Stemming on the end of my last post, wishing for fresh fruits and vegetables, it only seemed fitting that I would open up my copy of The Professional Chef to find that the next chapter on my agenda is the identification of said fruits and vegetables, as well as herbs. There's so many pretty pictures in this chapter, and it definitely made me long for the warmer months, especially since we are experiencing the first snowfall of the season, at least of any substance.
I think I'm probably telling you things you already know here, but in case we've got some amateurs out there, I don't want to gloss over the important stuff. When shopping for fresh produce, they should be free of bruises, mold, brown or soft spots, and any other damage that the items may have incurred during transit. While using produce in its raw form, I would certainly adhere strictly to this rule. However, a small bruise doesn't ruin a piece of produce. If you are making marinara sauce, your tomatoes don't need to be perfect. Keep that in mind when shopping, because those slightly marred items get tossed if they don't sell, which contributes to the massive amount of food waste that this country produces on a yearly basis. If an item is shriveled however, I wouldn't use it, regardless of its purpose.
When I can, I try to purchase organic or sustainably-farmed produce. Not only does this support local farmers and their businesses, but we end up consuming less pesticides and other chemicals used to keep produce fresh longer. Another advantage to locally-grown produce is that the flavors are often superior to that of conventionally-grown and shipped produce.
Now, I've glossed over the specifics, and the pictures labeling different kinds of produce because this post would go on forever, but after about 50 pages of that, I've got a list of things I want to try, and a better feel for identifying things at the grocery store. I will definitely refer to this chapter in the future, when I need a bit of information on a specific fruit or vegetable!
to find that the next chapter on my agenda is the identification of said fruits and vegetables, as well as herbs. There's so many pretty pictures in this chapter, and it definitely made me long for the warmer months, especially since we are experiencing the first snowfall of the season, at least of any substance.I think I'm probably telling you things you already know here, but in case we've got some amateurs out there, I don't want to gloss over the important stuff. When shopping for fresh produce, they should be free of bruises, mold, brown or soft spots, and any other damage that the items may have incurred during transit. While using produce in its raw form, I would certainly adhere strictly to this rule. However, a small bruise doesn't ruin a piece of produce. If you are making marinara sauce, your tomatoes don't need to be perfect. Keep that in mind when shopping, because those slightly marred items get tossed if they don't sell, which contributes to the massive amount of food waste that this country produces on a yearly basis. If an item is shriveled however, I wouldn't use it, regardless of its purpose.
When I can, I try to purchase organic or sustainably-farmed produce. Not only does this support local farmers and their businesses, but we end up consuming less pesticides and other chemicals used to keep produce fresh longer. Another advantage to locally-grown produce is that the flavors are often superior to that of conventionally-grown and shipped produce.
Now, I've glossed over the specifics, and the pictures labeling different kinds of produce because this post would go on forever, but after about 50 pages of that, I've got a list of things I want to try, and a better feel for identifying things at the grocery store. I will definitely refer to this chapter in the future, when I need a bit of information on a specific fruit or vegetable!
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