From the humblest pea to the immensest squash.
13
votes
3answers
2k views
Ham and Pea Soup with whole dried peas instead of split peas?
I am making Ham and Split Pea Soup, however I only have whole dried peas. Will the shell on the whole pea make the soup more difficult to digest? Will the shell spoil the flavor? Or is it just adding ...
2
votes
7answers
178 views
What kind of onions for dal?
I'm making dal for the first time and have all of the ingredients below, but I can't decide whether to use white, yellow (vidalia), or red onions. I have all three in stock.
Here are the other ...
0
votes
2answers
89 views
Vegetable tacos [closed]
I would like an entree that is like beef tacos but has vegetables instead. I'm not talking about a vegetarian beef substitute, but actual vegetables or mushrooms.
I thought about using grains and ...
16
votes
8answers
1k views
What to do with broccoli stalk?
It is kind of annoying to buy broccoli and pay per weight when there's this huge and heavy stem, so I was wondering what I could do with it?
I know that it can be cut and steamed/cooked like the rest ...
3
votes
4answers
348 views
Is corn a fruit, vegetable, or a nut?
I've been debating with my friends whether or not corn kernels are considered to be fruits or vegetables or nuts. To my knowledge, a fruit is a sweet "bubble" (in that it's a membrane with a fleshy ...
5
votes
3answers
885 views
Are there alternatives to okra as a thickening agent?
I had a go at making a gumbo last week, and it went really well. The only problem was that the okra proved to be fairly difficult to source (after several supermarkets and groceries, we managed to ...
3
votes
1answer
148 views
How to turn froth into juice?
When I make juice from vegetables and leafy greens about 1/4 of what comes out of the juicer is froth.
Is it possible to mix this froth back into the juice rather than throwing it away? That would ...
3
votes
6answers
6k views
Cooking “purple sweet potatoes” or “purple yams”
I recently bought something that was labelled at the grocery store as a "purple sweet potato". They were larger than what I am used to for sweet potatoes, but looked similar, although they had a ...
4
votes
6answers
6k views
Are frozen onions any good? (And general advice with frozen veg)
Whilst I am not that good, I love to cook and I absolutely love onions!
When I cook, the longest part always seems to be peeling and cutting onions.. and hate the crying! (mainly because I buy the ...
6
votes
2answers
349 views
How to add flavouring ingredients to steamed or boiled veggies?
I'm a newbie cook from to prepare the nightly dinner for my wife and I. I usually have a meat and stream or boil sweet potato, corn, Brussels sprouts, asparagus or broccolini.
It occurred to me that ...
13
votes
1answer
404 views
How do I duplicate these chips?
Fell in love with some green bean chips I found at the local health food store. It doesn't have any info on the packaging about how they're made, but they're just green beans that look full (not ...
2
votes
1answer
164 views
Does the vegetable crisper make a difference? [duplicate]
My wife is always yelling at me for not putting the vegetables back into the crisper in the fridge. Does the crisper make a big difference vs. just putting vegetables in another part of the fridge? Or ...
2
votes
2answers
176 views
After you bake eggplant, is it fine to not drain the water?
An eggplant can be baked or grilled; then you peel it. I read that you have to drain it then (e.g. in a colander), even overnight. What if you don't drain the water-does the taste change considerably? ...
11
votes
3answers
368 views
Do vegetables ripen like fruit?
This may be a silly question, but I've never seen an unripe vegetable. Is the growing of a vegetable different from a fruit's? I could pick a carrot up from the dirt whenever, and eat it, but I would ...
6
votes
2answers
312 views
How can I create this coconut milk, fruit, and veggie snack at home?
My baby and I both enjoy Happy Creamies. I don't enjoy the price, however, and I do enjoy making food for my family. I'm trying to figure out what the basics of a similar homemade item would be.
...
0
votes
1answer
140 views
Keep “soup greens” once done cooking?
I have a Polish cookbook (translated to English) from the 1950's and most of their soup recipes contain a bunch of greens/veggies but it's not always clear if they are just to be used as flavor or as ...
4
votes
4answers
189 views
What helps against astringent mouthfeel from spinach or chard?
Spinach and chard dishes, if prepared from fresh veggies, have a somehow astringent mouthfeel, that can be unpleasant. Does anybody know what exactly causes this mouthfeel chemically and/or knows a ...
10
votes
4answers
7k views
How does boiling remove vitamin C from food?
It's generally known that boiling vegetables removes a large fraction of vitamin C, but in what way?
Does the high temperature destroy it?
Is it merely absorbed by the boiling water?
6
votes
4answers
939 views
Why does my chard taste bitter when I cook it?
I've tried cooking it in various ways, but it always ends up tasting bitter. What am I doing wrong? I'm using fairly young chard (homegrown), using the whole leaves.
1
vote
4answers
495 views
What vegetables should I add to a japanese curry?
I am preparing my first Japenese Curry (cheating incredibly by using the S&B Golden Curry Medium Hot box) and it suggests adding "vegetables" without actually indicating what veggies to add other ...
3
votes
7answers
8k views
How to prevent cucumbers from tasting bitter?
I am a cooking dummy and I hate bitter cucumbers. :) Help!
4
votes
3answers
189 views
Is it possible to fry vegetables in cream?
Cream A: The fat that gathers on the top of boiled milk.
Cream B: The cream available in packets: http://www.amul.com/products/amul-freshcream-info.php
Can vegetables be actually "fried" in these ...
7
votes
4answers
6k views
Why do cauliflower or brussels sprouts sometimes taste bitter, and (how) can I avoid it?
Cauliflower or Brussels Sprouts sometimes taste slightly bitter after cooking. Is this some mistake in the way they are cooked or is that just the vegetables themselves?
3
votes
3answers
975 views
Counter to bitterness in soup
My minestrone turned out too bitter. How can I counter it? The soup contains tomatoes, pasta, Savoy cabbage, celery, carrots, burnt sautéed garlic, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper.
Sugar seems to be ...
-1
votes
2answers
431 views
Proper cook times for mushrooms, onions, and peppers
One of my favorite meals is poached chicken cut into strips and stir fried with mushrooms, onions, and peppers and a bit of oil-based salad dressing for flavor.
However, most of the time I get the ...
8
votes
10answers
440 views
What do I do with a kohlrabi?
I've recieved several kohlrabi from my CSA, and I have no idea what to do with them. I found a recipe for a curry using kohlrabi, but it wasn't great.
Does anyone have suggestions on how to get the ...
9
votes
3answers
885 views
Can you start a small mushroom farm at home without using commercial start-up kits? [closed]
Does anyone have any info on starting a small household mushroom farm in a little converted tool shed to grow a variety of mushrooms without using the commercial box start-up kits?
10
votes
3answers
6k views
Are Green Potatoes OK?
Sometimes when peeling a potato, I find that areas of it are a bright shade of green. Does this mean that:
A) The potato is OK to eat?
B) The potato is OK to eat, as long as the green parts are ...
0
votes
1answer
249 views
Simmering split peas smell bitter - why?
Today while simmering split peas with a good meaty ham bone, the whole works smell so bitter. I'm wondering why. I love pea soup but haven't made it very often.
In the end it did taste fine but had a ...
3
votes
2answers
229 views
How to cook very large Brussels sprouts?
My normal cooking method for Brussels sprouts is to steam them in a microwave steamer like this:
I usually get a bag of the pre-cut sprouts, but this year I bought a stalk and I have some very ...
1
vote
2answers
146 views
Freeze cauliflower?
I didn't have any issues putting broccoli in the freezer and warming it up again. Worked great. Can you do that with cauliflower, though?
3
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the best way to store prepared raw vegetables
I help and elderly friend who has asked me to pre-prepare some vegetables for her. This way she'll be able to cook them for herself later.
I would like to know the best way to store pre-prepared ...
4
votes
3answers
1k views
What seasonal vegetable side dishes are appropriate for Hungarian Goulash?
We are planning a traditional Hungarian Goulash dinner, and apart from egg noodles, would like a vegetable side-dish to accompany. It's late October, and we'd prefer some seasonal ingredients if ...
6
votes
3answers
407 views
Is there some trick to vacuum sealing broccoli?
In Sous Vide for the Home Cook Douglas Baldwin gives a recipe for broccoli. In brief, blanch the broccoli, cool in an ice bath, then vacuum seal as a single layer in a bag with salt, pepper, and ...
2
votes
2answers
170 views
Is it possible to extract juice from bok choy and napa cabbage using a blender?
Is it possible to extract juice from these vegetables using a blender? How much would it take to produce 100mL of juice?
Baby bok choy:
Napa cabbage:
-2
votes
1answer
150 views
Are there other ways to extract juice from vegetable beside using a blender?
Usually to extract juice from vegetable, we throw the vegetable into the blender. So, are there other ways that we can extract juice?
3
votes
1answer
151 views
Should I store root vegetables with or without the dirt?
When you buy vegetables at a farmers market, often you will get root vegetables (e.g. potatoes, carrots) that are unwashed and with its dirt still clinging on them. I heard somewhere that this will ...
10
votes
2answers
798 views
Why blanche vegetables before freezing?
I have a bumper crop of french beans, runners, and (earlier in the summer) peas. I know that we're supposed to blanche vegetables prior to freezing and my general purpose cookbooks tell me how long to ...
5
votes
5answers
623 views
What can I use as the leaf in dolma?
I want to make dolma, but grape-leaves aren't available here. What can I use instead? I would like to stay as close as possible to the original, grape-leaved dolma, in looks, taste and texture.
0
votes
1answer
234 views
How to keep vegetables and herbs fresh for longer? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How to Store Fresh Herbs
How long can I store a food in the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer?
Due to my lifestyle it's hard to tell in advance whether I will be ...
0
votes
0answers
102 views
Ideas for a very fussy vegetarian [closed]
I'm looking for a new recipe / food idea for a vegetarian friend. Here's the thing: they do not eat dairy, and do not like onions or garlic. Ideally I'm looking for something very simple and easy to ...
3
votes
1answer
150 views
What would give Swiss Chard a gritty texture?
I made Swiss chard rolls last night and when we would bite into them there would be this gritty bite once in a while, almost like biting into a small gravel. Swiss chard itself has a gritty texture ...
8
votes
2answers
385 views
How to keep fruits and vegetables fresh
I enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, but the problem is that they seem to go back extremely quickly. It isn't realistic for me to go shopping multiple times a week. Are there any tricks to keeping ...
2
votes
3answers
757 views
Why not microwave veggies?
Whenever I see a recipe which requires me to blanch vegetables for a few minutes, I microwave them instead. It's sometimes faster, I don't have to get a pot dirty, and I don't usually have to dry the ...
9
votes
2answers
385 views
How do you wash fruit and veggies effectively?
When eating or preparing fruit and vegetables, you should wash them beforehand to get rid of pesticides, bacterias, fertilizers, etc. However, I notice that I (and others I know), just put the thing ...
10
votes
5answers
1k views
Are there culinary applications for carrot tops/greens?
The family members who taught me to cook have always tossed carrot tops/greens into the compost pile or the trash (and my regular grocery store carries carrots without tops), so I've never really ...
18
votes
2answers
4k views
Food safety of meat vs. veggies and fruit with mold on them
Obviously, it's bad to eat moldy food, so I don't do so. However, the other day I was presented with both an old pot roast and asparagus in the fridge, both of which had grown mold. Of course, I ...
1
vote
1answer
984 views
Can vegetables be roasted at lower temperatures?
I tried to bake some new potatoes, small tomatoes and hot peppers, in extra-virgin olive oil, using a recipe calling for 1 hour at 100° C.
I was skeptical of the 100° C temperature, so I set the ...
10
votes
1answer
5k views
What does the refrigerator crisper compartment actually do?
In most refrigerators you will be able to find a compartment for your vegetables and fruits. This compartment is called the crisper and it is supposedly able to keep your vegetables and fruits fresh ...
17
votes
4answers
833 views
How to wash vegetables without running water?
I live in a subtropical climate where most people cook vegetables, rather than eat them raw, so when making green salads, I must be careful to ensure that everything is clean. I have seen ...
