Читать книгу Farm to Table Asian Secrets - Patricia Tanumihardja - Страница 10

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To Market, To Market!

Many people, me Included, shop for Ingredients fully intending to cook them. But life often gets in the way and produce goes bad. Unfortunately, fresh vegetables and herbs don't freeze well, so you have to use them up before they go bad. I got tired of wasting food, so I came up with some strategies for buying and storing produce efficiently.

Planning Your Meals

Make a list of the recipes you want to try. Then pick out recipes that have common ingredients and group them accordingly. Many of the recipes in this cookbook use aromatics like garlic, ginger, onions and shallots. Note them down and you'll be able to prep everything at the same time.

Shopping

Create a shopping list based on your recipes, doubling or tripling ingredients as needed. Before you head out, determine what you have and what you need to buy, and clear out your fridge to make room for perishables.

At the store, pick up nonperishable items before you head to the produce aisle, especially if you're buying fragile produce. Get home as soon as possible and refrigerate your fruits and vegetables. If you'll be running errands between the market and your kitchen, keep a cooler in the car.

Shop farmers' markets early. Just-harvested greens wilt rapidly after a few hours in the sun.


Prepping

Cutting vegetables ahead of time isn't ideal. But if you're a busy working parent, or work late nights, having ready-chapped ingredients in the fridge means you'll be more likely to cook dinner at home than buy takeout. This advance prep also means dinner will be on the table faster. If it suits you, set aside part of your weekend for vegetable prep to save time during the week. Divide cut ingredients up according to each recipe. Then bag, pack, label and refrigerate in glass containers or zip-top bags as you go.

Storing

Leave refrigerated produce unwashed in its original packaging or wrapped loosely in a plastic bag. (Exceptions: place leafy herbs in a glass of water and cover with a plastic bag, and store mushrooms in a brown paper bag).


Farmers' Markets offer a bounty of locally produced fruits and veggies.

If storing fruits and vegetables at room temperature, remove from packaging and leave loose.

Eat Perishable Produce First

Here are some examples:

Eat first: asparagus, corn, green beans, mushrooms

Second: arugula, eggplant, cucumbers, zucchini

Third: bell peppers, cauliflower, leeks, spinach, tomatoes

Last: cabbage, carrots, potatoes, winter squash


My son enjoys helping me in the kitchen with meal prep.

Farm to Table Asian Secrets

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