Cooking Tip: Boiling vs Simmering

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Check our selection of cooking thermometers.

Are you simmering or boiling? Many recipes will instruct you to bring a liquid (usually water) to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. The main reason for this method is to compensate for the drop in temperature when food is added. While both techniques are very similar and may be used in the same recipe their effect on foods are very different.

Simmering or a "gentle boil" happens at temperatures between 185 degrees and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. This method of cooking allows meats and other foods more time to cook without overcooking. You'll recognize the simmer by the occasional small bubbles that rise to the center. Simmering requires less energy from your appliances and keeps many proteins from becoming tough.

Boiling is reserved for liquids, typically water, at the temperature of 212 degrees. Once a liquid reaches a higher temperature, it's transformed into steam. You'll recognize it by the rapid, rolling, large bubbles rising to the surface. Boiling may be used on green vegetables to cook them quickly and keep their texture and color. It may also be used to keep foods like pasta moving quickly so it doesn't stick together or get soggy. Boiling may also be used to reduce sauces.

Cooking Tip: Avacados

Avacados provide some amazing nutritional benefits and can be used in anything from dips and soups to main dishes and even dessert.

When you are shopping for avacados, pay attention to both the color and firmness of the fruit. Avacados soften and ripen after they are picked, so a firm green avacado is the freshest but will ripen in 3-4 days. A softer, more mottled avacado may be used in 2-3 days. If you need an avacado to use right away, look for one with a dark green skin.

If the avacado has mushy spots, appears to be pulling away from the skin or has a rattling pit, put it back.

When you are ready to prepare your avacado, check out our slicer/peeler tool as a quick and easy way to get the most of your fruit without damaging it.

Cooking Tip: Choosing Fresh Vegetables

This time of year the beautiful array of brightly colored fresh fruits and vegetables from bright yellow squash to hearty red tomatoes and brilliant green peas available at local farmers' markets and roadside stands attracts even the pickiest eater. But how do you make sure you buy the best, freshest produce for your family? Here are a few clues.

Appearance: 

• Choose vegetables with a bright, natural color and firm healthy skin.
• Avoid over-ripe vegetables that are darker and softer than they should be.
• Choose vegetables that are free of cuts, bruises and spotting.
• Look for strong, solid root vegetables that do not give when touched.
• Select smaller root vegetables for a better taste.
• Find sprout-free potatoes, onions and garlic.
• Pass on lettuce, spinach, greens and kale that are darkened, discolored or limp (a sign of wilting).
• Avoid lettuce that has been frozen or kept on ice.
• Shop for vegetables in season. To find out what's in season, talk to a grower at the local farmers' market or the produce clerk at your grocery store.

Handling:

• Keep fresh produce on top of other foods in your shopping cart. 
• Keep cut produce cold during transport  

Preparation

• Wash all fruits and vegetables with cool running tap water before eating but don't use dish soap or detergent. 
• Scrub melons with brush and running water. 
• Use clean utensils and cutting boards when preparing fruits and vegetables to reduce cross-contamination. 
• Cut away bruised parts of foods and removed the outer leaves from lettuce and cabbage before eating.

Recipe Wednesday: Spicy Cashew Salad & Citrus Vinaigrette

Here's a little lighter recipe than the last couple of weeks taken from a Valentine Dinner class led by Chef Joshua Simpson, Executive Chef at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Spicy Cashew Salad & Citrus Vinaigrette

 Spicy Cashew Salad




Need a strainer to keep seeds
out of your vinaigrette?
Order online or come by the store.



¼ cup cashews

Cayenne pepper

Black pepper

Salt

Granulated sugar

Butter



Place cashews in medium skillet on medium high. Toss until they are golden brown. Remove them from the skillet. (If you don’t they will burn very quickly)

Put butter and sugar in the pan and melt. Let this heat on medium heat until it turns a light amber color. Add the salt, pepper, and the cayenne pepper and combine.

Toss the sugar mixture with the cashews and spread out even on a sill pad.



Citrus Vinaigrette

Red grape fruit

Olive oil

Sugar

Salt & Pepper



Red wine vinegar

In a mixing bowl combine the olive oil and the vinegar with the salt and pepper.

Segment the grape fruit and squeeze the juice from the remaining membranes.

Whisk vigorously until the vinaigrette becomes thick.

Local organic heirloom farms

Looking back at past issues of Invitation Tupelo Magazine and found Horton Nash and Will Reed in the March edition. Check out this article about their farms and how you can buy from them.

http://invitationtupelo.com/IT_March2011_GreenRoots.pdf

Chef Mitch McCamey taught a class earlier this year on Farm to Table (see a clip of the class here) and used produce from both of these farms. Don't forget the Tupelo's Farmers' Market opened last week. Visit the Farmers' Market for fresh produce throughout the summer on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings from 6 a.m. until the vendors sell out. For more information, check out their website.

Just writing about all the fresh produce makes me hungry!

Cooking Tip of the Week: Peeling Vegetables

Tired of vegetables losing their shape and color after being peeled? In our Tip of the Week, Chef Mitch McCamey demonstrates how to peel vegetables without using sharp objects.





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