Cherry Tomato Tartlets Recipe, Spotlight on Basil, Storing Olive Oil, Which Sweeteners to Avoid, and How Culture May Counter Aging
Often when I crave a salad, I want it to be hearty enough to be a meal. This dish is all that, plus it showcases two of the most nutrient-rich green veggies, kale and Brussels sprouts. The salad is dressed with a classic vinaigrette you’ll make time and again. It features a rich, sweet balsamic, Condimento Barili Exclusivi, one of the four artisanal vinegars in the latest collection of the T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections. I’m also sharing two thought-provoking studies, one on the potential role of vitamin D in preserving cognition and the other on the heart benefits of taking the stairs.
Harvest Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Condimento Barili Exclusivi
With so many bottles on supermarket and gourmet shop shelves labeled “balsamic,” it’s important to know that true balsamic vinegar comes from Modena in Italy. The highest designation is Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta or Protected Origin Denomination), which is crafted exclusively from cooked grape must, the result of cooking down all parts of the grapes. It’s then aged for at least 12 years, creating an elixir that is so precious, it’s not used for cooking or making vinaigrettes but for drizzling sparingly as a finishing touch. Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta or Protected Geographical Indication) is made from grape must and wine vinegar and aged in wooden barrels for at least two months. It gets sweeter and more harmonious as it achieves the perfect ratio of density to acidity.
My personal preference is Condimento all“Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP” Barili Exclusivi, meaning “from exclusive barrels”—Condimento Barili Exclusivi for short. The condimento designation allows vinegar vintners to go beyond the strict requirements set by the consortiums in Modena for vinegar-making. Contact with the wood of the barrels used during the aging process imparts complex flavors and rich texture. A truly unique balsamic full of character and the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness, this vinegar is strong, luscious, and complex.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Brussels Sprouts
Dense, compact, and packed with more nutrients per bite than their size suggests, Brussels sprouts are a cruciferous vegetable that needs to be on your radar…and plate! Just one cup of cooked Brussels sprouts delivers a hefty dose of vitamin K and more vitamin C than an orange, along with fiber, folate, potassium, and manganese. Rich in antioxidants like kaempferol, they also have sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates (the same family of plant chemicals found in broccoli and kale) that are currently being studied for their potential to support the body's natural defenses against cellular damage.
When buying Brussels sprouts, choose small ones about one inch in size, which tend to be sweeter; larger ones can be more bitter and fibrous. They should be firm to the touch and tightly closed, with bright green leaves—no yellowing, wilting, or black spots.
Store loose sprouts unwashed in a perforated or loosely closed bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge, where they'll keep well for up to 10 days. Sprouts still on the stalk stay fresh longer (and often signal a more recent harvest). Store the whole stalk in the fridge or a cool spot in your kitchen.
Avoid washing Brussels sprouts until you're ready to cook, since excess moisture speeds up spoilage. For longer storage, they freeze well. To preserve their color, texture, and nutrients, blanch them in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, chill them in ice water, and dry them well before freezing.
For Your Best Health
Vitamin D for Better Cognition
New research from Emory University suggests that higher vitamin D supplement intake may be linked to stronger cognitive performance in adults who face an increased risk of developing dementia.
The study included 54 adults with sleep disturbances and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), both of which can be associated with the early stages of dementia. Those who took at least 5,000 IU of vitamin D daily scored more than 13% higher on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) than participants who took none, even after researchers adjusted for other factors. (MoCA is a widely used screening test designed to assess memory, thinking skills, and the risk of developing dementia.) The preliminary findings, published in the journal Sleep Medicine, suggest vitamin D could be worth studying as a potentially modifiable factor during an early window of cognitive decline.
The researchers also stressed that timing may matter. MCI is an intermediate stage between normal cognitive aging and dementia. “In older adults experiencing both sleep disturbance and mild cognitive impairment, this may represent a critical window for intervention, when cognitive changes are emerging, but opportunities to support brain health may remain,” said Victoria Pak, PhD, senior author of the study and associate professor at Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. “Identifying accessible and modifiable factors, such as vitamin D supplement intake, during the earlier stages of cognitive decline may become increasingly important, particularly as rates of Alzheimer's disease continue to rise.”
Fitness Flash
Let’s take the stairs!
A study from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) suggests that something as simple as choosing the stairs could contribute to a longer life thanks to surprisingly big benefits for your heart. A large analysis involving more than 480,000 people found that regular stair climbers were 39% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 24% less likely to die from any cause than people who rarely took the stairs. They also had lower risks of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.
Vassilios Vassiliou, PhD, clinical professor in cardiac medicine at UEA's Norwich Medical School, said, “Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide with cases nearly doubling between 1990 and 2019. But it is largely preventable through a healthy lifestyle including regular physical activity, a heart-healthy diet, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and managing blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. Taking the stairs is a practical and often overlooked way to build physical activity into daily life. We wanted to better understand how this everyday activity could have life-saving potential.”
Sophie Paddock, MBBS, MClinEd, honorary clinical teaching fellow at Norwich Medical School, added, “Unlike going to the gym or doing a workout, climbing the stairs is something you can easily fit into your day at home, at work, or when you're out. It's a good option for people who don't have much time or easy access to exercise. So, if you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift [elevator], go for the stairs as it will help your heart. Even brief bursts of physical activity have beneficial health impacts, and short bouts of stair climbing should be an achievable target to integrate into daily routines.”
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