Handling vegetables and fruits know-how.

Vegetables and fruits

Tips about how to handle vegetables and fruits.

Vegetables

Artichokes: Artichokes keep as well in a vase with the stems in water as if they were flowers. This method also applies to asparagus.

Boiled and drained: Your potatoes are boiled and drained but it is not time to serve yet. Place them in the same warm pan and cover the pan to keep them warm, however, place a clean kitchen cloth between the lid and the pan to prevent steam from falling back on the drained potatoes.

Celery chic: Curled celery is a stylish decoration for any plate. Scrape the celery stalk, cut thin strips from the ends and let them stand in ice-cold water for an hour. They will curl as prettily as the ribbons used for birthday presents.

Mushrooms: Delicious lightly cooked in the company of grilled tomatoes on top of toast –as a snack- or as filling for a quiche. Fry them with garlic and a little chili and add them to cooked pasta, stir and serve.

Eggplant can be bitter: soak eggplant slices in salty water or sprinkle salt and let them stand. The dark bitter juices will drain and eggplant will taste sweeter when cooked. Wash out the salt.

Long keeping tomatoes: Tomatoes keep for longer when they stand with the stem -the part where the tomato joins the plant- on top.

Fruits

Freeze bananas: If you have too many bananas or some are becoming over-ripe, freeze them in their skins or peeled. Frozen fruit is not as nice to ear, use them for cooking pies, tarts, cakes, banana bread, ice cream, milkshakes and smoothies. If frozen in their skins, just bake them still in them for 30-40 minutes, cut the skin open and sprinkle some brown sugar and chopped toasted nuts, serve with whipped cream.

A glut of fruit : some ideas to buy at its best and eat when you want.

• Wash, halve, discard the pit, weigh and cook with the same measure of sugar -chop while the fruit cooks if you wish. Can.
• Wash, discard the pit, boil in a light syrup. Can.
• Wash, discard the pit, weigh, rub with lemon juice to prevent discoloration and puree with the same measure of confectioner's sugar -sieve if your objective is the finest coulis. Serve this sauce with ice cream and other desserts.
• Pour any excess fruit sauce into your ice cream maker for the most delicious and healthy fruit sorbet.
• Wash, discard the pit, cover with a syrup prepared with 1¼ cups sugar for every 2 cups water (300g sugar for every 500ml water). Freeze. Frozen this way, fruit will last 12 months.

Use this ideas with apricots or peaches for guraranteed results. Try them with prunes or cherries for a surprising bout of flavor. Try these with strawberries, raspberries, black currants or any of the soft summer fruit... heaven! This tips can be applied to all sort of fruit -passion fruit, mango, lychees. Be adventurous and dare to experiment.

Peaches: They will keep them in the fridge, in the vegetable draw, for a few days; let the ones with firm flesh out until soft and use the very ripe in the day.

Quick frozen strawberries: Wash, discard stems, and extend on foil. Cover with sugar and freeze. Transfer to a bag once frozen. They will keep for 12 month.

Strawberries, healthy and flavorful: wash, discard stems, pour over lemon or orange juice and sprinkle sugar generously. Refrigerate for 2 hour. Serve.

Insipid strawberries? then: Sprinke with a little ground nutmeg or cinnamon.

Hydrate fruit fast: Forgot to soak the fruit for your recipe? It is easy to hydrate raisins, dries apricots or prunes. It can be done in minutes. Place the fruit in a container suitable for the microwave, cover with water and microwave on high. About 2 minutes will do for raisins, dried figs or apricots may need 7-8 minutes –it will depend on the quantity, size and how dry they are. Don’t use this method if your prunes still have the pit, it could explode.

How to prepare and cook

Asparagus: Trim the ends and wash the spears gently in cold water. Steam, grill, stir fry, boil or bake. The tips cook faster, so keep them out of the direct heat when boiling or steaming –best if kept standing. Delicious served with Hollandaise sauce or just lemon and olive oil. Try other herbs to try with asparagus are basil, chervil, fines herbes, savory or tarragon.

Baby leaf spinach: Keep in the fridge and wash before use. To cook:

• Steaming is the best way to cook baby leaf spinach, steam them for 5-6 minutes.
• To boil, place them in a pan with a little water, cover and cook for 4 minutes or until tender.
• To microwave, place in a bowl suitable for the microwave –non metalic- and cover tightly –no need to add water- microwave on high for 4 minutes -800w- or 5 minutes -650w.

Carrots: Wash well, cut off the ends, peel if you wish, and cut in even slices, then:

• Place in a steamer basket, cover and steam for 8-10 minutes or until tender.
• For crunchy carrots, place the slices into a pan of boiling water, cover and cook for 6-7 minutes -or cooke them until they are tender.

Celeriac or celery root: celeriac is a versatile root vegetable with a mild taste of celery. Peel, then dice, cut into strips or grate. Once prepared, boil it, steam it, bake it, or use celery root raw in salads - it can be boiled for 15 minutes, steamed for 20 minutes or braised for 20 minutes and it comes out nice in a stir fry. If not cooked straight away, drop the pieces in cold water with a little lemon juice to stop browning. The dark flecks on the flesh are normal. Try celery root boiled and mashed, either on its own or with rutabaga or potatoes, with a little butter and plenty of black pepper.

Enoki mushrooms: cut the base of the cluster and throw it away, separate the mushrooms keeping the stalks –careful, these stalks are delicate and break apart easily. Use enoki mushrooms in stir-fries, soups and salads. Try this: sauté 2-3 chopped shallots –or 1 small onion- in 3-4 Tbs olive oil –or 3-4 Tbs butter- over a low heat for 4-5 minutes, until it starts taking color. Add mushrooms -turn the heat to medium- and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to wilt. Add ½ cup light cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper, and serve.

Garden peas: Store in the fridge. Shell and then steam, boil, or microwave. Delicious served with tarragon or mint. Serve also warm with ham or crispy bacon, or cold, in salads. Other herbs and spices to try with peas are allspice, basil, cardamom, chervil, ground coriander, dill, fennel, marjoram, parsley, rosemary or savory.

Mangetout: all is edible, just wash and steam for 6-8 minutes. Delicious served with a little melted butter.

Okra: Wash, trim the stems and cook whole. Add to an stir-fry, a stew or casserole.

Pak choi: Keep in the fridge. To cook, wash, then halve, quarter or roughly chop the leaves into wide strips and the white stalks into smaller strips. Steam, boil or stir-fry.

• Steam - place the strips in a steaming basket over a pan of simmering water, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
• Stir-fry – heat 1Tbs oil in a wok, add pak choi strips and cook over a high heat for 2-3 minutes.

Steamed or stir-fried, pak choi is delicious with ginger and oyster sauce or light soy sauce.

Red cabbage : Braised red cabbage with apples is a perfect side dish for pork and game because, contrary to the green varieties, red cabbage benefits from longer cooking times and cooking red cabbage with an acidic fruit, or vinegar, helps to keep the red color.