Week
of April 27, 2008
Cauliflower
Whether
you plan to boil, steam, or roast cauliflower,
start by trimming off the leaves and stem.
Although the leaves and stem can be eaten, they
have a tougher texture and stronger flavor than
the florets themselves. (If you like to use everything,
save them to use later in soups and stews.)
1.
Rinse cauliflower well and snap off tough outer
leaves and discard.
2.
Using a sharp knife, cut off stem, then hollow
out and remove core, angling blade to avoid cutting
into florets.
3.
Cut or break cauliflower into large florets or
smaller pieces if called for in a recipe.
Storing
When wrapped tightly in airtight plastic wrap,
cauliflower heads can be refrigerated for three
to five days.
Week
of April 20, 2008
Napa
Cabbage
 |
You
are getting ready to prepare a new recipe
and it asks for Napa Cabbage. If you are
not familiar with Napa cabbage, it can also
be named Chinese cabbage or Celery cabbage.
Unlike the regular round head of cabbage
that is the staple in most stores, the napa
cabbage is shaped like a football and looks
a little like leaf lettuce.
It
has a sweeter taste and is much milder than
the standard round cabbage. When you do
find it, you will want to find a head that
has tightly packed leaves that are frim
and not floppy. |
To
store the cabbage once you get home simply wrap
the head in paper towells and place back into
the plastic produce bag and refrigerate. It will
keep for up to one week.
When
you are ready to use remove amount of leaves that
you desire, rinse well under cool water and dry
thoroughly.
You
can use Napa cabbage in pretty much the same way
that you would use standard cabbage.
Week
of April 13, 2008
Light
Endings
After
a delicious meal, you sometimes want to extend
the dinner and savor the meal and your friends
or family. Instead of some cloyingly sweet and
heavy dessert, try something light, icy and fruity.
This
spring time sorbet is sure to please the palate
and round off any meal. You can make this with
fresh peaches or mangoes.
Mango
(or Peach) Lemon Sorbet
Yields: 6 servings
3
cups chopped peeled mangoes or fresh peaches (approximately
2 pounds)
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
In
a food processor or blender, combine mangoes and
water; cover and process until smooth. Add the
sugar and lemon juice; cover and process until
sugar is dissolved, about one minute. Freeze in
an ice cream freezer according to manufacturer's
directions. Transfer to a freezer coner; cover
and freeze for one hour or until firm.
Per
Serving: (1/2 cup) 184 Calories; trace Fat; trace
Saturated Fat; 0 Cholesterol, 2mg Sodium; 48g
Carbohydrate; 2g Fiber; trace Protein.
Week
of April 6, 2008
Keeping
it Simple
Sometimes
simple is better. If you have a really good quality
fruit or vegetable, try to just enhance the natural
flavor instead of masking it. Bring out the most
it has to offer and you will be able to savor
its true natural flavor.
Today,
we will start with room temperature ripe plum
or Roma tomatoes. Wash tomatoes and trim. Cut
tomatoes in half lengthwise and then slice in
1/4 inch slices.
Sprinkle
with a little Kosher salt and lightly dust with
fresh ground black pepper.
Now
we are going to chiffonade some basil. Wash some
fresh basil leaves and pat dry. Remove leaves
from stems; stack on top of each other and roll
up like a cigar. Next slice the basil roll into
little ribbons. Add to tomatoes.
Now
chop a little fresh chives and add to the tomatoes.
Let tomatoes and herbs blend flavors at room temp
for 20 to 30 minutes and enjoy.
