Fruit & Veggie Tips

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Quick & Cheap Vinaigrette Tips:
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Don't just rinse out that empty mustard jar...

First, pour in a couple of tablespoons of vinegar, 1/4 cup of your favorite jam, and 1/4 cup of canola oil.

Put the cover on, then shake it vigorously until smooth.

Know what you have now?

3/4 of a cup of fruit vinaigrette.

Alternately...

Take that nearly empty jam jar (with about 1/4 cup left in it).

Add 2-3 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tsp. mustard (your choice), and 1/4 cup canola oil.

Same procedure... same results.

How cool is that? :-)

Working with Hot Peppers:
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Chiles and hot peppers are one of my favorite things to add punch to a dish, but they need to be handled with some care and caution.

Most of the time when cutting chiles and hot peppers, I wear disposable gloves to avoid getting the juice into any small cuts I may have on my hands. Also, this nearly guarantees that I won't accidentally touch my eyes with the very hot juices left on my fingers from these little guys.

If you don't wear gloves, be sure to thoroughly wash your hands immediately after cutting your chiles... and I do mean thoroughly.

If you've done this before, you'll know what I mean ;-)

How To Prepare an Eggplant:
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Eggplants can be intimidating for some people. They don't need to be.

First, choose a good eggplant. It should be firm and spring back when pressed, with dark purple skin and no blemishes.

The next decision you need to make is to peel or not to peel. With most preparations, such as eggplant Parmesan, grilled eggplant, and caponata, it is best to leave the skin on.

A lot of recipes call for the eggplant to be salted. This helps to draw out any bitter juices which are normally the result of over-ripeness. Avoid this with younger, smaller eggplants.

To salt the eggplant, it can be sliced and salted in layers, then pressed in a colander to drain out the juices. Also, it can be sliced in half length-wise, salted and stood up in a colander.

It is then rinsed and ready to use in your recipe.

A final note: It's not recommended to fry eggplant in oil, as it will soak like a sponge. Grilled, broiling or baking are the best methods of cooking.

How To Roast Garlic:
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Some people don't enjoy the taste of fresh, sauteed garlic as much as I do. While it does have a very pronounced taste when cooked fresh, roasted garlic has a much milder flavor that they usually adore.

The main reason for this is the caramelization of the sugars present. The roasting process sweetens and smooths out the harsh flavors, and even those that don't normally like it, learn to love it this way.

To roast garlic:

1. Lay a square of tin foil, shiny side up, on your work surface.
2. Cut a bulb or two of garlic in half, horizontally, opening it up.
3. Lay these, cut side up on the foil.
4. Drizzle them with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
5. Close up the foil like an envelope, sealing the edges.
6. Roast at 350 F. For 45 minute to 1 hour.
7. Remove from the oven when it's dark brown and very soft.
8. Let cool slightly, then squeeze out of it's skin.

Use wherever and whenever you want that great taste.... that would be everyday :-)

Buying and Storing Tomatoes:
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Ripen tomatoes at room temperature or (if you want to speed them along) in a brown paper bag. They need to develop their full flavor and aroma. To avoid interrupting this process, place the tomatoes on a counter or in a shallow bowl at room temperature until they are ready to eat. Never refrigerate!

When tomatoes are chilled below 55° F, the ripening comes to a halt and the flavor never develops.

Once they are fully ripened, tomatoes can be held at room temperature or refrigerated for several days. When you're ready to use them, bring the tomatoes back to room temperature for fullest flavor.

Make your own sun dried tomatoes - Turn oven on lowest setting. Halve or quarter tomatoes and sprinkle with equal parts salt and sugar. Bake until shriveled and slightly tough - about 12 to 14 hours. Store in the refrigerator or you can freeze for later use. You can also store in oil, in the fridge.

To carmelize onions, combine a blend of about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter per 4 cups of thinly sliced onion in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Brown the onions slowly and steadily in the melted oil/butter over medium heat for about a half hour. Toward the end, add a generous pinch of salt. They should be a reddish brown color.

Try this method for speeding up the potato baking process (for a better texture than those that you microwave). Pre-heat the oven to 400. Place the potato in boiling water for 10 minutes. Bake for 30 minutes. This will cut the cooking time in half.

A teaspoon of cider vinegar will take care of too-sweet main dishes or vegetables.

A dampened paper towel or terry cloth brushed downward on a cob of corn will remove every strand of corn silk.

To perk up soggy lettuce, add lemon juice to a bowl of cold water and soak lettuce for an hour in the refrigerator.

When cooking carrots, peas, beets or corn, add a small amount of sugar to the water to keep the flavour.

To keep sweet corn yellow, add one teaspoon of lemon juice to the cooking water just about a minute before taking off the stove. Never salt the water you cook corn in. It will only toughen the corn.

Store celery and lettuce in paper bags, not plastic. And leave the outside leaves and stalks alone until ready to use.

Sunlight doesn't ripen tomatoes, warmth does. Store tomatoes with stems pointed down and they will stay fresher, longer.

Place green fruits in a perforated plastic bag. The holes will allow air to circulate while retaining the ethylene gas that fruits produce during ripening.

To keep mushrooms white when cooking, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to the butter or oil used when sauteeing.

Lemon juice added to carrot cooking water will help keep the color bright.

Salt added to corn's cooking water tends to make it tough, add salt after cooking.

Looking for an easy way to butter corn? Use a pastry brush and melted butter.
Add a splash of milk to cauliflower cooking liquid to keep the vegetable looking white.

A high quality hard boiled egg slicer makes easy work of slicing mushrooms for sauces or salads; it will also slice strawberries and peeled kiwi fruits perfectly.

Kevin Wagner is Chef/Owner of Cooking Solutions, catering, teaching, and consulting services located in Bear River, Nova Scotia. Email: ChefKevin@cooking-solutions.com in response to this article or other questions.

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