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Know Your Produce: Potatoes

Image from the Maine Food & Lifestyle blog

  • Potatoes should be kept in a cool, dark place with good ventilation. the ideal storage temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F. At these temperature, the potatoes will keep for several weeks. Do not store potatoes in the refrigerator, as a temperature below 40 degrees F. will cause the potatoes to develop a sweet taste. This is due to the conversion of starch to sugar, which causes potatoes to darken when cooked.
  • If you store potatoes at room temperature, use them within a week or so.
  • Wait to wash potatoes, until you are ready to use them, as they will keep longer & this prevents loss of nutrients.
  • It is not recommended that you freeze cooked potato dishes, as they tend to become watery after reheating. As the potato is 80% water, this water separates from the starch causing the reheated potato dish to be watery.
  • Potatoes are easier to prepare and healthier for you when cooked with their skins on. Always rinse and scrub the potatoes thoroughly before using.
  • When you are using cut up potatoes in your cooking, preserve the color by place them in cold water. Limit the water soaking time to two (2) hours to retain the water-soluble vitamins. Color discoloration (pinkish or brownish) happens from the carbohydrates in the potato reacting with oxygen in the air. Potatoes that do become discolored in this way are safe to eat and do not need to be thrown. Usually the color discoloration will disappear with cooking.
  • Sometimes potatoes will get a spot that is a greenish hue. A potato in this condition is “light-struck” which causes a build-up of a chemical called Solanine. This is a natural reaction to the potato being exposed to too much light. (store out of light!) The green part, if eaten in large quantity, can cause illness. If there is slight greening, cut away the green portions of the potato skin before cooking and eating.

See http://whatscookingamerica.net/potato.htm

For more tips on boiling, baking and making mashed potatoes.

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Know Your Produce: Shiitake Mushrooms

Long a symbol of longevity in Asia because of their health-promoting properties, shiitake mushrooms have been used medicinally by the Chinese for more than 6,000 years.

Shiitake mushrooms are an excellent source of selenium and a very good source of iron. They are also a good source of protein, dietary fiber and vitamin C.


Tips for preparing Shiitake Mushrooms:

Mushrooms are very porous, so if they are exposed to too much water they will quickly absorb it and become soggy. Therefore, the best way to clean mushrooms without sacrificing their texture and taste is to clean them using minimal, if any, water. To do this, simply wipe them with a slightly damp paper towel or kitchen cloth. You could also use a mushroom brush, available at most kitchenware stores.

If the fresh mushrooms become dried out because of being stored for too long, soak them in water for thirty minutes.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:

Shiitake mushrooms are traditionally added to miso soup.

Healthy sauté mushrooms with onions and garlic. Serve as a side dish or as a topping for chicken, beef, lamb or venison.

To give your vegetable stock an extra depth, add dried shiitake mushrooms.

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Know Your Produce: Swiss Chard

Chard belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and shares a similar taste profile: it has the bitterness of beet greens and the slightly salty flavor of spinach leaves. Both the leaves and stalk of chard are edible, although the stems vary in texture with the white ones being the most tender.

To store, place unwashed chard in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. It will keep fresh for several days. If you have large batches of chard, you can blanch the leaves and then freeze them.

To prep: Wash the chard well to remove any sand or soil that may be hidden in the leaves. One way to do this is to immerse pieces of cut chard in a bowl of cool water, swirling them around to remove any dirt and then quickly rinsing them with cool running water. Trim the bottom end of the stalk. If you find the stalks to be more fibrous than desired, make incisions near the base of the stalk and peel away the fibers, like you would do with celery.

To enjoy: Treat chard much like you would any other green (spinach, kale, bok choy), sauté, steam, or chop and add to soups, casseroles, and pasta dishes. Chard can also be baked into “chips” by removing the stems and tossing with sea salt and olive oil. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes, until the edges are brown but not burnt.

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Fresh This Week Tips, 10.3.2010

d’Anjou Pears
STORE: Keep pears at room temperature until ripe. To test for ripeness, gently push on the stem. If it gives a little, your pear is ready to eat.
PREP: Wash pears in cold water and keep them whole, slice them or chop them.
USE: d’Anjou pears can be eaten out of hand, mixed into a spring salad, baked or poached. Remember the delicious Apple and Rhubarb Crisp recipe? Make another version of that crisp by substituting the apples and rhubarb with pears and dried cranberries.

Spartan Apples
STORE: Store apples in a paper bag in the crisper of your refrigerator. Spartan apples typically don’t keep for very long, so it’s advisable to use your apples within 1 week.
PREP: Wash apples under cold running water. If using your apples in a recipe, typically you will peel and core the apple before cutting it into slices or cubes. To prevent apples from browning, brush with a lemon juice-water solution (1 cup water mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice).
USE: Spartan apples are the small to medium sized offspring of MacIntosh apples. They are a favorite among children for their crisp, snow white flesh and sweet flavor. Pack your Spartan apples as a lunchtime snack or use them to make a wonderful applesauce or apple butter.

Bunch Carrots
STORE: Always remove tops from carrots as they take moisture from the “root” to stay green, leaving you with a limp carrot. Store carrots in the coolest part of the refrigerator in a plastic bag or wrapped in a paper towel to reduce the amount of moisture that is lost. They should keep for about two weeks. Be sure to store your carrots away from apples, pears, potatoes as they produce a gas that will make carrots bitter.
PREP:  Wash carrot roots and gently scrub them with a vegetable brush right before preparing them to eat. Peel (if desired) and chop according to your recipe or their purpose.
USE: You can steam, pickle, puree (for carrot soup!), juice, eat them raw or add them to any number of soups, stews and stir fries.

Yellow Corn
STORE: Store corn in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not remove its husk since this will protect its flavor. To enjoy your corn at its best, eat as soon as possible.
Fresh corn freezes well if placed in heavy-duty freezer bags. To prepare whole ears for freezing, blanch them first for seven to eleven minutes depending upon their size. To freeze the kernels, first blanch the ears for about five minutes and then cut the kernels off the cob. Whole corn on the cob will keep for up to one year, while the kernels can be frozen for two to three months.
PREP: To prepare your corn, remove or pull down the husks (depending on if you would like to cook your corn with the husks on or off) and remove the silk from the cob. Rinse under cool water (if desired, pull the husks back around your corn). To cut the kernels off of a corn cob, put the flat stem end in a bowl and run a sharp chef’s knife down the length of the ear using a sawing motion.
USE: Corn can be grilled, baked, steamed, boiled or broiled. For a last taste of summer, try this tasty Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob recipe. To enjoy your corn in Fall dishes, add cooked corn kernels to soup or chili for a heartier, more nutritious meal.

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Know Your Produce: Kiwi Berries

Berry meet kiwi. Kiwi meet berry. And you have kiwi berries!

They are the peel-less, fuzz-less cousin of the more well-known kiwifruit. Brought from Asia to the United States in the 1800s, the kiwi berry packs a big nutritional punch as the most nutrient-dense of all major fruits. One berry has five times the vitamin C content of an orange and twice the amount of vitamin E as an avocado. From folic acid and antioxidants to fiber and chromium, kiwi fruits contain 20 nutrients that are connected to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and slowed aging.

Not just good for you, kiwi berries are delicious! Each variety has a unique flavor and color and their smooth skins make them the perfect snack. They can be eaten fresh, in salads, salsas, dessert sauces, ice cream and sorbets. Their tropical tastes pair well with orange, honey, and chocolate.

Kiwi berries should be allowed to ripen at room temperature. When they are ready to be enjoyed, the berries will turn a dark green color and feel slightly soft to the touch. Unlike most fruits, they are not ready to eat until they look wrinkled and soft. Once they are ripe, store them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or eat immediately. Let them come back up to room temperature before eating.

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Fresh this Week 9.19.2010

SPINACH
STORE: Store fresh, unwashed spinach loosely packed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper for about five days.
PREP: Wash thoroughly by swishing leaves in a bowl full of tepid water and repeat until clean. Dry with paper towels or in a salad spinner.
USE: Boil spinach for one minute to bring out the flavor or simply keep raw. Make a delicious Strawberry & Spinach salad or substitute spinach for the Swiss Chard in these delicious Swiss Chard & Caramelized Onion Tacos. You can also add spinach to smoothies, add layers of steamed spinach to lasagna or simply saute with a little olive oil, garlic and a pinch of salt.

Sekel Pears
STORE: The Sekel pear can be stored in the refrigerator for two to seven days. To ripen, leave them at room temperature for two to four days.
PREP: Wash pears under cold water. Leave whole, cut into fourths or cube depending on your preference or desired recipe. To prevent pears from browning, brush with a lemon juice-water solution (1 cup water mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice).
USE: This delicious dessert pear is best used for pickling, poaching and canning, but is tasty eaten whole. When baked, the flavors of the Sekel pear work wonderfully with honey and cinnamon (a scoop of vanilla ice cream is also delicious).

Yukon Potatoes
STORE: Store Yukons in a cool place in an open paper bag. They should last a couple of weeks.
PREP: Wash and lightly scrub potatoes before using. Peel potatoes before using or leave the skin on for baked potatoes or to add additional texture to mashed potatoes.
USE: Yukon potatoes have a delicious buttery flavor. They make wonderful home fries, mashed potatoes and soups. If you’re feeling adventurous, try out this yummy Fall recipe for potato pancakes!

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Honey! Bar the door! We’ve got ourselves a crawler!

I know it’s inevitable. At some point in time every little one gets mobile and life changes, but I was secretly hoping for a few more months of “stationary” play! Officially, she began crawling at 5.5 months. This isn’t our earliest. Her sister, Emily, started crawling at the same time 17 years ago and she hasn’t stopped moving since! We will have to see if Joanna walks at the early age of 8.5 months, as her older sister did. Time will tell. Having a little one reach that wonderful age of mobility quickly moves them into a new phase of learning, which means it moves us, as parents, into a new phase of teaching. Now that she is scooting across the floor we need to begin training her to make good choices. Of course, this will be a gradual process, but now she will be discovering toys left out by siblings, the cat food dish, a fireplace, older siblings with quick feet, etc. One of the most comical learning opportunities comes when the little ones begin to learn to negotiate the happily wagging tail of our big (giant to them) black Labs.

It is all good! It is all supposed to happen! Every stage of life is special, and laying a foundation of love and respect early is critical to a great relationship later. Teaching her that “no” means “no” will be one of the next things she learns, and when she is a little older and getting around well, it will be time for her to learn “Joanna, come here, please”.

Sadly, as parents of young children, it’s easy to train children that we are not serious about our requests. And the constant negotiating or nagging eventually can wear a parent out and put a strain on the relationship. But if one establishes “no” early or “come here” early then parents will naturally have a better relationship with their child, for the simple reason that there’s not always a mini war on their hands. Children thrive with love and healthy boundaries. Good seeds planted now will bear good fruit later and as a father and a farmer, life has taught me planting the good seeds is the way to go.

– Tristan

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Fresh This Week Add-Ons: It is cooking greens season!

If you like ratatouille…this is a great time! We’ve got basil, zucchini/yellow summer squash, red bell peppers,  garlic & onions available to go with! For a great Ratatouille recipe, go tohttp://smittenkitchen.com/2007/07/rat-a-too-ee-for-you-ee/