RECIPE: TEN (YES, 10) THINGS TO DO WITH CELERY ROOT

Courtesy of http://sixburnersue.com

1. Slice celery root into thin matchsticks (or grate it coarsely) and toss it (raw) into a winter salad of endive, sliced pears, toasted walnuts, and blue cheese.

2. Make roasted celery root “chips.” Slice the root in half and then into quarters; then slice each quarter as thinly as possible. (A santoku knife is great for this). Toss the pieces in enough olive oil to coat, sprinkle with salt, spread on a heavy-duty sheet pan; and roast at 350°F until they are mostly a deep golden brown, with some white left. (I think the darker ones are crispier, but too dark and they’ll taste bitter.) Let them cool on the sheet pan to finish crisping up. Sprinkle with more salt and snack on the couch with your favorite DVD.

3.  Since celery root and potatoes are such a great match, use them together in a hearty winter soup. Sauté lots of sliced leeks in butter, add cubed celery root, potatoes, and chicken or vegetable broth, simmer until tender, puree, and enhance with a touch of cream, a little lemon zest, lots of chopped fresh parsley and crispy croutons.

4. Apples and celery root are also happy partners. Use them raw together in a salad, or try roasting them first and adding them to a warm escarole salad with crispy strips of ham and a warm Dijon vinaigrette.

5.  Make a celery root “galette” by lining a tart pan with a couple layers of thinly sliced circles of celery root and gruyere cheese. Bake at 400°F until browned and tender. (Cover for the first half of cooking.) Let cool and slice into wedges.

6. Try a “quick braise” of celery root. Brown diced celery root in a combination of butter and olive oil in a sauté pan, then add just enough liquid (a little broth spiked with apple cider), cover and reduce the liquid to finish cooking the vegetables. Uncover, toss with a little spiced butter, and serve warm.

7. Instead of chips, you can also dice celery root for roasting. Make a quick weeknight side dish of roasted celery root and Yukon Gold potatoes with honey and rosemary. Cut the vegetables into ½-inch dice, toss in olive oil and salt, and roast on a sheet pan at 425°F until browned and tender. Dress lightly with a combination of melted butter, honey, and chopped fresh rosemary.

8. Celery root  is also a good flavor match with seafood.  A bed of celery root puree for a sear-roasted fish filet is delicious. Cut the root (and a few small potatoes) into pieces and simmer them with a few small garlic cloves until tender. Puree the vegetables with a little of the cooking liquid, a bit of cream, and salt and pepper.

9. Instead of a puree, make a celery root “mash” by hand-mashing cooked celery root and potatoes together with butter and milk and a little sautéed garlic. Serve with pot roast.

10. For an elegant holiday side dish—or even a hearty weeknight main dish with a salad—make my recipe for a celery root and potato gratin I use a combination of heavy cream and chicken broth so it is rich but not too heavy; this is a good dish to introduce celery root to folks.

TIPS: Swiss Chard

Raw or cooked, this green can add load of flavor and nutrition to many meals!

Prepare it

The leaves and the stalks should be cooked separately. Wash, then cut off the stalks from the leaves and leave whole or chop, as required. On some older leaves you may need to cut the ribs out of the leaves, too. Store it In a perforated bag in the fridge for up to four days. Use it Use anywhere you would use spinach or other wilting vegetables. Easy recipes to add it to include sautéed dishes, stews, and stir frys. Add to pasta dishes at the last five minutes of cooking or over polenta after sauntering swiss chard with some mushrooms, garlic and olive oil. Swiss Chard with Lemon 1-2 tbsp olive oil Swiss Chard 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped ½ lemon Parmesan to serve

Heat olive oil over medium heat. While oil is heating chop the garlic and then chop the Chard into 2-3 inch pieces.

Add garlic to the skillet and cook until soft (1-3 minutes). Add Chard and 1-2 tablespoons of water. Cook until wilted. Stir in Lemon Juice and season with pepper. Add parmesan to serve.

TIPS: Sage

Preservation:

Note from Megan: I have been using http://www.preservingyourharvest.com for years to save specific food that I can only get rarely.  Here's what they say (in my own words) about preserving sage.

How to air-dry sage:

Poke a few holes in a paper bag.   Place the sage into the bag so the stems are sticking out of the opening.  Close the opening and the stems together with a rubber band and hang stems-side up anywhere in your house.

How to oven-dry sage:

Put oven on lowest temperature.  Place washed and dried sage leaves on a baking sheet and place in oven for 2-4 hours, or until they crumble in your hands.  Store in an airtight container after they are completely cool.

How to freeze sage:

Chop up cleaned and dried leaves as small as you can.  Put 1 teaspoon into each icecube section of your icecube tray.  Top off with a little water and freeze.  Use in sauces or allow to melt and use only the leaves later.

Other tips:  Always use sage cooked, and add to the end of the cooking process. If roasting a chicken, add sage and lemon inside the cavity.  Sautee or steam carrots, then add a little butter and sage and cook until golden.

TIP: Garlic Chives

Basics:

• Cut off the ends and wash well.
• Try to use within a few days.
• Use in place of chives in your favorite recipe.
• Add at the end of cooking or flavor will fade.

TIP: 12 Tips to Cooking Faster

Spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying your summer...

12 Tips to Cooking Faster

1. A Good, Sharp Knife...that you know how to use. Being able to chop up the loads of produce we get each week from the CSA in 10 minutes vs 60 minutes goes a long way towards saving you time in the kitchen. If you know you need to work on your skills, here’s a youtube video to give you a leg up: Here

2. Cut Food Into Smaller Pieces. Use those knife skills you just learned in suggestion number 1 and make sure you cut food small enough. Stir-frying is one of the best quick-cooking techniques because the proteins and vegetables are cut down into small pieces, so remember that the smaller the pieces, the quicker the cooking.

3. Load A Pan With Ingredients From The Pantry Or Fridge. This tip comes from watching television cooking competitions like Iron Chef or Top Chef. Contestants grab big, shallow pans, run to the pantry or refrigerator, and load up with as much as they can at one time so they're not constantly going back and forth. While a home kitchen is not a big TV kitchen studio, you can definitely make this concept work for you. Take a rimmed baking sheet or big bowl to the refrigerator and load it up so you only make one trip. You'll also know if you're missing or don't have enough of an ingredient right off the bat instead of halfway through cooking.

4. Get The Water Boiling Immediately. Get that pot of water for boiling or steaming onto the stove ASAP so you can prep while it's heating up. Heck, don't even take your coat off or open the mail before getting that pot going. Don't forget to put a lid on it; lids are your friends! Water will boil faster and covered food cooks faster, too. If you have an electric kettle, those can also be handy for getting water heated up fast.

5. Set Up Appliances And Heat The Oven. There's a reason why oven recipes always start with having you heat the oven! Get the oven on before you even pull food out or use your oven's delay start setting so it's already turned on when you walk in the kitchen. Using convection to heat the oven will also speed things up, and you can always switch it back to regular bake once it's heated. Also pull out any cookware or appliances you'll need so you're not scrambling in the middle of the recipe. You can also throw ingredients right into, say, the stand mixer or food processor as you measure and prep if it's already out. 6. Take One Minute To Mentally Walk Through What You're Cooking. Before you start cooking, taking just one minute to think through what you're about to do makes all the difference in the world. If you're making multiple dishes, you can pick out what takes the longest to cook and the exact order to prep and cook things, seeing where there are opportunities to prep things while something else is cooking. It's a lot more efficient to have a mental game plan so you don't hit any bumps, like forgetting to get water boiling. 7. Pan Cooked Pasta. Why have a huge stew pot full of a billion gallons of water that takes ten years to boil and the pasta still sticks out the top of when you could just use a pan wide enough to fit the length of the noodles? 8. Microwave Prep Veggies. This is actually from America's Test Kitchen on the episode about making homefries. After dicing potatoes, popping them in the microwave for about 3 minutes before finishing them by browning them in a frying pan (with onions and peppers) not only speeds up the process but results in less dried out homefries. They are perfectly fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside. You can do the same with squash, pumpkin, and carrots too! 9. Use A Garbage Bowl. If your trash can or compost bin isn't located directly next to your prep area, try using a garbage bowl instead. A garbage bowl is a large bowl or container that you put right on your prep area to toss unwanted things into as you prep. This means you don't have to make multiple trips to the trash can or compost bin, and it also minimizes the chance of food scraps ending up on the kitchen floor since you're not walking around constantly. 10. Grate Your Butter So You Don't Have To Wait For It To Soften. Baking recipes often call for softened butter, but sometimes you don't have the time to wait for it to come to room temperature. A quick trick is to grate cold or preferably frozen butter on a box grater into nice flaky shreds; grated butter will soften in the same amount of time it takes to heat the oven! 11. Figure Out Your Prepping Order And Multitask. Well-written recipes list ingredients in the order they're used and are usually a great guide for the order your should prep things. While those just learning to cook should prep everything beforehand so they can fully focus on cooking, more experienced cooks can multitask. For example, onions take time to caramelize or brown, so chop your onions and get those cooking first before you measure and chop the other ingredients.

12. Clean Your Produce Efficiently. Trim your produce first if you can, like taking tops off root vegetables or cutting up the lettuce, then wash it after. This means there's less to wash, and you can then wash what you need in one go. Combining things in a colander for rinsing can also reduce water usage.

TIP: Quick Tips for Freezing Fruits and Vegetables

Throwing out too much produce? Freeze it for later!

Quick Tips for Freezing Fruits and Vegetables

• Freeze fruits and veggies when they’re at their peak of freshness.
• Blanch vegetables first, then submerge in ice water. Dry thoroughly.
• Freeze fruits and vegetables quickly.
• Store in heavy-weight, air-tight containers or freezer bags. Be sure to date the packages.
• Fill containers to the top and remove as much air as possible from freezer bags.
• Vegetables that hold up well to cooking (corn, peas) generally freeze well, too.
• For better texture, try eating previously frozen fruit before it’s completely thawed.
• Fruits and veggies freeze best at 0-degrees F or colder.
• Store frozen fruits for about a year; vegetables, about 18 months. (Storing longer is fine, but the quality may decline.)
  
  Want to know more, go here!

TIP: The 6 Biggest Salad Mistakes—and How to Avoid Them

Salads are supposed to be light, bright, and full of life—but too often, they hit the table flat, limp, and soggy, with all the good stuff sunk at the bottom of the bowl. There are a number of reasons this happens, and now that spring is upon us, we want our readers to enjoy the crunchiest, most satisfying salads ever. So we asked assistant food editor Claire Saffitz and test kitchen contributor Alfia Muzio to identify the most common mistakes people make when tossing up a salad. (And, honestly, this writer learned a thing or two about salad-making.) Here's their awesome advice, below:

1. Go with What You Know

There's a whole world of greens outside of arugula, mesclun, kale, and romaine. Browse your farmers' market or grocery aisle to find seasonal leafy greens for your salad base, like mâche, dandelion greens, microgreens, baby kale, chicory, and escarole. You'll be amazed how much flavor and texture they'll add. And, dear God, please stay away from iceberg (unless you're making a wedge).

2. Just Wash n' Toss

A soggy salad is a sad sight—so dry those greens! We're big proponents of the salad spinner—one of the few single-purpose kitchen items that are absolutely worth it—but if you don't have one, try this trick: Line a plastic shopping bag with paper towels, throw in your greens, and knot the bag. Then take the bag by the handle and give it a couple good, hard spins in the air. Your greens should come out (mostly) dry. You may proceed.

3. All Greens Need Is Dressing

Nope! Once they're in the bowl, you need to give your greens some undergarments before they get dressed. After you've dried them, season your naked greens with salt and pepper. (This is, incidentally, Bobby Flay's approach, too.) Think of it as another opportunity for flavor—then you won't have to over-season your dressing to compensate. Speaking of seasoning your dressing: Mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil alone do not a dressing make. Like every layer of your salad, it's important to season your dressing to taste.

4. Any Dressing Will Work

There's a lot to consider when it comes to dressing your greens. First, and most important, you need to ask yourself: Did I match my greens to my dressing? Delicate arugula won't hold up to bold, creamy Caesar dressing. Kale overpowers a light balsamic vinaigrette. Like wines, match the bold with the bold, and the light with the light. Second, try to strike the perfect balance of dressing and salad. Overdressing your salad makes it a soggy mess, while underdressing will leave something to be desired. Add dressing little by little—tasting as you go—to make sure you get the perfect amount.

5. Where Are Those Salad Tongs?

The best tool you can use for mixing salad is: Your hands. Bear with us, here: A salad should be light and airy—even if it's made with hearty greens and a creamy dressing—and handled with a gentle touch. Using your hands to toss allows air to get into your mix and incorporates your ingredients in a more distributed way. Here's our preferred way: Drizzle your dressing along the walls of your bowl, then lightly toss your greens until the dressing is evenly distributed. No bruised or crushed leaves here!

6. Toss It All Together!

Sometimes, it's best to leave some ingredients out until the last minute. We like adding in some of the heavy ingredients for the toss—like nuts, seeds, tomatoes, peas, and other bulky add-ins that sink to the bottom—then topping the salad with the rest post-toss. Your guests will get to see everything that's in the salad, and it's easier to get a little bit of everything when there's stuff on top. Also, toss your greens in dressing before adding herbs: their delicate flavor will shine through much more when they're the outermost layer.

TIP: How to Dress Any Salad Green

Anyone can make a decent salad, but it takes some skill and know-how to create a masterpiece in green. It's important, first, to brush up on the basics: Are you sufficiently drying your greens? Are your toppers crushing the delicate leaves? Once you've finished your refresher course, though, there's one big, often-overlooked piece of advice you've got to remember: You've got to pair the right dressing with the right greens.

Think this isn't a big deal? Think again. Just imagine tender spring mix leaves doused with creamy-crumbly blue cheese. They'd be smothered beyond recognition! And what about arugula with a peppercorn-heavy vinaigrette? Your salad would be tragically spicy. This is important stuff, so we called in the pros: Senior food editor Dawn Perry and assistant food editor Claire Saffitz in the Bon Appétit test kitchen gave us the rundown on what dressing is a perfect match for just about every salad your heart could desire.

Arugula

Peppery arugula leaves are best when tempered with a little sweetness—try adding honey or maple to your vinaigrette. And keep in mind that arugula wilts quickly and aggressively, so avoid heavy dressings (skip the cream and Dijon mustard), and use a light hand when tossing everything together. Your best bet for a dressing? Simple salt, pepper, vinegar or lemon juice, and olive oil with just a touch of honey.

Tender Head Lettuce (bibb, red leaf, green leaf, little gem, etc.)

Similar to arugula in texture and tenderness, tender head lettuces also requires a featherlight touch. Unlike arugula, though, the leaves aren't bitter, and don't need any additional sweetness. Just salt, pepper, vinegar/lemon, and olive oil are sufficient.

Endive

Endive's intensely bitter, and it's also hefty, with thick leaves. If there was ever an opportunity to embrace sweetness and fat in a dressing, this is it: Endive can seriously hold its own against a creamy blue cheese dressing.

Frisée

Also bitter, but much rougher and frillier than endive, this chicory is screaming for both fat and salt. A warm bacon vinaigrette is the classic choice—and one we particularly like. Emulsifying your dressing with an egg yolk (or just breaking a poached egg on top of the greens) wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, either.

Grains (farro, wheat berries, barley, etc.)

Grain salads need a good dressing just as much as your favorite garden salad. These chewy, filling dishes can stand up to creamier dressings that make good use of buttermilk, tahini, or mild, soft cheese. "Basically, anything goes here except ranch," says Perry. The aggressive, peppery flavor of ranch will mask the unique flavor of the grains. Be liberal with your use of herbs, and dress the grains just after cooking, while they're still warm—the dressing will be absorbed and incorporated better.

Iceberg

Iceberg has great crunch but not a ton of flavor, so it's up to your dressing to make things sing. We say yes to the classic blue cheese-and-bacon wedge salad, but would definitely not be mad if you whip up an ugly-but-crazy-tasty caramelized-onion dressing. To make a caramelized-onion dressing, think dip (sour cream, a little mayonnaise, some lemon for acidity, caramelized onions with fresh scallion or chive), and thin it with water until it's pourable. Ranch is A-OK, too, and in fact, the only time we advocate not using a creamy dressing with iceberg is when it's chopped up finely and dressed Italian pizza joint-style, with plenty of oregano and peperoncini.

Kale

Kale's hefty. It's important to slice it thinly so you don't suffer from jaw fatigue before the salad's half-eaten. Incorporating a good amount of acid to your dressing—think plenty of lemon juice—will further break down the cellular structure of the leaves, making them easier to eat and digest. Don't drown the greens, though; nobody likes a soggy salad. Here's more on how to make the perfect kale salad.

Radicchio

This chicory is bitter, like endive, but a little more tender. It can handle a dressing with Dijon or an egg yolk, but fares best without a heavy dumping of cream or mayonnaise. Don't forget the sweetener.

Romaine

"The world is your oyster with Romaine," says Perry. It's crunchy like iceberg, so creamy dressings are a go, but it also fares nicely with a simple vinaigrette. Feel free to experiment.

Spinach

Be wary of the wilt with spinach salads—these leaves succumb to very acidic and creamy dressings quickly. Sturdy, mature leaves can handle a little creaminess or heat (again, we're fans of that warm bacon dressing), but baby spinach needs no more than olive oil, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.

Spring/Summer Mix

These tender leaves are pillow-soft. Keep things simple with the most basic vinaigrette possible, letting the sweetness of the lettuce shine through.

Swiss Chard

Chard is thin but tough. To help tenderize the leaves, tear them into bite-size pieces and dress them with something sweet and acidic, like this tomato vinaigrette. Its flavor runs toward earthy (especially the stems), so think light and bright when dressing.

Watercress

Watercress looks delicate but its flavor is bossy—peppery and fresh, with some bite. Embrace fat, sweetness, and a medium-level creaminess (hello, buttermilk).

TIP: Parsley - it's not just a garnish!

If you’ve ever bought a bunch of parsley, torn off a few sprigs “to add some color,” and let the rest rot in the refrigerator—and who hasn’t?—it’s time to rethink this green. Parsley is generally available and affordable year-round. (Take that, basil.) And it can be a main ingredient in everything from salads to smoothies. Buy the flat-leaf variety, not the curly kind—it’s more versatile. Use it whole, or put it through the wringer; parsley keeps its bright color and flavor even when pureed. Most herbs, like thyme and rosemary, can quickly overpower a dish, demanding restraint. Not parsley. Its clean flavor shines with liberal use. And like most greens, it’s high in vitamins A, C, and K and folate. Make it the base of your next pesto, or shower it over meats and seafood, where it brightens up a dish like a squeeze of lemon. Just don’t let it go to waste.

TIP: Flowering Hon Tsai Tai

Every so often we get a veggie that confuses us all. Last week it was Flowering Hon Tsai Tai.

From google searching, members attempted to prepare this uncommon green but still had some issues.  I decided to reach out to our farmer as I thought perhaps it was meant to be placed in a pretty vase and admired from afar! :) 

Not so. Here is how Gerry, from Hepworth Farms, prepares it:

Cut up, flowers and all, into small pieces but do not include the hard stems at the bottom. Saute' in olive oil with tamarind sauce. Be sure to cook it enough until you can easily poke a fork in to. The flowers are a sweet addition to the dish. 

TIP: Cilantro

Cilantro. Some people love it.... and some people don't. Either way you are bound to see it several times this season so let's see if I can convert any naysayers with a few recipes and tips! Cilantro like other fresh herbs won't last too long in the refrigerator so I'll try to plan on making a simple guacamole and add some to my salads for a little kick.

I also love making pesto with cilantro, or in combination with spinach, parsley and/or arugula. If you haven't tried making pesto without cheese, you would be surprised how much you won't miss it.....and the extra calories. I also try and change it up by using walnuts every now and again instead of the typical pine nuts. and change it up by using walnuts every now and again instead of the typical pine nuts. I'll put the finished pesto in ice cube trays and after they have "frozen" I'll pop out and keep in zip lock bags until future use in pasta (obviously) eggs, steamed veggies or as a pizza topping!

Do you have any great cilantro uses? If so please forward to recipes@creamofthecropcsa.org!

How to Store Fresh Herbs

There are two popular methods to store fresh herbs: the paper towel method and the mason jar/plastic bag method. Both work, but you have to know which herbs work best for which method. Fresh herbs can last up to two weeks depending on the variety and method! See what works in your home environment, as well. If your home is too warm, perhaps don’t leave the herbs out on the counter or a windowsill and use the refrigerator method.

PUT SOFT HERBS IN A JAR!
Soft herbs include parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, tarragon, and mint. Basil and/or mint can be left out at room temperature (I’ve put mint in the fridge and it survived just fine). All other herbs should be refrigerated. This method helps the herbs retain moisture and keeps oxygen from browning the leaves.

Directions for soft herbs:
1. Cut bottom of the stems
2. Make sure your herbs are completely dry. Avoid rinsing until you are about to use them, to avoid mold or wilting.
3. Fill a jar or glass with about one inch of water, or enough to submerge the base of stems. “Plant” stem ends into water in jar.
4. Cover loosely with with plastic or ziplock bag, bound at the base with a rubber band.
5. Place in fridge. Change water every few days if water becomes discolored.

HARD HERBS IN A DAMP PAPTER TOWEL! 
Hard herbs include rosemary, thyme, chives, oregano, and sage. The paper towel method keeps the herbs moist to avoid drying out and again keeps oxygen from getting in.

Directions for hard herbs:
1. Wrap herbs loosely in a damp paper towel
2. Store in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag in your crisper.

TIPS: Fennel

• Fennel is a bulbous vegetable with a tall, wispy, fronded top that looks rather like dill. The fronds can be used in salads, but the main attraction of fennel is the bulb itself. It's very firm and crunchy, and it tastes a bit like licorice and anise. It has a fresh, bright taste and it's one of our favorite vegetables for salads and slaws. It can also be grilled or braised until tender.
  
• The bulb is made of overlapping layers of vegetable, almost like a cabbage — but very firm and hard. To be used in salads, fennel should be sliced very thin, and it's easiest to do this with a mandoline.
  
• The stalks resemble celery stalks in texture and crunch, so you can add them raw to green salads or cook them down as you would an onion into quick stir-fries, pastas, or braises. Toss them into the roasting pan when you're roasting the fennel bulbs.
  
• As for those fronds? They have a mild anise flavor, but because they're so delicate and beautiful they're most often used for garnish. As long as you chop them away from the stalks and keep them in an airtight container, they should last about one week in the refrigerator, so you can continue sprinkling them on salads, finished vegetable dishes, or just about anywhere you find could use some color and bright flavor. 

TIPS: Leeks

Leeks, like garlic and onions, belong to a vegetable family called the Allium vegetables. Since leeks are related to garlic and onions, they contain many of the same beneficial compounds found in these well-researched, health-promoting vegetables.

Tips for Preparing and Cleaning Leeks:

Leeks can be quite sandy, so careful washing is important. Here’s how to properly clean a whole leek.

• Start by removing the outer layer of white (unless it is very fresh or from your own garden).
• Trim the base with a sharp paring knife to remove all the roots.
• Make an incision in the middle of the white stalk and cut toward the green tips, severing the leek in two, but with the bottom still intact.
• Wash well under cold running water, pulling the leaves apart to rinse well between them.
• Drain, green tips down, in a colander for a few minutes.

If the recipe calls for chopped leeks, it is best to chop them and then wash under cold running water. Allow to drain well before using.

Storage:

Store leeks in a plastic bag or crisper drawer in fridge; do not wash until you are ready to use them. Or chop to desired cooking size and freeze.  Being a cold weather vegetable, leeks prefer the coldest part of the refrigerator, which is usually the bottom crisper drawer.  Properly stored, leeks can last about a month!

 A Few Quick Serving Ideas: 

• Healthy sauté leeks and fennel. Garnish with fresh lemon juice and thyme.
• Add finely chopped leeks to salads.
• Make vichyssoise, a cold soup made from puréed cooked leeks and potatoes.
• Add leeks to broth and stews for extra flavoring.
• Braised leeks sprinkled with fennel or mustard seeds make a wonderful side dish for fish, poultry or steak.
• Add sliced leeks to your favorite omelet or frittata recipe.

TIPS: Pears

What you may not know about pears...

A little known fact about the pear is that it is one of the few fruits that does not ripen on the tree.  The pear is harvested when it is mature, but not yet ripe, and, if left at room temperature, it slowly reaches a sweet and succulent maturity as it ripens from the inside out.  Therefore, a little bit of patience and know-how will ensure the pear reaches its peak flavor.

Here’s what you need to do to ripen your pears:

• Leave firm, unripe pears at room temperature so that they can ripen.

• Check the neck for ripeness daily, by applying gentle pressure to the neck, or stem end, of the pear with your thumb. If it yields to pressure, then it’s ripe and ready to eat!
• Once the pear is ripe, it can be refrigerated to slow the ripening process and saved for use up to five days later.  But remember: don't refrigerate an unripe pear!

To Prevent Browning:

Like many fruits, the flesh of cut or peeled pears will eventually brown. This natural oxidation process won’t affect the taste or quality. However, to keep your pears looking appetizing and to prevent browning, dip them in a mild solution of 50% water and 50% lemon juice.

How To Freeze Pears:

Freezing helps you enjoy your favorite pear varieties all year long. Here are two ways to freeze pears:

• First, wash, peel, and core each pear. Make sure the pears you use are ripe, but not overripe.
• Next, cut the pear into even, thin slices. The number of slices will vary depending on the size of the fruit.
• Brush the slices with a lemon juice and water mixture. This prevents the fruit from browning.
• Then, choose your freezing method: syrup pack, dry pack, or your own method.
• Syrup Pack: Mix 2 cups of sugar in 3 cups of cold water in pot and bring to a boil. Once the sugar dissolves, place pear slices in the boiling syrup for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and cool. Pack the pears into freezer safe bags. Remove excess air. Freeze. These slices will remain good for 6 or more months.
• Dry Pack: Place the pear slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Freeze until solid. Remove and pack into freezer safe bags. 

TIPS: Beets

Beet Storage:

To store beets, trim the leaves 2 inches from the root as soon as you get them home. The leaves will sap the moisture from the beet root. Do not trim the tail. Store the leaves in a separate plastic or paper bag and use within 2-3 days. The beets themselves should also be bagged and can be stored in the refrigerator crisper drawer 7 - 10 days.

Cooked or canned beets may be refrigerated up to one week.

Fresh cooked beets may also be frozen up to 10 months. Be sure to peel before freezing in airtight containers or baggies, leaving no air in the container. They may be frozen whole or in cut pieces.

Beet Tips:

Although beets can be eaten raw, they are generally boiled, baked, steamed, fried, grilled or otherwise cooked before eating. To retain nutrients and color, boil, bake or steam without peeling first. The skin will easily rub off under cold running water after they are cooked. To remove beet juice from fingers, rub with wet salt and lemon juice and then wash with soap and water. For cutting boards and plastic containers, use a bleach solution

Small, young beets are particularly tasty grated raw in salads. All types are delicious steamed or boiled. You can roast them at 400º F for 45 minutes; slice and top with goat cheese, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar for a quick and delicious side dish.

Or, you can toss grated beets with grated carrots, apples, oil and vinegar dressing.  A touch of plain yogurt makes for a wonderful color transformation.

The greens can be steamed, sautéd, and mixed with pasta with cheese.

 

 

TIPS: Escarole

Escarole is a variety of endive whose leaves are broader, paler and less bitter than other members of the endive family. Like radicchio, kale and chard, escarole is a hearty green that thrives late into the growing season. The heart of an escarole head is less bitter because the leaves haven't gotten as much sunlight. High in folic acid, fiber, and vitamins A and K, escarole can be eaten raw or gently cooked.

Storage:

Wrap unwashed escarole in paper towels and store in an unsealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for 4-7 days.

Washing:

Fill a large bowl or dishpan with cold water.  Add greens and swirl around vigorously. All the dirt and sand will sink to the bottom.  Lift greens out of basin and into a salad spinner or colander.  Spin greens to dry or drain as best you can and dry on towels.

General Cooking Tips:

Escarole is most often used in soups and salads.  Escarole has crisp leaves with a rather sharp, bitter taste, and should be mixed with other greens when used in salads. The inner leaves are more tender and less bitter. Escarole also pairs well in salads with fruit (pears, apples, figs, etc), and strong flavored cheeses.  You can also saute escarole and combine it with pasta and roasted vegetables.

 

 

TIPS: Cucumbers

Cucumbers belong to the same plant family as squash, pumpkin, and watermelon (the Cucurbitaceae family). Like watermelon, cucumbers are made up of mostly (95 percent) water, which means eating them on a hot summer day can help you stay hydrated.

However, there's reason to eat cucumbers all year long. With vitamin K, B vitamins, copper, potassium, vitamin C, and manganese, cucumbers can help you to avoid nutrient deficiencies that are widespread among those eating a typical American diet.  Plus, cucumbers contain unique polyphenols and other compounds that may help reduce your risk of chronic diseases and much, much more.

Cucumbers should be stored in the refrigerator - this will extend their life by a few days as opposed to storing them on the counter.  However, they typically won’t stay fresh for more than 5 days.  One recommended method for storage is to wrap each cucumber individually in a paper towel, then put all cucumbers wrapped in paper towels inside the plastic bag.  Put the plastic bag with the cucumbers in a refrigerator and keep the bag on a  shelf toward the front of the refrigerator, which tends to be warmer.

Best uses: Peel waxed cucumbers; unwaxed ones need only a light scrubbing. Cucumbers are tastiest served raw, as in a side salad.

TIPS: Poblano Peppers

1)  Short Term Poblano Pepper Storage:

Place the fresh peppers into a brown paper bag and store in the crisper section of the refrigerator. Poblano peppers will hold their flavor and quality for 1 week.

2)  Long Term Poblano Pepper Storage 

Poblano peppers freeze quite well. Poblano peppers will keep their best quality for 6 to 8 months if stored in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag and frozen at 0 degrees F.  There are various ways to do this:

 

- Spread out the individual raw peppers on a baking sheet, freeze them solid, then transfer the individually frozen peppers to a freezer container, OR

- Slice or chop the raw peppers; blanch, cut in half, de-seed, then freeze, OR

 

- Roast the Poblano peppers, leaving the skin on, then freeze, OR

-  Peel the Poblano peppers to improve the texture by removing the waxy skin, then roast, then freeze.

KALE TIPS

Kale is included again and again on lists of super foods, and for good reason: It's a nutritional powerhouse, packed with vitamin C, vitamin E (an antioxidant), calcium, and even a few cancer-fighting compounds.

To store, keep kale refrigerated in an airtight bag. It can typically be stored for up to 5 days, but you may notice the flavor increase in bitterness with longer storage. Only wash the kale when you are ready to use it as washing before storage will promote spoilage.

How to Fit Kale Into Your Diet:

-Steam kale with your favorite vegetables

-Prepare a raw kale salad
-Blend kale and add to your favorite green smoothies
-Bake kale for a healthy snack

Other cooking tips with kale:

-Be sure to wash leaves well as soil sticks in the nooks  & crannies on the leaves            

-Cut out the tough mid-rib
-Chopped kale leaves take about 7-10 min to steam & slightly longer to sauté                  
-Toss steamed kale with sautéed garlic & tamari.
-Add sautéed kale to mashed potatoes, omelets, quiches, & casseroles.