In kitchens across America, cooks are preparing lighter meals and are looking for ways to serve more vegetables as part of a well-balanced, healthful diet. Vegetables that were once considered exotic are now everyday fare. What was old is new again, as farmers’ markets offer intriguing and delicious heirloom varieties. And all sorts of vegetables are being tossed onto the grill (see Guide to Grilled Vegetables).
Vegetables are often grouped according to their family: onions, leafy greens, cruciferous (cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower), fruits that aren’t sweet and are therefore treated like vegetables (eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes), roots (carrots, turnips, and the like), stalks (asparagus and celery), tubers (starchy potatoes and sweet potatoes), and mushrooms. For easy reference, we present our recipes alphabetically by vegetable name.
BUYING AND STORING VEGETABLES
When buying vegetables, appearance is usually the best indication of freshness. Avoid bruised vegetables or those with soft spots. Leafy tops should be crisp and fresh looking. Prepackaged vegetables in bags aren’t always a good choice because you can’t inspect them thoroughly. Some vegetables are covered with a thin edible wax coating that seals in their moisture and gives them a fake sheen.
If you prefer to buy organic produce, it is available at natural-food stores and at most supermarkets. These vegetables and fruits have been grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
Refrigeration is the key to keeping most vegetables in prime condition. Store them in the coolest part of the refrigerator or in the crisper drawer. Don’t store vegetables in zip-tight plastic bags, as the condensation that forms encourages rapid decay. The exception is leafy greens. Store them, loosely wrapped in paper towels, in a plastic bag, pressing out all the air. Mushrooms should be kept in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator, but store potatoes, onions, garlic, and winter squash in a dark, well-ventilated place at cool room temperature.
PREPARING VEGETABLES
Wash vegetables briefly under cold running water just before using. If necessary, a gentle scrub with a soft vegetable brush will remove any surface dirt. When washing leafy greens, swish them around in a large bowl of cool water, changing the water several times. Cut or peel vegetables as close to serving time as possible. Once the skin on vegetables is broken, they begin to lose valuable nutrients. Some vegetables, such as artichokes, discolor when their cut surfaces are exposed to air. To prevent this, rub the cut surfaces with the cut side of a lemon half.
Not all vegetables require peeling, but you may want to peel certain types if their peel is tough or unpleasant tasting. It is important to remove as thin a layer of peel as possible; a vegetable peeler is the best choice. Vegetables should be cut into uniform pieces to ensure even cooking. If you are making soup or preparing a recipe for which evenly cut pieces aren’t important, use a food processor to save time.
ARTICHOKES
Availability
Year-round
Peak Season
March, April, and May
Buying Tips
Buy compact, plump artichokes that are heavy for their size. The leaves should be thick, tightly closed, and evenly colored. Don’t worry about brown spots or streaks; they are usually caused by frost. Avoid artichokes with dry, spreading, or hard-tipped leaves. An artichoke’s size depends on where it grows on the plant. Baby artichokes, which are entirely edible, grow near the base between the leaves and the stalk, while larger ones grow higher up on the stalk.
To Store
Refrigerate in the crisper drawer up to three days.
To Prepare
Rinse the artichokes. Bend back the outer green leaves from around the base of an artichoke and snap them off. With kitchen shears, trim the thorny tops from the remaining outer leaves, rubbing all the cut surfaces with a lemon half to prevent browning. Lay the artichoke on its side and cut off the stem level with the bottom of the artichoke. Cut 1 inch off the top of the artichoke, then place in a bowl containing cold water and the juice of the remaining lemon half. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.
To Cook
Artichokes are often steamed or boiled, then served with a dip such as lemon butter. To steam artichokes, in a nonreactive 5-quart saucepot, heat 1 inch of water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to boiling over high heat. Stand the artichokes in the boiling water. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until a knife inserted in bottom of an artichoke goes in easily, 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and cool. Cooked artichokes can also be stuffed and baked (remove the center leaves and choke).
To Eat
With your fingers, starting at the bottom, pluck off the leaves one by one until you reach leaves that are too thin to eat. Dip the base of each leaf in a dip or sauce, if using, then pull the leaf through your teeth, scraping off the pulp. Place the discarded leaves in a pile on your plate. Pull out all the remaining thin leaves from the artichoke to reveal the fuzzy choke. With the tip of a teaspoon, scrape out the choke and discard. Cut the solid heart into chunks and enjoy.