Apples for eating out of hand, apples for baking and cooking, apples for sauce and juice, apples to serve with savory dishes, and apples for dessert: there is an apple for every use. Apples that ripen early, apples that ripen mid-season, and apples that ripen late for eating right into winter: there is an apple […] More
The stark white flesh of jicama is cool and crunchy, perfect for eating out of hand after peeling. Jicama can be diced and added to fruit or green salads or speared and featured on dessert trays next to cantaloupe and pears and cheese cubes. Jicama can be combined with other vegetables in stir-fries or added […] More
Sauerkraut is pickled white cabbage. How to make sauerkraut in a stone crock Finely sliced cabbage is placed in a stone crock, a hardwood keg, or a barrel and layered with salt. As the layers are built up, they are pounded down with a wooden mallet. Then the layers are covered with a clean cloth, […] More
A yam and a sweet potato are not the same vegetables, but they can be substituted for one another in most recipes. The yam has more natural sugar and is, therefore, sweeter than the sweet potato and its flesh is moister than the sweet potato. Yams–depending upon variety—can have a flesh that is white, yellow, […] More
Celeriac can be served cooked or raw. Celeriac combines the sweet taste of the mildest celery with the light peppery zip of parsley. Celeriac—which is also known as celery root, celery knobs, and turnip-rooted celery—is a cool-weather vegetable that comes to harvest between late fall and early spring. How to choose celeriac Kitchen Helpers from […] More
Parsley root can be steamed, boiled, puréed, or creamed. Use parsley root in braises, soups, stews, and vegetable mixes to add depth and aroma. The flavor of parsley roots is somewhere between celeriac and carrot with hints of celery, turnip, and parsley leaf. Parsley root works particularly well in combination with other roots and tubers […] More
Taro, also called dasheen, eddo, or cocoyam, is always eaten cooked. Taro can be steamed, boiled, fried, stir-fried, baked, and braised. It is often added to stews and soups where it absorbs fatty juices and serves as a nutty thickener. Taro is a starchy root vegetable that has a sweet, nutty flavor—a flavor and texture that […] More
Cress is a common name for more than a dozen sharp, pungent, small-leafed greens that can be added to salads and sandwiches, and soups and used as a base for roast beef or chicken. Cress brings a dash of hot and spicy stir-fries and purées and can be finely chopped and added to butter, mashed […] More
Mushrooms have a deliciously woodsy flavor and are easy to prepare. Use mushrooms in appetizers, salads, dips, soups, sauces, omelets, stews, pizzas, and pasta, or match them with meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish. Mushrooms can be sautéed, broiled, grilled, steamed, or stir-fried. Favorite Mushroom Recipes Oven Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Oyster Mushroom Sautéed in Garlic Cultivated […] More
Sorrel has a lemony tang and succulent spinach texture that makes it a tasty fresh leafy addition to mixed-green salads, sandwiches, soft cheeses, omelets, and other egg dishes. Cook sorrel with leek soups, cream-based sauces, stuffings, veal, and pork. Sorrel can be used as a potherb and is ideal for lining the vessel for baking […] More
Mâche–also called corn salad and lamb’s lettuce–is a mild-flavored salad green. Mâche (say ‘mah-sh’) can also be steamed and served as a vegetable. Mâche has a sweet, slightly nutty taste. Its flavor is so subtle that it can easily be overpowered by other leafy vegetables or dressings. It is often served alone or as a counterpoint […] More
Pei tsai can be eaten raw or steamed, boiled, or quickly stir-fried. Pei tsai refers to several small, loose-leafed Chinese cabbages. Pei tsai is loose-headed cabbage with long, narrow, textured leaves whose tips branch outwards. It grows to about 12 inches (30 cm) tall. The light green, ruffled leaves and prominent white stalks are tender […] More
Stephen Albert