Vegetables | Food For Thought

August 21, 2011

Impress Your Dinner Guests With Color!

Filed under: Trying Something New, Vegetarian, Writing — Tags: Blue foods, Cauliflower, cooking, Filet mignon, Fruit, fruits, Home, Meat, potato, purple foods, red foods, salad, Vegetable, vegetables — Theresa H Hall @ 4:58 pm

Discovering these unusually beautiful vegetables has been a tremendous find. Imagine them placed next to a succulent main dish of medium-rare filet mignon, or a grilled glazed pork loin, or a pair of perfectly grilled lamb chops. To please the eye is the first duty of a well-seasoned cook or chef. At first glance, food has to be appealing, well-plated, and impressive. These purple and blue vegetables taste the same as their more traditionally-colored counterparts, and they lend an immediate air of mystery to tempt us to try them. We sit down, pick up our silverware and gently cut a small portion to taste. Just knowing we are eating a vegetable so pretty makes us appreciate it more.

Beautiful Purple Pole Beans

Delicate Blue-Foot Chantrelle Mushrooms

Royal Purple Cauliflower

Deep Purple Potatoes

… and potatoes plated

Pair one of these vegetables with a sumptuous main course. Balance it with a bright crisp green salad so your family and guests will feel you have gone out of your way in order to make their meal even more spectacular. Sharing an inspired supper is a sure way to get the conversation flowing. And remember … even though these veggies are purple and blue, enjoying them will never give you The Blues!

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October 3, 2009

FRESH FOR THE FALL

Filed under: Community Discussions, Nutrition, Vegetarian — Tags: community member, food storage, freezing food items, fruits, healthy snack, storing your produce, vegetables — TrishB @ 11:46 pm

I love the fall. I love everything about it. The changing foliage, the cooler weather after a long, hot summer, and most of all fall food. It’s one of the reasons I love to host Thanksgiving dinner at my house.

Here’s just a few of my fall favorite ingredients:

APPLES

I live in an area surrounded by apple orchards. Fall apple picking is one of my favorite things to do with my kids. Even though they are teenagers I can still get them to humor me every once in a while and come along for the “ride”. They are never sorry they did. There are over 7,000 different apple varieties. A bit about a few of my favorites:

History:

* First apple – Eve’s, Garden of Eden

* Ancient Romans and Greeks grew and loved the fruit

* Apple remnants traced back to Stone Age

Health Benefits:

* Aids in prevention of Alzheimer’s and cancer (antioxidant properties)

* Shown to decrease wheezing in children with asthma

* Helps in management of diabetes

* Helps with weight loss

* Lowers cholesterol

* An apple a day…

Storing:

* Bruise easily so need to handle gently

* Store in crisper section of your fridge to maintain juiciness and crispness

* Store away from foods with strong odors such as onions

* Never store next to cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, pears, kiwi, peaches, plums and spinach. That’s because apples give off an odorless (& harmless) gas called ethylene. This gas accelerates the decay of these vegetables. Melons and tomatoes also emit this gas.

Types:

Gala: Has a distinctive red and yellow stripe and is heart shaped. Originated from New Zealand and is a cross between Golden Delicious and Kidd’s Orange Red variety. They are usually small in size, very sweet and mellow in flavor. Their skin is thinner than most apples. Excellent for eating and baking.

Fuji: Developed in Japan and is very sweet and crisp. They are a combination of Red Delicious and Genet varieties. Great for eating, salads and they are the best applesauce apples.

Rome (Red Rome or Rome Beauty): Is firm, glossy, red and thick skinned. Not a great eating apple but is delicious in baked goods.

Eating:

*Salads, desserts, pies, applesauce, eating

POMEGRANATES

If you happen to be in the New York area this time of year, I hate to tell you, but there is a shortage of pomegranates. That’s because my 11 year old son has eaten virtually all of them. He is beginning to turn red, just as Violet did in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

History:

* Originated in a region spanning from Iran to the Himalayas

* One of the oldest fruits known to man

* Grown in warmer climates

Health Benefits:

* Low in sodium and calories

* Beneficial in fighting different cancers (antioxidant properties)

* Improves cardiovascular health

* Has anti-inflammatory properties

* Helps keep me sane by keeping my 11 year old busy

Storing:

* Like apples, they have a very long storage life. In fact, they become juicier and more flavorful when stored at 32 to 42 degrees F range.

* Are good for up to 6 months if kept this temperature

Eating:

* Eating pomegranates is hard work but is well worth the effort. They are best eaten at room temperature

* Can eat as is

* Add to a salad with spinach, walnuts and feta with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing

* Pomegranate seeds or juice are great with roasted chicken

* Add to a martini (pomegranate martinis are very popular)

FIGS

There’s nothing better than a fresh fig in the early fall.

History:

* Grown for thousands of years on ficus trees. Were cultivated in ancient Greece and Egypt. Came to the U.S. in the 1500’s

Health Benefits:

* High in fiber, minerals, natural and simple sugars

* Contain Vitamins A, B, and C

* Contain good levels of magnesium, iron and potassium (regulates blood pressure)

* Good source of antioxidants so helps fight cancer

* Help fight heart disease and diabetes

Storage:

* Deteriorate rapidly and are very delicate so need to be handled with care

* Will last in fridge for about 2-3 days. Store in tupperware lined with paper towels and cover with plastic wrap

* Do not store in plastic bags. If you do you might as well throw them out

* Best eaten at room temperature within a day or 2 of purchase

* Keep away from direct sunlight

Types:

Smyrna/Calimyrna: Have a golden skin and nutty flavor. They are larger than most figs. They are among the best figs to eat fresh but are also often dried and used in pastries.

Mission: They are a deep purple color and are very sweet. These are great with cheese and yogurt.

Eating:

* Should not be washed until ready to eat

* Use in salads

* Jams

* Add to oatmeal

* Serve with cheese. Try fresh figs with goat cheese, chopped almonds and honey

* Delicious in savory and sweet dishes

* Add fresh figs to couscous, rice or quinoa

* Great in lamb dishes or served with cured meat

CHESTNUTS

Chestnuts tend to be more a winter produce, often associated with the holidays but I had to include them as winter is fast approaching and I love them. One of the reasons I love chestnuts is the memories I have of them growing up in South Africa. We had a huge chestnut tree in my backyard. It was one of my favorite places to escape, climbing high as I could to hide from my annoying older brothers.

History:

* Dates back to Roman times

* Native Americans feasted on chestnuts

* Called marrons in France

* Used as a substitute for potatoes in Europe

Health Benefits:

* Low in sodium, fat and cholesterol

* High in Vitamin C (helps body resist infection and speeds healing time of wounds)

* High in Vitamin B (promotes normal appetite benefits for vision, colon, memory, eases muscle stress and provides energy)

* High in Riboflavin (helps with metabolism of food)

* Good source of dietary fiber

* Rich in saponins which are beneficial to vascular system and connective tissue

Storing:

* Contains about 50% water so very perishable

* Cooked chestnuts can be frozen and stored in freezer for up to 8 months

* Once shelled and cooked they should be covered and kept in fridge for up to 3 days

* Dried chestnuts can be stored in airtight container for 2 months. Can also be frozen

Eating:

* To remove the shell, make an x with a sharp knife on the flat side before boiling, roasting or microwaving

* Boil – for 15 to 25 minutes, remove shell, and then can be mashed or pureed

* Roasting – Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place on baking sheet for about 15 minutes. Flip halfway through cooking time. Remove shell. Serve hot.

* Roasted on open fire

* Microwaved for 3 minutes prior to removing shell

* Great in soups

* Substitute for potatoes

* Try in stuffing

* Make a chestnut cream and add to your next chocolate dessert or souffle

* Puree and use in crepes or pancakes

Try these fall seasonal ingredients the next time you entertain, with your Thanksgiving dinner or just experiment with them at family dinner. You, your guests, and your kids will all be pleased that you did. Please let me know how it goes. I love the feedback.

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August 6, 2008

Storing Your Vegetables and Fruits and Keeping Them Fresh

Filed under: Did you know? — Tags: fruits, storing your produce, vegetables — Sarah Dorer @ 9:43 am

Fresh fruits and vegetables are a great addition to your diet; however, the cost can be detrimental to your pocket book, especially when they spoil before you eat them.Â The key to saving money, and getting to enjoy those wonderful fruits and veggies, is learning how to store them properly.Â For some reason, they never teach you which veggies you are supposed to refrigerate, which ones you are not, which ones to wrap,Â and which ones to let breathe (this should really be a class taught in high school).Â So here is a little bit of knowledge on the subject.Â I hope it will help you preserve the taste and quality of your produce.

For starters, vegetables remain fresh longest in a moist environment, such as your crisper drawer.Â The setting should be set to high moisture for vegetables, and low moisture for fruits.Â The crisper’s function is to slow the dehydration of the vegetables.Â However, there are some things you can do to help as well, such as wrappingÂ most vegetables in plastic wrap, or storing in an airtight container.Â Wrapping vegetables also helps contain odors and keep them from transferring to other foods.Â There are some vegetables that should not be wrapped in plastic wrap; like mushrooms, which should be kept in a paper bag.

It is possible for vegetables to have too much moisture also, which can cause brown spots.Â For lettuce and spinach, make sure they are drained well before storing, and place paper towels in the bag to soak up extra moisture.Â You will need to change the cloth often.Â You can also buy a special storage device made specifically for lettuce,Â which raises the lettuce and does not allow it to sit in accumulated moisture at the bottom of the container.

There are also some items that stay fresh longer if not refrigerated, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, hard rind squashes, eggplant, and mature onions.Â These should be stored in a cool, dry area.Â Tomatoes should only be refrigerated once fully ripe and only for a short time.

You fridge’s temperature setting is also very important.Â The fresh food compartment of your refrigerator should be kept between 34-40 degrees Fahrenheit.Â You can check this by using an appliance thermometer.Â Having the temperature too low can result in freezing, which will turn your veggies brown and limp.

Here is a chart to help you with storage times for some ofÂ the most popular vegetables:

Vegetable	Fridge Time	Storage Tips
Asparagus	2-3 daysÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â	store in crisper
BroccoliÂ	3-5 daysÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â	wrap and store in crisper
CeleryÂ Â Â Â Â	1-2 weeksÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â	store in crisper
CarrotsÂ Â Â Â Â Â	2 weeksÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â	wrap and store in crisper
LettuceÂ	1 weekÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â	wash, drain well, wrap, and store in crisper
MushroomsÂ	3-5 daysÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â	store in paper bag in crisper
PeppersÂ Â	1 weekÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â	wrap and store in crisper
CucumbersÂ	1 weekÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â	wrap and store in crisper

Follow these guidelines and you should be enjoying fresh produce from now on!Â Good luck!

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August 3, 2008

Sneaking Veggies Into Your Child’s Diet

Filed under: Nutrition — Tags: recipe ideas, vegetables — Sarah Dorer @ 9:02 am

Getting your children to eat their vegetables can be a stressful task. My own boys will tolerate corn, but that is about it. Many parents question how they can make sure that their children are maintaining a balanced diet and getting all the nutrients they need when they only want to eat chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. The answer: hide the veggies in their favorite meals!

This idea is not new, and I am sure that you have read about it and thought that it just might work, but then never tried it. Well, I assure you, it does work. In fact, WebMD reports that a study done at the University of Pennsylvania found that children showed no preference in pasta dishes that included veggies ground up into the sauce, and pasta dishes that did not. Researchers took steamed broccoli and cauliflower, blended it into the pasta sauces, and served it to 61 children over a 4 week period. The children did not prefer either dish over the other, and didn’t even seem to notice the ground up veggies at all.

Another idea is to grate up zucchini and add it to pancake or cake batters. Your children will not be able to taste it, but the nutrients will be in there! You can also puree vegetables and add them to meatloaf and hamburgers. Grind up cooked white beans and substitute them for half the butter in your cookie recipes…more fiber and less fat! The possibilities are endless!

However, doctors do say that you should not hide all vegetables from your children. Children need to be exposed to vegetables often and learn to eat them with their parents. We need them to learn to like vegetables. Research has also shown that a child may have to see a vegetable 10-15 times before they will try it.

So hide some veggies if you need to, but also teach your children about different vegetables and how good they are for them. Include them in preparing them as well, and you just might help them find a new appreciation for our herbaceous friends.

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