Eat Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables

I recently ate a meal prepared by a cook who was fully committed to a low-carb diet. Before sitting down to the table, we enjoyed vegetable-crab rollups (crab salad rolled in very thin slices of zucchini) and raw veggies with yogurt dip. The main meal was composed of roasted salmon with a delicious tomato-kale chutney, green beans, salad of diced watermelon and segmented oranges in a mint dressing, and for dessert, a baked peach and blueberry tart without crust.

The food was of gourmet quality, and although I wasn't really hungry afterward, I still wished for a piece of bread. And I would never spend the time (two or more hours) this cook spent peeling, slicing, and dicing.

However one feature of her kitchen caught my attention: she displayed her fresh fruits and vegetables like pieces of art, on white porcelain trays in a wrought iron rack. I wasn't able to find exactly the same rack, but instead, invested in the two racks shown in the photo, from Pottery Barn. Most of the time, I'll use them for fresh produce, but I can also use them on special occasions for serving pieces or as the base for a spectacular centerpiece. Having the fruit and vegetables right there in front of my eyes, displayed in an appealing way has had unintended consequences. Now, I reach for a piece much more frequently, and I don't have as much waste --- produce going bad because I'd forgotten about it.

I'll never adopt a strict low-carb diet (and I'm not convinced of the heath benefits). But now I'm eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.