Dates

Dates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits with some records showing they were available as far back as 50,000 BC.  They grow on date palms and are clustered together under the green leaves of the tree.  Dates are very sweet and soft and can be blended until smooth and used as a natural sweetener.  They contain potassium and soluble fibre.  Fresh or dried dates can be eaten as is or they can be stuffed with fillings such as almonds, walnuts, citrus peel and cream cheese.

Dill

Dill is a herb used for flavouring food and is also used as a medicine.  It has fine feathery leaves and also edible seeds.  The dried leaves are often called dill weed.  Dill seed is regarded as a spice and is used to flavour pickled foods.  The leaves are used in egg and fish dishes and as a flavouring for dressings.  It is a mild flavoured herb - a little like aniseed - and the chopped leaves should be added to cooked meals towards the end of the cooking process so it doesn't lose too much of its delicate flavour.  Medicinally dill is good for the digestive system relieving wind.  It is given to babies as gripe water to help relieve wind and colic.

Eggplant (Aubergine)

The aubergine gets its nickname - eggplant - from an American variety which is an ivory white colour and shaped like an egg.  In Australia we generally see the large purple aubergines that have shiny skins.  Aubergines are often used in casseroles and in tomato flavoured dishes although they are also tasty grilled or baked.  Aubergines are full of vitamin C and they also have substantial amounts of iron, calcium, potassium and the B group of vitamins.  We eat them as a vegetable but they are actually fruits.

Eggs

Eggs are one of the most versatile forms of nourishment available.  Nutritionists recommend we eat a maximum of four eggs per week, although a study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that there is no significant link between eating eggs and developing cardiovascular disease in healthy individuals.  Most eggs sold today are infertile because there are no roosters housed with the laying hens. There are no nutritional differences between fertile and infertile eggs.  Eggs contain all nine essential amino acids, making them a complete protein food. An egg shell has as many as 17,000 pores over its surface. It is said that a mother hen turns over her egg as many as 50 times per day. This is done so that the yolk doesn't stick to the inside of the shell. A fresh egg will sink in water, but a stale one won't.  White shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and ear lobes. Brown shelled eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes.

Fennel

Fennel is a herb which has yellow flowers and feathery leaves.  It's bulb, leaves and it's seeds are used in cooking. The herb has an aniseed taste.  The bulb part can be used roasted, sauteed, grilled or steamed as a vegetable and the leafy fronds can be used in salads.  The bulb can also be sliced very finely and used in a salad.  The leafy fronds taste milder than the bulb. Fennel is very popular in Italian cuisine. The seeds are used in Italian sausages and meatballs.  Fennel is also found in rye breads in the northern European countries.  Fennel is good at repelling fleas and is used in kennels and stables for this purpose.

Figs

We think of figs as being purely a fruit but they are really the flowers of the fig tree.   The flower and the seeds grow together as one mass.  The wood of the fig tree is often soft.  It was used to make mummy caskets in ancient Egypt.  Fig trees are sacred trees of Islam and have important religious significance in Buddhism and Hinduism.  Figs can be eaten raw, poached or baked.  They contain calcium and are useful as a laxative.

Fish

Seafood contains all nine essential amino acids. The protein in seafood is more readily broken down and absorbed than the protein in red meats and poultry. Most nutrition researchers now say that eating seafood once or twice a week may be beneficial in preventing coronary heart disease. Fish is full of protein but low in calories and low in fat, particularly saturated fat.