Balancing act

During the 1960s, men and women who wanted to lose weight carried around large plastic containers filled with pills in a rainbow of colors.

Prescription amphetamines were all the rage, especially among suburban matrons who dreamed of being reed-thin. People were popping dozens of "dolls" each day, including my best friend’s mother who, thank goodness, never got hooked on prescription drugs. One day, she flushed all the pills down the toilet.

About 15 years later, Dr. Robert Atkins revolutionized the diet world when he published his findings on weight loss. He prescribed a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Once his thoughts were published, people were eating bacon and eggs for breakfast and big juicy steaks for dinner.

I went on the Atkins diet in the late 1970s and lost weight. This was five years before I became a restaurant critic, food columnist and cookbook author. Alas, my weight has never been the same.

Now, we are being low-carbed to death, bombarded with television ads, full-color magazine ads and newspaper stories filled with Atkins success stories.

Two years ago, the New York Times Sunday magazine ran a cover story with the headline, "What if fat doesn’t make you fat?" The accompanying photograph was of a huge, juicy porterhouse steak topped with a fat pat of butter.

I am not espousing any specific diet here. But I do believe in eating properly. My big problem is the rich, deliciously decadent, frosty creation manufactured by two now-famous men: Ben & Jerry. I easily can eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream every day.

The food pyramid guide — which recommends the number of daily servings of protein, dairy, grains and produce — was revised a while ago. A full-color advertisement for the Atkins way of life depicts a newer food pyramid. It is called "a sensible approach to a healthy lifestyle." The model is low-carb, and warns against eating added sugars and hydrogenated oils.

The Associated Press recently ran a story concerning an outpouring of mail from the general public to update the food pyramid. How many of us enjoy the "five-a-day" servings of fresh fruits and vegetables? How many of us closely read the labels on the foods we purchase? How many of us eat on the run? How many of us actually sit down together at dinnertime to enjoy a fine meal and discuss the events of the day?

Despite all the obstacles to balanced eating, summer is high time to make the most of one of the food groups — delicious fruits and vegetables. I scan four supermarket circulars each week for sale items. I also shop at the Reading Terminal Market, the Italian Market, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Two weeks ago, Pathmark sold Jersey blueberries for 99 cents a pint and large cantaloupes for the same price.

I also found a special on strawberries at OK Lee Produce in the Reading Market. They were packaged in 2-pint containers and sold for 99 cents. You can imagine the delicious fruit salad I made.

Many of us do not have the time to shop around for groceries. Most of us make a list and visit the market once a week. Those of you who work in Center City have the advantage of picking up produce from street vendors and small grocery stores. The Reading Terminal Market lures us in for lunch and shopping during the workweek.

Here are recipes for summer produce.

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber, peeled and seeded
3 scallions, sliced
1 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
6 sprigs fresh dill, stemmed
1 cup half-and-half
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Place the cucumber, scallions, stock or water and dill in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Add the half-and-half, salt and pepper. Blend well.

Place the soup in the refrigerator until chilled.

Serves four.

Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese Dressing

From 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles

Ingredients:

1 (12-ounce) bag baby spinach leaves
1 small red pepper, seeded and cut into julienne
1 small red onion, sliced
1/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons soft goat cheese
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, pepper and onion. Set aside.

Place the remaining ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.

Serves four.

Broccoli and Red Bell Peppers with Scallions

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch broccoli stems, peeled and sliced
1 large red pepper, seeded and sliced
3 large scallions, sliced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add the pepper and scallions and stir-fry for another few minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the soy sauce and sesame oil.

Serves four.

Asparagus with Browned Butter and Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Juice of 1 small lemon
1/2 cup pine nuts

Directions:

Place the asparagus in a frying pan. Add water to cover, bring to a boil and cook until tender. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the asparagus. Do not overcook. Drain asparagus in a colander and run cold water over them. Drain well.

Melt the butter over high heat in the same frying pan. Reduce the heat to low as soon as the butter is melting. Be careful not to burn the butter. When the butter turns a golden brown, add the asparagus and toss well with tongs. Add the lemon juice and pine nuts and heat through.

Serves four.

Note from Phyllis: If the asparagus are thick, I peel the ends with a vegetable peeler. I usually start halfway down each stalk.