This term refers to the Solanaceae family of plants such as potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, to name a few. They are called “nightshades” because they seem to grow only at night when it's dark.
(nightshade - red peppers, rainbow radish with feta)
A particular group of substances in nightshades are called alkaloids and are said to impact nerve-muscle functions and digestive functions in animals and humans. Green and sprouted spots on nightshades such as potatoes reflect high alkaloid content. These marks should always be removed before eating or cooking and discarded since health problems may arise. Solanine alkaloids can block the nervous system’s control of muscle movement so it becomes disrupted and can lead to bodily twitching, and in extreme cases can have a paralyzing effect and can contribute to joint problems too.
Defense system
Nightshades produce alkaloids as a regular part of their growing activity mainly as a defense against hungry insects.
(nightshade - yellow tomato halfs with radish salad and Appenzeller cheese)
Drugs…
The family of nightshade is large and diverse -- tobacco is even classified as a nightshade plant. But there are differing alkaloids some of which have a drug-like effect
fascinating scientists and nutritionists alike. Interestingly, the nicotine alkaloid is found in tomatoes and eggplant but the amounts are dramatically less compared to tobacco (this is only an issue for tomato and eggplant lovers who are hyper sensitive). Cooking reduces alkaloid content by about 50%, but for sensitive individuals the remaining concentration may be enough to cause a reaction.
Chef’s note: A bitter taste in potatoes after the potatoes have been cooked is usually an indication that excessive amounts of alkaloids are present.
Chef’s tip: Keep/store potatoes in a cool, dry and dark part of the house such as a basement. This way alkaloids won’t be able to develop.
(ratatouille with grilled steak with a sprinkle of fleur de sel)
Nightshade cooking
This time of the year the farmer’s market has an abundance of baby sized nightshades -- the following recipe shows them off.
Cool Vegetable Ratatouille
(recipe yields four portions)
1 zucchini
2 peppers, yellow and red preferably
1 tomato
4 baby eggplants
1 sweet onion
5 basil leaves
¼ cup olive oil
salt such as Baline (to taste)
fresh pepper (to taste)
1. Preheat the grill on highest setting
2. Cut zucchini length-wise in quarters then cut seed part off (keeping skin and solid white zucchini part)
3. Cut top and bottom off peppers, discard core and seeds and cut once through the peppers (two flat pepper pieces remain)
4. Cut eggplants in half
5. Cut onion in ½-inch thick pieces (so that rings remain)
6. In a large bowl toss cut vegetables with salt, pepper and oil then cook on grill on all sides. Transfer grilled vegetables to a plate and cool
7. Cut basil (1/8-inch wide slices) then cut cool vegetables in mouth-sized pieces and toss with basil.
Chef’s serving suggestions: A BBQ’d steak or grilled fish is a perfect match with the vegetable ratatouille above.
