INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

"Now You're Cookin' " is a new monthly cooking column by Virginia
Willis, food stylist for "The Main Ingredient." Virginia has joined
the Lifetime team to help us cook a little smarter, a little faster
and a little richer! This month, Virginia shows you how to produce  the
best produce for your shopping cart! Have you ever picked up a
cantaloupe at the market and taken it home, only to find it hard,
green and tasteless inside? Of course you have! Picking good produce
seems to be one of the "unsolved mysteries of the world." But it
doesn't have to be! In general, when choosing produce, whether it be  a
perfect peach, a tasty tomato, or a crisp and refreshing cucumber,
there are a few things to look for that should help you in your
search. Use the following guidelines and become a renowned produce
picker!  Fruits and vegetables should be firm and fresh, not limp and
flabby.  There is a difference between soft and ripe, and "on the way
out"!  The skin should be unblemished, without indentations or sunken
or soft  spots that indicate bruising. Eggplants should be firm and
shiny,  with no dark patches.  Use your nose! A ripe tomato smells like
a ripe tomato! When a fruit  or vegetable is ripe, its color is rich
and plentiful.  In general, the stem end of the produce should be
slightly soft, not  hard and stiff. A ripened fruit or vegetable
doesn't have to be  forced from the vine or stem.  A watermelon should
have a soft stem end, and the fruit should feel  heavy. Look for a
watermelon with a yellow or yellowish bottom,  indicating that the
fruit was able to mature on the vine, not picked  green and sent to the
market for sale.  Use your sense of touch when shopping for produce.
Don't just pick an  item and hope for the best. Make a fist with your
thumb aligned to  your pointer finger. Do you feel the slight softness
between your  finger and thumb? That's just the amount of softness
you'll want in  many fruits and vegetables.  These beta carotene-rich
veggies have a shelf life. Don't purchase  carrots that are too hard.
Also, note that carrots with the stem  still attached were just picked
and should be eaten within a couple  of days.  Nice, juicy apples
should be rich in color. Don't pick the bruised  ones.  A ripe
nectarine is oh, so sweet. Be sure the fruit doesn't feel too  soft
when you squeeze it.  Zucchinis and squash should have a shiny coat.
The tougher the  veggie, the less flavorful it becomes. However, if
you're looking to  brew a stew, the hard ones can come in handy!  A
sugar baby watermelon should also feel firm and have a yellowish
bottom.  We all know Mr. Potato: He's fast, inexpensive and filling. Be
sure  to pick ones that have a nice, smooth skin. Bruised and abused
potatoes not only don't look good, but could turn out to be a bit
aged.  Ah, garlic! The spice that adds flair to food! Squeeze the head
in  your hand and make sure that it is full and firm.  If you've been
staring at these tropical treats and wondering how to  pick the
freshest one, here's a great tip. Pull a leaf from the  center and if
it releases easily, the fruit is ripe and ready!  © 1997 Lifetime
Entertainment Services. All rights reserved.  MC formatted using MC
Buster by Barb at PK  Recipe by: Virginia Willis  Converted by
MM_Buster v2.0l.

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