|
Get
the right equipment for your veggies
May 6, 2009
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Get
ready for veggies.
A record number of vegetable gardens are expected to emerge
from the soil in backyards across our state this spring. We’re
planting tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, lettuce and more.
If you don’t have room for a spread, you may be trying
container gardening on your porch or patio. The rest of us
are looking forward to the arrival of spring veggies at farmer’s
markets and roadside stands.
It’s the Year of the Vegetable.
For any number of reasons – the economy, health or as
gesture of support for a more environmentally friendly way
of life – we’re expecting to eat more veggies
more often this season.
It’s a goal worth supporting. And one that you can make
easier to reach by making sure you’re prepared with
the equipment and skills you need to get the full benefits
of these foods.
That’s easy to do. Some very simple tools and techniques
for preparing fresh fruits and vegetables are all you need,
but they’re critical to maximizing your use of the fresh
produce coming your way.
Start with the right equipment.
You need three different types of knives with distinctly different
functions:
* Serrated knife. About six inches long, the blade has a ripply
edge that works particularly well for cutting soft or fragile
fruits and vegetables including tomatoes and melon. You’ll
use this all-purpose knife more than any other.
* Paring knife. Use this knife to peel potatoes and cut up
small vegetables such as radishes and bell peppers. The blade
is only 3 or 4 inches in length, so it’s easy to maneuver.
* French chef’s knife. This is a big, scary-looking
10-inch knife with a blade that’s widest near the handle,
tapering to a point at the tip.
The way you use it is unique. Holding the point of the knife
down on a wooden cutting board, move the handle up and down
in a rocking motion to chop salad greens, herbs, zucchini,
carrots, onions and other foods.
Optional gadgets you might find useful: a veggie brush for
cleaning dirt and debris off carrots and potatoes; breathable
pouches or bags that prolong the life of refrigerated produce;
and that wedding shower classic, the salad spinner.
Next, follow some simple steps to help ensure you actually
eat your veggies.
First, wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, even if they’re
organic, to make sure they’re free of bacteria that
could make you sick.
The most effective way to wash produce is by rubbing it with
your hands or a brush under fast-running water. Soap isn’t
necessary, and research has found little additional benefit
to using commercial produce rinses.
Fruits and vegetables with lots of crevices or surface area
– strawberries, broccoli and cauliflower, for example
– should be soaked in a pan or sink full of water, swished
and rinsed to dislodge debris.
Since slicing and chopping vegetables can be time-consuming,
follow these tips to make the most efficient use of your time:
* Pre-prepare when you can. Set aside 15 minutes now and then
to wash and cut up fruits and vegetables. Store them in airtight
bags or containers in the refrigerator so that they’re
ready when you are to make a meal.
* Be efficient. When you’re cutting up bell peppers
or onions, chop more than you need. Store the extra in plastic
bags in the freezer so that they’re ready to use the
next time you need some.
* Batch cook. When you cook, make more than you need and store
some for later. Pasta salad, three-bean salad and carrot-raisin
salad keep for several days in the refrigerator.
The veggies are coming. Be ready when they are.
Suzanne
Havala Hobbs is a licensed, registered dietitian and clinical
associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and
Management and the Department of Nutrition in the UNC Gillings
School of Global Public Health. Send questions and comments
to suzanne@onthetable.net.
|
