In the spotlight - Pomegranates

What springs to mind when you think of pomegranates? Sitting there with a pin pricking the individual seeds out, a bit of a fiddly fruit? It's probably for this reason that I don't buy them very often, but when I do, I remember how nice they are.

• They are native to the Middle East and Southern Asia and the English word pomegranate comes from the Latin words for apple and seeded. It is said that the Spanish city of Grenada is named after their word for pomegranate.
• They feature in a number of religious texts including the Bible, Torah and Qur'an.
• In Greece a traditional housewarming gift is a pomegranate, which is thought to bring good luck. It is also a Greek tradition to break pomegranates on the ground at New Year and weddings, presumably for the same reason.
• Rich in fibre, Vitamin C, K and folate, pomegranate is also very rich in additional antioxidants. 
• You might have noticed in recent years that pomegranate juice has become more popular - various studies have shown that this may benefit heart health. However, pomegranate juice may interact with medications to control blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as warfarin, so before you start drinking it, discuss this with your doctor if you take any of these medications.

Although pomegranates might not be the main ingredient in dishes, their seeds can be used in a variety of ways

• A colourful addition to salads, rice or couscous dishes
• Like passion fruits, they can add a crunch to a fruit salad
• Serve instead of grapes with cheese
• Stir through natural yoghurt
• An addition to porridge or muesli
• A topping for meringues, cheesecake or use instead of blueberries in muffins

In the spotlight - Onions

If there's one veg that every store cupboard should always have in, I'd say it's the onion. Whether it's a soup, sauce, stew, stir-fry, curry, salad or sandwich, you usually can't go wrong with adding some onion to give it some flavour. I can guarantee that if you buy half a dozen onions, you'll have used them before they spoil.

• Onions crop up quite often in history. In ancient Egypt, the onion, with its concentric rings was thought to represent eternal life and was worshipped and were even added to tombs in the hope that they would bring the dead back to life. Onions were used by Greek athletes and Roman gladiators, as they were thought to improve stamina and muscles. They were also used as currency in Europe.
• Onions, along with garlic, belong to the lily family. 
• The UK produces 450,000 tonnes of onions each year, with 23,000 acres devoted to their growth.
• When you mention the word onion, you probably think of the common brown onions, but there are so many varieties. While you'll also easily be able to buy red and spring onions, if you grow your own you can enjoy some of the others and could perhaps turn your hand to pickling or silverskin onions - always lovely in a salad.
• Onions are a good source of fibre and Vitamin C. Red onions are packed with antioxidants.
• Do you shed a tear when you chop an onion? If so, chopping them under running water or adding white vinegar to the chopping board prior to cutting are remedies to this problem that chefs swear by.
• Apparently if you want to remove the smell of a newly painted room, a chopped onion placed in the centre will do the trick.

Onions can be added to most savoury dishes, so for all I haven't provided any recipes, here are my 5 favourite ways to use them:

•  Add a finely chopped onion to a tin of tomatoes and you then have a base for a soup or sauce, think chill, spag bol, curry - what you can't do with tinned tomatoes and an onion isn't worth doing.
• Small red onions tossed with chopped peppers, courgettes and tomatoes in balsamic vinegar and green herbs, they are lovely roasted.
• Stir-fried with pepper, whatever protein you fancy and fajita seasoning for a tasty wrap.
• Wedges of onion cooked with apple and sausage, seasoned with mustard and rosemary, makes a nice casserole.
• Rings of red onion, along with sliced peppers, tomatoes, mushroom and sweetcorn to top a pizza.

In the spotlight - Mangos

As these are unlikely to be in season in the UK - though never say never, as the climate may shift - now seems as good a time as any to put mangos in the spotlight.

• Mangos originated in India, where they are a symbol of love and word has it that they are the shape that inspired the paisley print.
• They belong to the same family of trees as the cashew and pistachio.
• Mango fruits, like apricots, peaches and plums are known as "drupes" - they contain a hard stone encasing a seed.
• All parts of the mango plant have played an important role in South Asian folk medicine.
• Apparently the greener the skin of a mango, the higher the Vitamin C content, though as they ripen they become richer in Beta-carotene.
• There's more to mangos than merely chutney - serve them sliced in a salad, blend as part of a smoothie, add them to rice dishes and curries, use them in baking or whatever else you can imagine.

Breakfast salad (serves 2)

• Cube a mango, peel and slice 2 kiwis and add a handful of blueberries.
• Serve with natural yoghurt and a sprinkling of oats

Vegetable and mango curry stir-fry (serves 4)

• Chop 2 onions and an aubergine, and stir-fry for 5 mins.
•  Add 4tsp each of curry powder, cumin and coriander, stirring well.
• Add 2 chopped courgettes and 2 chopped red peppers, along with a cubed mango, cooking for another 5 mins.
• Serve with rice.

March's offerings...

Cauliflower, kale, leeks and Savoy cabbage are still in season this month, but according to Eat Seasonably, it is spring greens that are at their best in March. You might be mistaken for thinking that spring greens are just like any other cabbage, but their deep green leaves are richer in nutrients and they have a stronger flavour. If you're stuck for inspiration, try these ideas out:

• Spring greens make a tasty side dish - simply shred, stir-fry in a little oil for 2 or 3 mins with a touch of chilli and season with pepper.
• Add strips of spring green to other veg for a stir-fry or curry.
• Use shredded cooked spring greens in place of spinach to stuff cannelloni. Add a tomato based sauce and top with grated cheese. Cooked in the oven for 20mins, this makes a simple main meal.
• Try spring green parcels for an alternative main course. Prepare couscous or other grain according to pack instructions. Meanwhile brown a chopped onion, add half a teaspoon each of cumin, coriander, ginger and cinnamon. Add a drained tin of chickpeas and a small handful of raisins and chopped dried apricots to the onion mix, adding the couscous also. Cook whole spring green leaves for a few minutes, then drain. Fill each leaf with a generous serving spoon of mix, fold over and secure with a cocktail stick.

In the spotlight - Peppers

With spring on the horizon and the prospect of warmer times ahead, salad veg, rather than that to be cooked, starts to get a look in. As nice as they are, we'll leave lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber for another day and turn our attention to peppers.

• Peppers are native to the Caribbean, Central and South America. 
• Whilst China and Mexico may be the largest producers of peppers, 8 out of the top 20 countries for pepper production are in Europe.
• Peppers can be divided into two groups - sweet bell peppers and spicy chilli peppers.
• The heat of chilli peppers comes from Capsaicin and while it can be an irritant to skin, it is used as an ingredient in certain ointments to relieve pain from arthritis, strains and sprains, as well as high strength patches used to treat nerve pain caused by shingles.
• Whether you like red, orange, yellow or green bell peppers, they can all come from the same plant, but are at different stages of ripeness.
• The nutritional content of peppers is determined by their colour - green peppers are much lower in Vitamin C and Beta-carotene than red peppers, though still higher in both vitamins than citrus fruit.
• Sliced  peppers are a great dipping veg for hummous or salsa, and also add a splash of colour to stir fries, pizzas and rice, pasta or couscous salads. Also add them to soups, sauces, stews, curries and Mexican dishes - they tend to soak up flavours nicely.
• Peppers work well when stuffed with either meat, soy, mycoprotein or pulses in a tomato based sauce - use spices for a bit of a kick and other chopped veg to bulk it out. You can also add rice, couscous or bulgar wheat - or any other grain for that matter - to the mix or serve on the side.

Peperonata - serve as a sauce for pasta, grains or to top a pizza base

• Chop a large onion and heat in 2tbsp oil over medium heat with 2 bay leaves and 0.5tsp dried thyme until soft and golden. This should take no more than 10 mins.
• Add 4 chopped bell peppers - whatever colours you like - and raise the heat, cooking until they just soften.
• Reduce the heat and add 4 peeled and chopped tomatoes. Simmer for about 10 mins. Add pepper to taste.

Moroccan style stuffed peppers - use another grain in place of couscous if you wish

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (gas mark 4). Half and deseed 2 peppers, brush with a little oil and place skin side down on a baking tray. Cook for 45 mins.
• Mix 200g dry couscous, 2tbsp raisins, 0.5tsp cinnamon and 0.25tsp chilli. Pour over 300ml (half pint) water, cover and leave for 10 mins.
• Add 3tbsp pinenuts and 1tbsp of lemon juice to the couscous mix and season with pepper.
• Once the peppers are cooked, spoon the mixture into the peppers and enjoy with a side salad.

In the spotlight - Grapes

I did toy with the idea of putting leeks in the spotlight with it being St David's Day, but then decided it wasn't that long since they were featured in a seasonal article. So instead I took inspiration from the fruit salad I had just made myself and went for grapes.

No doubt you prefer the seedless varieties and who doesn't, as those pips are fiddly and can spoil the enjoyment of an otherwise lovely fruit. You probably have a preference for green or red grapes - I always go for the red ones, but I think I am swayed by the nutritional benefit of dark fruits as much as their taste!

•  There are a staggering 8000 varieties of grape, so no wonder there are so many wines to choose from!
• Once picked, grapes won't ripen any further, but are best kept in the fridge to keep them crisp and fresh.
• Grapes are packed with antioxidants, particularly the red, purple and black varieties, which are thought to protect your heart and reduce the risk of cancer. 
• When grapes are dried, you get raisins. The antioxidants are very concentrated, but so too are the sugars, so sticking to a tablespoon at a time is advisable. Like other dried fruit, raisins are a source of iron.
• Two and a half pounds of grapes go into a bottle of wine, but unfortunately it won't count towards your 5 A Day! A small glass of grape juice (125ml) on the other hand will, and provides the same antioxidant benefits that a glass of wine does.  
• Although we might only eat the flesh, the seeds and vines have their uses too. The seeds are pressed to make grape oil and the vines are used to make baskets and wreaths.

Besides making a good snack, try the following:

• Freeze grapes and use in place of ice cubes in drinks
• Dotted around, they make a nice addition to salads
• Grapes and cheese go hand in hand, so why not add some halved grapes to cottage cheese in a baked potato or crackers topped with soft cheese?
• I've not tried this one myself, but they can be used as a pizza topping - think of them as sweet  olives
• Add to chopped banana, apple and kiwi with a splash of orange juice to make a refreshing fruit salad
• Add a handful to cereal or muesli
• Mix with chopped apple, natural yoghurt and a drizzle of honey for breakfast or a dessert
• Set in a jelly