit of paradise, picked by Eve in the Garden of Eden.

In French, it is known as pomme d'amour or "the Apple of Love" and in Italian, pomid'oro, or "golden apple." The English, however, considered this member of the nightshade family poisonous and stayed away for many years.

It wasn't until the late nineteenth century that the tomato became popular in the United States and in Britain. Today it ranks third among our vegetable crops, though the majority of tomatoes are made into sauce, salsa, ketchup, juice, and other products. Read the article