Stern - Virgin to veteran : how to get cooking with confidence

Vegetables AND SALAD

The Vegetable (salad and otherwise); source of essential nutrition and magnificent eating. My own special relationship with these guys began back in the day when I saw what they meant to my vegetarian sisters. But lets get this straight, vegetables and salads arent just for vegetarianstheyre an essential part of your cooking repertoire. Heres where the knives come in to play: plenty of chopping and slicing required. Seasoning needs to be just so to bring out the best in a veg, especially when youre aiming for beautiful simplicity. Its all about enhancing their textures and flavors, learning not to mask them. On the other hand there are times when you need your veg present in a purely secondary rolesubtly flavoring a rich chicken stock, punching some sort of character into a sauce, or sorting out the base for a lovely casserole. Get down with the skill-set in this chapter and youre equipped for most of your savory recipes. Enjoy....

FRESH, FRESH, FRESH WHAT TO LOOK FOR

POTATOES Should be firm, plump, unblemished, dry: dont cook or buy any with green patches (theyre toxic) or shoots (eyes): check bags arent sweaty or smell fishy.

CARROTS, PARSNIPS, TURNIPS, RUTABAGA, BEET, CELERY ROOT Get firm, plump root vegetables without shriveling, spots, or signs of damage.

GREEN BEANS/PEAS Look for bright green, firm snappy pods free of browning.

LEAFY GREENS Avoid any with yellowing leaves/heads (on broccoli) or dried stalks.

MUSHROOMS Good ones have a bloom, smell fresh, and look typical to variety.

CELERY, CHICORY, ASPARAGUS Should smell fresh, be firm, have tightly packed heads.

TOMATOES, PEPPERS, AVOCADOS, EGGPLANTS Buy firm, shiny, heavy examples. Odd shapes are fine but no bruising.

ONIONS, SHALLOTS, GARLIC Go for firm, plump fresh smelling characters.

SALAD GREENS Fresh look just picked, packed with life and brightly colored (no wilting).

WHERE TO BUY

Getting your hands dirty

LOCAL MARKET You can touch, smell to check quality; buy loose in amounts to suit; check which days your stall of choice is there; establish a relationship.

VEGETABLE STORE Find a route home which passes a good one with a fast turnover.

SPECIALTY VEGETABLES Find exotic and unusual veg at good prices in Chinese, Caribbean, and Middle-eastern stores.

HEALTH AND ORGANIC STORES You can pay extra for organic food (no pesticides) and it can be healthier but check for food-milesa complex issue. Local is good if fresh.

SUPERMARKET Essentials through to organics available. Loose foods are usually cheaper and you can touch/smell them. Always use the fresh test. Check air miles.

VEG STORAGE

OUT OF THE FRIDGE

Potatoes: remove plastic packaging and store in a cool, dark place. Mealy varieties can last months in a sack/paper bag; waxy types need using in a few days.

Onions: last for months kept in a cool, dry place.

Tomatoes: store in the kitchen at room temperature.

Chiles: store in the kitchen or freeze and use from frozen.

Garlic: can last for six months. Keep away from other foods.

Cress: in the plastic box it comes in: water it.

Nuisance Neighbors

If your veg are going off before they should it could be that they are ethylene sensitive (most veg and leaves are). This natural gas is created by tomatoes, pears, melons (and more) so keep them apart.

IN THE REFRIGERATOR

Mushrooms: store in a paper bag in the warmest bit of the refrigerator to avoid freezing.

Spinach: store in a plastic bag away from the back; it freezes easily.

Cucumber: store in warmest part of the refrigerator or in the kitchen

Beet: put fresh roots unwrapped in the salad drawer: chilled vac-packs last ages.

Beans/Cabbage: store in plastic bags.

Carrots: last a few weeks without losing nutrients. Store in plastic bags.

Leaves: highly perishable. Store in plastic bags in the salad drawer for a week.

Asparagus: wrap damp paper towels around roots or stand in a jar with a little water in the refrigerator; lasts a few days.

Watercress: store bunches in a jar as above: or in plastic pack.

JUST TENDER ...

VEGETABLE COOKING TIMES

Use your eye and a sharp knife. Its hard to be accurate as there are so many variablesuse your judgment.

MAKE VEGETABLE STOCK

Wash and chop the following: 2 large onions, 1 celery stalk, 1 large leek, 3 carrots, some fresh parsley or cilantro if you have any, 3 cloves garlic. Dump into a pan with 2.3 litres water, 1 teaspoon salt, a few black peppercorns, a piece of scrubbed lemon peel, and juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat. Simmer, half covered for at least 30 minutes or until reduced by a third. Strain through a strainer. Use or chill.

ASPARAGUS Grassy, sexy, extravagant. Trim the woody stem; steam/griddle/boil: eat with butter/Parmesan/hollandaise, or dunk in a boiled egg. Its delicious, nutritious, and packed with folate.

AVOCADO Buttery, creamy flesh. Blitz it up for guacamole; slice and chop it into salads. Rich in vitamin E (good for skin and hair).

HOW TO...

Degorge eggplant

Sprinkle slices with fine salt: let weep for 30 minutes. Rinse under a cold faucet. Dry thoroughly.

BEANS The long thin ones (green and string) and the plump podded ones (fava beans) are all fast to cook and can be teamed with just about anything. Briefly boil/steam and toss in fast flavorings: chopped tomatoes/oil/garlic/chile/a bit of butter, sour cream. Fling into salads, curry, Middle-Eastern dishes.

BEET Earthy sweetness in a hard root. Roast whole or in chunks or boil: adds a chic note to risottos, salads. Get it vacuum-packed to save time. Its a superfood.

BROCCOLI Robust, mustardy taste. Cook briefly (stir-fry or fast boil/steam); eat raw dipped in oil or hummus; bang into cheese sauce; roast in oil/garlic/cumin.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH Sweet and versatile. Roast with oil and garlic; steam/boil/griddle then mash as a side or puree for soups/risottos; add to pies, stews, casseroles.

CABBAGE Sexy when cooked for crispness. Shred, blanch then stir-fry with oyster/soy sauce; lightly toss shredded red/white in dressing or mayonnaise for salads.

CARROTS Sweet, cheap glorious superfood. Best raw in strips with dips/grated into salads; cut into ribbons or thin sticks for stir-fries; boiled/steamed for crushing, mashing; in soups, stews, curries, roast and casseroles for fullest flavor.

CAULIFLOWER Star of cauliflower cheese. Bang into curries/stews; make soups; roast; break into florets and steam/boil briefly; fry in tempura batter. Roast in oil, garlic, chile, and cumin.

CELERY ROOT Knobbly root tasting of celery. Add to standard/parsnip mash.

CELERY Gives a raw, slightly earthy crunch to accompany cheese/dips/hummus. A star in caponata and adds a useful, anonymous note to stocks, stew, and sauces.