Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and The... (52 page)

TOMATO PLATTER

Serves 4-6

4 ripe tomatoes

2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

1 small red onion, finely sliced

1 head Belgian endive (optional)

2 tablespoons cilantro or basil, chopped

1 ripe avocado

½ cup black olives

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons raw wine vinegar

1 large lemon

cracked pepper to taste

1 cup feta cheese, cut into small pieces

This is a delightful and refreshing first course during the summer months.

Remove the outer leaves of endive, cut off end and separate into leaves. Make a fan of endive leaves at one end of a large, flat platter. Slice tomatoes very thinly and arrange around the outside edge the platter. Strew cucumbers in the center of the tomato ring. Arrange sliced onions over the tomatoes. Strew olives over salad. Dribble the olive oil over all, dribble on vinegar, then squeeze on lemon juice and sprinkle with pepper. Sprinkle on cilantro or basil. Leave the platter at room temperature at least one hour. Just before serving, peel and slice the avocado, brush with a little oil and vinegar in the platter to keep from browning and arrange on the platter. Scatter the feta cheese over the tomatoes and serve.

Lycopene, a chemical similar to carotene, gives the red tint to tomatoes, watermelon, strawberries, pink grapefruit, paprika, rose hips and palm oil. It has no vitamin A activity but may offer protection against cancer. A Johns Hopkins University study found that pancreatic cancer victims had low levels of lycopene. Those with the least lycopene in their bloodstreams were five times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those with the highest levels. SWF

Parenthetically speaking, cooking foods above 118 degrees Fahrenheit destroys digestive enzymes. When this happens, the pancreas, salivary glands, stomach and intestines must all come to the rescue and furnish digestive enzymes. . .to break down all these substances. To do this repeatedly, the body must rob, so to speak, enzymes from the other glands, muscles, nerves and the blood to help in its demanding digestive process. Eventually the glands—and this includes the pancreas—develop deficiencies of enzymes because they have been forced to work harder due to the low level of enzymes found in cooked food. . .. Your chances therefore of not putting a burden on your pancreas are better if you eat as much raw food as possible. William H. Philpott, MD
Victory Over Diabetes

TOMATO CORN SALAD

Serves 4-6

4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

3 ears fresh corn, cut off the cob

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1 small bunch basil leaves, chopped

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

sea salt and pepper

romaine or Boston lettuce leaves

To peel tomatoes, see
Kitchen Tips and Hints
. Combine tomato, corn, onion, pepper and basil with vinegar and olive oil. Season to taste. Cover salad and refrigerate for several hours. Serve on large lettuce leaves.

About 25 years ago, doctors at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago undertook some rather exhaustive investigations on the enzyme content of the saliva, pancreatic secretions and blood of human subjects including the very old. They found that most of the enzymes became weaker with advancing age. The doctors. . .found in older persons the enzyme lipase was low, with slow fat absorption from the intestine. They speculated that in hardening of the arteries, fat may be absorbed in the unhydrolyzed state. Lipase extracted from the animal pancreas was fed to both young and old subjects. Following use of the enzyme there was definite improvement in the character of fat utilization. There is evidence. . .that indicates that when fats, whether animal or vegetable, are eaten along with their associated enzymes, no harmful effect on the arteries or heart results. No atherosclerosis comes about. All fatty foods contain lipase in their natural state. Cooking or processing removes it. I have found there is no evidence of heart or blood vessel disease among wild animals consuming large quantities of fat. There is no evidence of these afflictions in whole nations of people eating foods containing fat when taken raw. Millions of wild creatures eat animal fats without suffering ill effects from cholesterol. Many different civilizations throughout history used large amounts of raw milk, cream, butter and cheese and maintained a high standard of health, comparatively free from cardiovascular impairment due to cholesterol deposits. Edward Howell, MD
Enzyme Nutrition

TOMATO CUCUMBER SALAD

Serves 6

3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 cucumbers, peeled, cut lengthwise into quarters, seeded and sliced

1 red pepper, seeded and cut into a julienne

½ red onion, thinly sliced

¾ cup basic or
herb dressing

To peel tomatoes, see
Kitchen Tips and Hints
. Mix all ingredients. Chill well before serving.

LATIN AMERICAN TOMATO SALAD

(Chismole)
Serves 4-6

4 large ripe tomatoes, diced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

juice of 2 lemons

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

This salad comes from Central America and is traditionally served with beans. It makes a synergistic garnish for black bean tostados (
South of the Border
) and other South-of-the-Border fare. But this refreshing mixture stands on its own, or goes well with such Yankee food as roast beef and potato salad.

Mix all ingredients. Cover and let stand at least 1 hour before serving.

It the 1960's, the Japanese discovered a substance that inhibits cholesterol production. Animal studies revealed that the compound was highly toxic so the Japanese wisely concluded it had no medical use. They sold their discovery to Merck, the American drug company, which received FDA approval for the substance with uncharacteristic speed. The Merck drug is now known as Mevacor and similar products are sold by other companies as Lovastatin, Pravastatin, Fluvastatin and Simvastatin. Side effects include liver damage, reduced libido, slowed reactions, cancer, stroke, intestinal diseases, depression, antisocial behavior, accidents and suicide. Cholesterol-lowering drugs block the body's production of Coenzyme Q10, needed for normal function of the heart. In short, these drugs make people old and grumpy but so pervasive is the anti-cholesterol propaganda that Americans are willing to pay sixty billion dollars for the stuff every year. SWF

INDIAN SALAD

Serves 4

3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

juice of 2 lemons

To peel tomatoes, see
Kitchen Tips and Hints
. Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Serve on lettuce leaves or as an accompaniment to Indian dishes.

Healthy fats and oils are the ones that don't oxidize readily; those fats and oils that are oxidized are either not available for use as energy or for structural purposes because they are in a polymerized unusable form, or they contain toxic components. Naturally occurring fats and oils that have been consumed for thousands of years are invariably found to be the more saturated animal and plant fats. The more readily oxidizable oils have historically been consumed in their original packaging—seeds and plants—and have not contributed to oxidized products. Mary G. Enig, PhD
Know Your Fats

INDIAN YOGHURT SALAD

(Raita)
Serves 6

2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

sea salt

1 red or green pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cups plain whole
yoghurt

½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted in the oven