ARTICHOKES
Artichokes, one of springtime's earliest vegetables, are the immature flower buds of a thistle plant. Whether an artichoke is round and green or tulip-shaped and purple, its edible parts are at the base of the leaf and just above the stem, in the saucer-shaped piece called the heart. Artichoke flesh has a firm but velvety texture. Its flavor is a unique blend of earthy root and sweet green shoot (something between celery root and asparagus). You may occasionally find them referred to as globe artichokes to distinguish them from Jerusalem artichokes, to which they are not related.
Select tightly closed buds that feel heavy for their size. If they are part of the smaller autumn crop, they may be streaked with brown (this is the result of frost and not harmful, in fact, some frost sweetens the buds). If the stems are long enough, plunge them into a bowl of water and refrigerate. Otherwise, store the artichokes in a perforated plastic vegetable bag in the refrigerator crisper. When harvested plum sized, all but the outer leaves are edible. To eat these baby artichokes, hold the artichoke by the stem, place the top in your mouth, bite down, and the luscious center will pop out. Look for these artichokes in markets with specialty produce.
To Prepare: If you are in a hurry, you can cook larger artichokes as is. However, a little trimming makes a big difference in appearance and ease of eating. Have on hand a lemon half or two; its juice rubbed over cut surfaces will keep the flesh from discoloring. After rinsing, use scissors to trim off the tough, thorny tops of the outside layers of leaves. You can either bend each leaf back and snap off the top, European style (a hand-finished look) or snip it off with scissors in the American style (the only method that works with tough end-of-the-season artichokes). Rub cut surfaces frequently with lemon. When you reach the thin inner leaves that are green at the top but celery yellow at the base, lay the artichokes on their sides on a cutting board. With a sharp, heavy, stainless-steel knife or a serrated knife (artichoke darkens carbon steel), trim off the top inch or so of the inner leaves. Pull out the immature prickly, pinkish leaves in the center, and use the tip of a spoon or a grapefruit knife to scrape up the thicket of fuzz beneath, called the choke (it is a thistle, remember). It will lift up in small pieces. Be careful not to cut into the heart, the buried treasure beneath. The stems are as delicious as the hearts. Italians leave as much as 3 inches of stems attached and serve artichokes stalk tip. But American growers trim stems much closer to the bud, and our way of serving is to snap or slice off the stems close to the base so the artichoke will sit squarely on the plate. For cooked whole artichoke hearts, prepare the artichokes as above, cook as desired, then simply remove the stems and leaves, retrieving the heart. Trim away any rough places with a paring knife.
Artichokes retain the most nutrients when they are microwaved or steamed, but they are equally tasty boiled, braised, and fried.
To Boil: Artichokes should be boiled in a large pot so that they have plenty of room. Whether cooking several baby or 1 large artichoke, place in a stock pot, 16 cups (4 quarts) water, ¼ cup cider vinegar or lemon juice, and 1 ¾ tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and drop in the prepared artichokes right side up; you can also add 1 ¾ tablespoons olive oil and ¾ crushed garlic clove for each serving if desired. Rapidly return the water to a rolling boil and cook, uncovered, until the artichokes test tender when pierced with a thin skewer and a leaf comes away easily from the base of the largest artichoke. Once the water returns to a boil, allow 12 to 15 minutes for baby artichokes, 20 to 25 minutes for medium artichokes, 25 to 35 minutes for large globe artichokes. Drain upside down in a colander.
To Steam: Place the artichokes bottom side up in a steaming basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Cook, covered, until all test tender when pierced with a thin skewer. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for baby artichokes, 25 to 35 minutes for medium, and up to 45 minutes for large globe artichokes. Cooking times vary consider-ably according to the age of the artichokes.
To Microwave: Place 2 medium artichokes in a 2-quart baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons stock or lightly salted water, cover, and cook on high until tender enough to pierce all the way through with a thin skewer, 5 to 8 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
To Pressure-Cook: Large artichokes can be pressure-cooked with 1 cup liquid at 15 pounds pressure for 10 minutes. Cool the cooker at once.
Simply cooked artichokes are most flavorful at room temperature or a little wanner. To serve, offer a small dish of melted butter, hollandaise sauce, or vinaigrette. Be sure there is room on the plate for the spent leaves, or set an empty plate or bowl. Starting at the bottom, pluck one leaf at a time from the bud, dip into the sauce, then draw its meaty end through your teeth to extract the flesh. When the leaves are finished, cut the heart into bite sized pieces and dip.
To prepare cooked artichoke cups for filling with hot cooked vegetables, or cold with seafood or a salad, prepare as directed above but slice off the top third of the buds instead of the top 1 inch. To prepare artichokes for frying or to include them in a stew or casserole, prepare as for filling, then cut into quarters or thinner pieces, as desired.
Artichokes have a curious property. They contain an acid, called cynarin, that for some people distorts the flavors of accompanying food and drink. When serving a special wine, it is best to keep artichokes off the menu. Artichokes go well with sharp flavors such as lemon, orange, wine and fruit vinegars, dark olives, and capers. Garlic, shallots, bay, cilantro, parsley, sage, tarragon, fennel, basil, oregano, and coriander seeds are especially good with artichokes. Allow 1 medium to large or 6 to 9 baby artichokes per person.

ASPARAGUS
Asparagus spears poke through the earth in spring. If not picked, these young shoots grow into tall ferny branches with bright red berries. The thinner the shoot, the younger and, usually, the tenderer. The shoots can be green, purple, or green and purple; cream-colored shoots, should you find them, have been raised deprived of sunlight. Select crisp, tightly closed stalks whose cut ends are not dry. Asparagus is perishable, so plan to serve it the day of harvesting or purchase. In the meantime, submerge the ends of the spears in a pitcher of water and refrigerate.
To Prepare: After rinsing, hold each spear with one hand at the base of the stalk and the other hand an inch or two farther toward the tip. Bend the spear. It will break at the point where the tender stalk starts to toughen. If it does not snap, move your hand a little farther tip the stalk and bend again until the stalk breaks. Tough ends can be chopped and simmered in water to cover to make a broth for soup. Stalks thinner than your little finger will probably not need paring; if the bottom end is at all tough and fibrous, use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin up to and stopping at the tip.
Thin asparagus is best steamed, boiled, sautéed, stir-fried, or microwaved (white asparagus generally takes a few minutes longer than green). The fleshy spears of thicker asparagus are suited to roasting and grilling. Cook asparagus quickly. It is done when it turns bright green and is tender, with a trace of crispness. Even 1 minute of overcooking will start turning it dull. Whatever the cooking method, remove the pieces as they are ready.
To Boil: Use a medium, deep skillet wide enough so the spears can be laid flat. For every 12 thick or 18 pencil-slim spears (about 10 ounces, prepared weight), bring 5 cups water and ¾ tablespoon salt to a boil. Gently lay in the asparagus, rapidly return to a boil, and boil until the spears are tender with a hint of crispness, 4 to 5 minutes for thin spears, 6 to 7 minutes for medium spears, and 8 to 10 minutes for thick spears. Stir thick spears after 4 minutes. Immediately lift out with tongs, place on a plate, and pour off any water on the plate.
To Steam: Stand whole spears upright without crowding in a tall steamer, or lay flat in a steamer basket or in a wide bamboo steamer. Place over 1 to 2 inches boiling water and cover. Steaming asparagus tips takes 3 to 4 minutes; pencil-slim asparagus takes 4 to 5 minutes, medium asparagus 6 to 7 minutes, and thick asparagus 7 to 10 minutes. Spears can be cut into pieces and steamed; start checking for doneness at 5 minutes. Pieces are done when they are tender with a hint of crispness.
To Microwave: Place 1 pound thin to medium trimmed spears in a 2 quart baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until crisp tender, 4 to 9 minutes, rearranging every 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes.
To Grill: Rinse, drain, pat dry, and brush thick spears generously with olive or nut oil. Place the spears over a slow wood or charcoal fire. Never taking your eyes off them, turn them frequently until you can smell the asparagus and one tastes cooked through.
Serve cooked asparagus hot or at room temperature. Drizzle hot asparagus with melted butter, seasoned olive oil, Hollandaise Sauce, or Vinaigrette, and sprinkle chopped hard boiled egg on top. Asparagus has affinities with the same flavors as artichokes, and also with most fish, eggs, and sharp cheeses such as Parmesan and pecorino.

BAMBOO SHOOTS
Rinse canned bamboo shoots well before using; if you cannot use the whole can, transfer the remaining shoots to a covered container of fresh water and try to change the water daily. Fresh bamboo shoots, the new growth of bamboo stalks, are a marvelous addition to stir-fries. These are usually available only in winter and are hard to find, even then. Unpeeled fresh shoots will keep for a week in the refrigerator. To use, peel away the outer leaves, cut off and discard the base, and cook the edible inner core, whole or sliced, in boiling water for at least 5 minutes to remove a toxin, hydrocyanic acid. If the shoot still tastes bitter, boil it again. Drain, rinse, and refrigerate in water as for canned.
Bamboo shoots are so bland that their value is texture rather than flavor. They blend especially well with other Asian vegetables, ancient companions. In a mix, allow about 2 ounces per serving.

GREEN BEANS AND FRESH SHELL BEANS
In terms of eating, there are three stages in a bean's life. The first stage comes in early summer and lasts through the fall, when the bean pod, from a day to a week old, is tender enough to snap when folded in half. Pods can be rounded and skinny, like French filet beans or haricots verts; broad, flat, and thick, like Italian Romanos; or round, slender, and long as your arm, like Asian yard-long beans. The pod of every sort of bean can be picked and cooked at this young stage, and some, like America's great Blue Lakes and Kentucky Wonders, have been developed for eating as pods. Edible-pod beans come in green, purple, yellow, and assorted colors in between (the purple turn green in cooking). Store them in a perforated plastic vegetable bag in the refrigerator crisper. Green beans can be superb after freezing but must be prepared with attention to detail and eaten sooner rather than later.
Nobody notices the beans in edible pods because the beans are stunted. When they have grown large enough to be distinctly visible through the skin, their time has come. At this second stage, the pods are too leathery to eat but the beans are plump and tender and rich with flavor. They are called fresh shell beans, or shellies. Lima beans, butter beans, French flageolets, and horticultural beans are best as shell beans; black-eyed peas, fava beans, cannellini beans, and cranberry beans are superb at this stage. Refrigerate shell beans in their pods as for green beans, for no more than a few days, and shell them just before cooking. If you buy them already shelled, cook them within a day. You can braise shell beans with butter, broth, or chopped tomatoes and herbs. Both cooked pods and shell beans are also delectable tossed with vinaigrette, served hot or at room temperature. You can steam or parboil shell beans and use them in any recipe that calls for cooked dried beans. Thawed frozen shell beans are as delicious as when freshly cooked.
A bean's third stage is when it has matured and nearly all its moisture has evaporated. The once-soft pod is so brittle and dry that eventually it snaps open, flinging its mature seeds onto the earth. These beans (dried beans)are delicious after being slowly cooked.
To Prepare Green Beans: All fresh green (or yellow or purple) beans except yard-long beans are good raw. When serving them cooked, it is easiest to do nothing to the pods but rinse and cook them. Some people do not enjoy green beans unless the tops and tails have been removed; to trim the rinsed beans, gather them into a bunch, level one end of the bunch on the counter, and use a strong, sharp knife to cut off one end; repeat on the other end. Some heritage varieties of beans must have their strings removed. Top and tail the bean, pulling the string attached to the end along the side.
Green beans are best boiled, steamed, stir-fried, and microwaved. Fleshy pods such as Romanos can also be braised and stewed. Allow 4 to 6 ounces per serving.
To Boil Green Beans: This method gives bright color, plump texture, and full flavor. For every 1 pound prepared beans, bring to a boil 12 cups water and 1 ¾ tablespoons salt in a stockpot. Drop in the beans, rapidly return the water to a boil, and give the pot a good stir. Beans are done when they are tender but still crisp. Skinny filet beans will be done in 2 to 4 minutes; rounded or fleshy flat pods will take 4 to 8 minutes. Immediately drain in a colander. To cook in advance for reheating at serving time, plunge the beans into a bowl of ice water until they are cold, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and wrap in a towel, then refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
To Steam Green Beans: Place prepared beans in a steaming basket (preferably in a single layer) over 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Cover and cook until tender but still crisp. Steaming time for a single layer of skinny filet beans is 5 to 7 minutes; for rounded or fleshy pods, 8 to 12 minutes. When beans are more than a single layer deep, allow 3 to 5 minutes more, and stir halfway through the steaming time (those on top steam fastest).
To Microwave Green Beans: Cut 1 pound tender bean pods into 1 ¾-inch pieces. Place in a 2-quart baking dish. Add ¼ cup stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender but still crisp, 9 to 13 minutes, stirring twice. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes.
Green beans can also be cut into ¾ inch pieces and stir-fried.
To Prepare Shell Beans: Look for shell beans in late summer. To shell most pods, squeeze them open and split them along the seam with your thumbnail or a knife tip. Fresh green soybeans differ from other shell beans in that they should be cooked and served in the pod, to be popped out by each diner. Allow 8 ounces unshelled or 4 to 5 ounces shelled beans per serving.
Small fresh, fava beans, available in early spring, should be used the same way as fresh peas; their interior skin can be bitter and should be removed. Plunge shelled fava beans into boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, lift out, drop into cold water to cool, then drain. To peel fava beans, run a thumbnail along a bean, cutting the skin, then pinch it to pop the bean out of its skin.
To Boil Shell Beans: For every 1 pound fresh shelled beans (around 2 ¾ cups), bring 8 cups and ¾ tablespoon salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the beans, stir, and rapidly return the water to a boil. Boil, uncovered, until tender. Fresh green soybeans in their pods will take l0 to 15 minutes. Small limas, butter beans, crowder peas, and fava beans will take 20 to 30 minutes; black-eyed peas can take up to 40 minutes. Stir occasionally. Drain.
To Steam Shell Beans: This is a good way to cook fresh shelled beans, as they will not burst, as sometimes happens in boiling. Place in a steaming basket over 1 to 3 inches boiling water, cover, and steam until thoroughly tender, about 15 minutes for small tender beans, 20 to 35 minutes for larger or older beans. Stir once or twice.
To Microwave Shell Beans: Place 1 ¾ cups shell beans in a 1 quart baking dish. Add 1 tablespoon stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender, 6 to 9 minutes, stirring once. Let stand, still covered, for 2 minutes. Shell beans always taste richer when seasoned with something from the onion family, and some of their many affinities are with tomatoes, carrots, peppers, ham, sausages, mild cheeses, chili peppers, garlic, summer savory, marjoram, sage, parsley, celery, thyme, and bay.

BEAN SPROUTS
The threadlike mung bean sprouts common in Chinese cooking add delicate crunchiness to stir-fried dishes. Asian markets often also carry soybean sprouts, which are thicker and longer and have yellow heads. Unlike mung bean sprouts, which can be enjoyed raw, soybean sprouts should be cooked briefly (either stir-fried, steamed, or parboiled for 1 minute) to rid them of enzymes that inhibit digestibility. They remain crunchy despite the cooking, with a slightly nutty taste. Be sure sprouts are perky fresh when you buy them, without wilting or browning. Refrigerate in a perforated plastic vegetable bag in the refrigerator crisper and use them within a few days, rinsing and spinning them dry in a salad spinner.
The vivid variety of sprouted legumes also available (more bean than sprout in most cases) make good snacks and salad ingredients. They also contribute texture and color to rice; add them, without stirring, for the last few minutes of cooking. Allow 4 to 6 ounces per serving.

BEETS
A source of sugar, beets are an intensely sweet vegetable, but a trace of sharpness keeps their flavor from being cloying. Once there was just the crimson beet, but now beets are also gold, orange, white, and candy striped; they can be perfectly round or long and slender, no bigger than the tip of your thumb or as big as your fist. Beets are available most of the year but are best from summer through early winter. When selecting a bunch of beets, if all the roots are equally fine, choose the bunch with the smallest leaves that are in the best condition (not yellowing or tattered). The greens are an indication of freshness for the roots; if they look moist and fresh, the roots will be too. If you are buying beets without leaves, avoid any that look dry, cracked, or shriveled.
Beets go especially well with lemon and orange, vinegar, any form of cream, onions, walnuts, parsley, caraway seeds, dill, tarragon, and mustard. Allow about 5 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Cut off the leaves, leaving 1 to 2 inches stem on the beets, and keep the rootlets, or tails, in place. Pack the beets and leaves separately in perforated plastic vegetable bags and store in the refrigerator crisper. Scrub beets well just before cooking but do not remove the skin.
In cooking, both roots and leaves bleed their colors into any dish they are in except for golden beets, which hold their color. When handling cooked red beets, you may want to wear rubber gloves, as red beet juice can stain the hands for hours. Cooked beets are wonderful hot or cold. Serve small beets whole; slice larger ones into sections or rounds. Young, tender beets are delightful grated raw into a salad. Beets of any size are delicious steamed, baked, and microwaved.
To Boil: For every 1 pound prepared beets, bring 12 cups water and 1¾ tablespoons salt to a boil in a stock pot. Add the beets, rapidly return the water to a boil, then cook, covered, until tender when pierced through with a thin skewer or knife tip. Allow about 20 minutes for small and baby beets, 30 to 35 minutes for medium, and 45 to 60 minutes for large beets. Drain, then plunge into cold water to cool. When cool enough to handle, slice off the stems and rootlets and slip off the skins.
To Steam: Arrange the prepared beets in a single layer in a steaming basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Cover and steam until tender when pierced through with a thin skewer or knife tip, 25 to 30 minutes for small and baby beets, 35 to 40 minutes for medium, and up to 60 minutes for large beets. Add boiling water to the steamer as needed.
To Microwave: Place 5 medium unpeeled beets in a 2 quart baking dish. Add ¼ cup stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender when pierced with a thin skewer, 12 to 18 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Let stand, still covered, for 3 minutes.
To Pressure-Cook: Whole unpeeled 2 ¾ inch beets can be pressure-cooked with 1¾ cups liquid at 15 pounds pressure for 15 minutes. Cool the cooker at once.

BEET GREENS
Select the bunch with the smallest, crispest, brightest leaves and no yellowing, tears, or holes. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper. Beet Greens are best steamed, wilted, sautéed, microwaved, or braised. All leafy greens seem to have affinities for butter, lemon, sweet basil, nutmeg, parsley, garlic, pine nuts, and mushrooms. Allow about 8 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Rinse in warm water. The leaves can be left whole, torn into pieces, or cut into strips by stacking the leaves, rolling them up, and slicing into ¼ to ¾ inch ribbons.
To Boil: Beets are a close relative to chard, and the leaves share chard's bite. You can cook beet greens, covered, in ¼ to ¾ inch boiling stock or salted water until tender but still crisp, 8 to 15 minutes, stir-ring occasionally.
To Wilt: To retain the most nutrients and flavor (although the color will darken), place leaves with the water that clings to them from rinsing in a medium skillet. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt for each pound. Cook, turning the leaves with tongs every few seconds, for 3 to 4 minutes, then cover the pan and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes more.
To Steam: Whole leaves can be steamed, covered, in steamer basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water until tender but still crisp, about 8 minutes.
To Braise: Bring to a boil 4 cups of water or stock and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium skillet. Add 1 pound prepared beet leaves and cook, covered, until tender but still crisp,3 to 6 minutes. Dress with oil and vinegar or with butter.
To Microwave: Coarsely chop 1 pound leafy greens and spread in a 3 quart baking dish. Cover and cook on high until tender but still crisp, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, still covered, for 2 minutes. If not tender enough for your taste, finish cooking in a skillet in a little olive oil. Serve sprinkled with fresh lemon juice.

BOK CHOY, OR PAK CHOI
It is confusing and frustrating when bok choy is called pak choi and the reverse. They are the same vegetable. Bok choy is a Cantonese term for one of the Chinese cabbages; bok choys/pak chois are mild-flavored Asian cabbages. Select medium sized bunches with the brightest colors and firmest stalks. Very small bunches will be labeled baby bok choy. In spring and summer, you may find flowering bok choy, bunches with small broccoli-like florets. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper. Allow 8 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Separate the stems and rinse well. Tear or cut the leafy greens from the ribs, and cook the leaves and stems separately.
To Boil: Cook as for chard, boiling large leaves for 2 to 4 minutes, ¾-inch pieces of stems and stalks for 4 to 6 minutes, baby bok choy leaves for 6 to 8 minutes, thinly sliced baby bok choy heads for 3 to 5 minutes.
To Steam: Whole leaves can be steamed, covered, in steamer basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water until tender but still crisp, about 8 minutes. Stem pieces take 8 to 10 minutes to steam until tender but still crisp.
To Braise: Bring to a boil 4 cups of water or stock and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium skillet. Add 1 pound prepared bok choys/pak chois leaves and cook, covered, until tender but still crisp,3 to 6 minutes.
To Microwave: Coarsely chop 1 pound leafy greens and spread in a 3 quart baking dish. Cover and cook on high until tender but still crisp, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, still covered, for 2 minutes. If not tender enough for your taste, finish cooking in a skillet in a little olive oil. Serve sprinkled with fresh lemon juice.

BONIATO
Boniato, also called batata, looks like the potato that it is. It is harvested year-round in Florida and other tropical areas. The blotchy skin maybe purplish or reddish, and the inside is white or creamy and slightly mealy in consistency when cooked. The taste, less sweet than that of orange sweet potatoes, suggests roasted chest-nuts. Boniato bruises and rots very easily, so choose carefully, avoiding any with soft spots, and store in a cool, dark place for no more than a day or two. When exposed to air, the flesh of boniato discolors quickly, so drop peeled pieces into cold water and cook them in boiling water to cover to prevent contact with air or bake them whole in their skins.

BREADFRUIT
The exterior of these melon-sized round fruits is covered with hundreds of scaly bumps. Unripe, they are green and their flesh resembles a potato (hard, white, and starchy). Like plantains, breadfruit is used in savory and sweet dishes according to its ripeness. For savory purposes, choose one that is evenly green. At this stage, it can be cooked like a potato or sweet potato (steamed, boiled, baked, fried, or roasted) but it must be served hot, or it will be unappetizingly waxy. When slightly ripe, the outside is partly green. Baked at this stage, its flesh is slightly sticky, somewhat fruity, but spongy like bread, making it good for sopping up a spicy sauce. When ripe, the exterior is tender and brownish, and the flesh is creamy and sticky but still starchy and rather bland in flavor. It can be used in place of sweet potatoes. The fruits are available year-round in markets with a Caribbean and West Indian clientele. The 2 to 5 pound globes are sold from water filled drums or in tightly closed plastic bags. Choose fruits that are heavy for their size. White speckled patches are normal, but avoid those with soft and dark spots or any hard knotty places. Breadfruit is extremely perishable. Cook it at once if you buy it green and want to eat it that way, or let it ripen, uncovered, at room temperature to the degree you wish. Once it is ripe, refrigerate it for no more than a day before cooking. Pare and remove the stem and seedy core before or after cooking, depending on how you cook it.

BROCCOLI, CHINESE BROCCOLI, RAPINI, AND BROCCOLI RABE
A head of broccoli is an intricate bouquet of tiny flower buds. Each small green stalk is called a floret and contains hundreds of buds. Cooked correctly, broccoli tastes slightly mustardy and is crunchy, a delectable vegetable for sauces and indeed, it is a member of the valuable mustard family. Although it is available yearround, broccoli's natural season is from late fall through early spring. When choosing broccoli, run an eye over the selection and pick the head with the tiniest buds. Their color will be dark green with a purple or blue haze. Any yellowish heads are on their way to blooming and should be avoided. Given two heads of equal fineness, choose the one with the most leaves, as the leaves are highly nutritious. Cook and serve them as you would chard leaves. If the stalks are long enough, plunge them in a container of water and refrigerate; otherwise, store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
The vegetable sold as either purple broccoli or purple cauliflower or broccoflower closely resembles broccoli in shape and flavor. Romanesco is a form of broccoli with a conical head formed of small peaks of buds in a beautiful chartreuse. Prepare these as you would broccoli (they will turn deep green when cooked).
Chinese broccoli is also known as Chinese kale. It is closely related to both broccoli and our common kale, and its season is from early summer to early winter. Like all mustards, it sprouts flower buds, and they look like broccoli's but their flavor is like kale, mild and cabbagey. Rapini, a springtime green, is another mostly leafy plant and is often confused with broccoli rabe. Rapini leaves and buds have a mustardy bite, much like turnip greens, which they resemble. Broccoli rabe's leaves and buds are mustardy but sweet; it is an autumn green. Store, prepare, cook, and serve all these buds as you would broccoli, and the leaves as you would kale, turnip greens.
To Prepare: For optimum eating quality, cut the thick stalk and the florets to approximately the same size. Cut off the stalk at the base. Cut off the florets at the base of their small stalks. if some florets are much larger than others, cut them to match the rest. Use a paring knife to cut off the tough, fibrous skin of the stalk down to the moist, tender flesh, then cut the stalk into match-sticks about the same size as the stalks of the florets.
To Boil: Boiling broccoli uncovered in a large amount of salted water results in the mildest possible flavor and brightest color. For each 1 pound prepared broccoli, bring 16 cups (4 quarts) water and 1 ¾ tablespoons salt to a rolling boil in a stockpot. Drop in the pieces and rapidly return to a boil. Boil, uncovered, until tender but still crisp, 2 to 4 minutes for florets, 6 to 8 minutes for a whole head. Drain.
To Steam: Place florets and tender stalk pieces in a steaming basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water, cover, and steam until the pieces are tender but still crisp, 3 to 5 minutes for florets and stalk pieces, up to 10 minutes for whole bouquets. Another way is to stand the bottoms of whole bouquets of uniform size, stalks peeled, in a small, deep saucepan. Add 1 ¾ cups cold water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and cook until the bouquets are crisp-tender, 10 to 15 minutes. This way, the thickest parts of the base will boil while the florets steam. Drain.
To Microwave: Arrange broccoli spears in a spoke pattern so that the stems are all pointing toward the center of the dish and the heads are along the outside edge. Salt lightly, cover, and microwave on high until tender, 6 to 8 minutes, but let stand, uncovered, for 3 minutes before serving. To microwave florets and match-sticks of stalks, place 1 pound in a baking dish. Salt lightly. Cover and cook on high until tender but still bright, about 5 minutes, rearranging the pieces after 3 minutes. Let stand, uncovered, for 2 minutes before serving.
Cooked broccoli is delicious hot or at room temperature.When carefully prepared and frozen, broccoli and broccoflower may be slightly soft but have good flavor. Allow 5 to 8 ounces per serving.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Brussels sprouts are bite-sized green cabbages, juicy with a nutty-sweet cabbage flavor. Like larger cabbages, most are green, but there are purply red brussels sprouts too. They are in season from late fall through winter. If you are lucky enough to find Brussels sprouts still attached to their stalks, choose the smallest stalk because it will be younger and its sprouts sweetest. When sprouts are sold loose, select those that are heavy for their size and tightly closed, without any touch of yellow or blemish. (If the sprouts come packaged in a basket, have no qualms about opening the basket to inspect its contents.) Store Brussels sprouts in a perforated plastic vegetable bag in the refrigerator crisper.
To Prepare: If you have found a stalk, pluck the sprouts free. Pull off loose leaves from around the stem of each sprout and trim the stems. Rinse and drain. To cook sprouts fastest and most evenly, slice them in half from top to bottom. To eat the leaves separately (they seem most delicious this way) trim out the core with a small sharp knife and gently pull the leaves apart. The tightly connected center leaves should be thinly sliced.
To Boil: As with broccoli, boiling Brussels sprouts in a large quantity of water results in the mildest flavor and most vivid color. With the tip of a paring knife, cut an X in the bottom of each sprout to help them cook quickly and evenly. For each 1 pound prepared sprouts, bring 16 cups (4 quarts) water and 1 ¾ tablespoons salt to a rolling boil in a stockpot. Drop in the sprouts and rapidly return to a boil. Boil, uncovered, until a thin skewer or sharp knife pierces a sprout all the way through, 6 to 12 minutes for whole sprouts, 4 to 7 minutes for halves, depending on size. Drain. If desired, return the sprouts to the pot and shake over high heat until they are dry, 30 to 60 seconds.
To Steam: With the tip of a paring knife, cut an X in the bottom of each sprout to help them cook quickly and evenly. Arrange sprouts of uniform size in a steamer basket. Place over 1 to 2 inches boiling water and cover. Steam until tender when pierced with a thin skewer or the tip of a knife, 8 to 15 minutes for whole sprouts, 4 to 8 minutes for halves, depending on size.
To Roast: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Boil halved Brussels sprouts as directed above just until tender. Drain and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ground black pepper to taste. Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil and arrange the sprouts on it cut side down. Roast until the sprouts are lightly browned on their cut sides, about 20 minutes.
To Microwave: Place 4 cups whole sprouts in a 2 quart baking dish. Add ¼ cup stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender when pierced with a thin skewer, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes. To Sauté Leaves: Separate leaves are best quickly sautéed in butter or a nut oil until tender, about 4 minutes. Brussels sprouts have affinities with all the same flavors that cabbage does. Allow 4 to 5 ounces per serving.

BURDOCK
Burdock is a root that grows more than 3 feet deep but is rarely more than ¾ inch wide. Like carrots, it is a member of the parsley family, and the white flesh is mildly sweet. Young shoots and large soft leaves are slightly bitter and nice in salads. The Japanese are fond of burdock, and it is always part of a mixed vegetable tempura when it is in season, which is most of the year. Look for the roots in Asian groceries. They will probably be dirty on the outside, but that is just good earth. Select firm, crisp roots with no soft spots. Wrap, unwashed, in moist paper towels, then place in a perforated plastic vegetable bag and keep in the refrigerator crisper. It will keep for a week or two. When ready to cook, rinse off the soil. The skin has the most flavor, so scrub it gently but thoroughly with a stiff brush. Snip off any hairy rootlets. Burdock can be cooked any way carrots can, so slice or cut accordingly. Because the flesh quickly discolors when cut, immediately drop the pieces into cold water containing a splash of cider vinegar or lemon. (Sometimes burdock that has been out of the ground for a while turns bitter so soaking in the acidulated water for an hour or so should eliminate this.) With its neutral flavor, burdock is a useful addition to stews. Depending on the dish, allow 2 to 4 ounces per serving.

CABBAGE
Although they are in the market year round, if you watch closely you will see that cabbages change with the seasons. Early or summer cabbages, harvested June through October, are cone shaped; they weigh 2 to 2 ¾ pounds and have tender, juicy, mild leaves. Cabbages that mature from mid-October through March have flat or round heads and weigh 3 to 15 pounds; their flavor is well developed. Those picked after a hard autumn frost are sweetest. Fineness of flavor in cabbages is indicated by thickness of leaves, the thinner, the better. Savoy cabbages (those with ruffled crinkly leaves) have the thinnest leaves and incomparable flavor. As pretty as they are, red cabbages have thicker leaves than green cabbages, and their flavor is less interesting. Select cabbages that are heavy for their size and have bright, crisp leaves with no signs of yellowing, cuts, or bruises. Store cabbage in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
The so-called Chinese cabbages compare to our common cabbage as romaine lettuce compares to iceberg. Like icebergs, common cabbages have round heads with thick, crunchy, mild-tasting leaves. Like romaines, Chinese cabbages have oblong heads with thin, juicy, full flavored leaves. The Chinese cabbage we see more and more in the supermarket is pale green Napa cabbage. These are referred to as "hearted" or "barrel shaped" to distinguish them from the long "cylindrical" shape of Michihili cabbages. You will find both Napa and Michihili at Asian markets, and their flavors and uses in cooking are much the same. Select, store, prepare, and cook as for common cabbage, but do not overcook, or their lovely flavor and texture will be destroyed. When the midrib is well developed on a leaf, separate it and cook as for chard ribs. Affinities are for other Asian vegetables and flavors.
Allow 8 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Remove any wilted leaves, then rinse. To cut, use a large, heavy knife to halve or quarter the cabbage through the stem. Cut around the core and remove it. Cut the head into wedges or slice it into thin shreds or ribbons. Red cabbage requires longer cooking, but can be prepared in the same way as green cabbage. Cabbage is most flavorful steamed, braised, or stir-fried.
To Boil: For the mildest flavor, boil cabbages in quarters or large wedges. For each 1 pound prepared cabbage, bring 16 cups (4 quarts) water and 1 ¾ tablespoons salt to a rolling boil in a stockpot. Drop in the wedges, rapidly return to a boil, and cook, uncovered, until the pieces can be pierced with a thin skewer, 12 to 15 minutes for red cabbage, 9 to 11 minutes for green cabbage, and 4 to 6 minutes for Napa cabbage. Shreds of cabbage should be boiled until tender but still crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Whole leaves can be boiled for stuffing, allow 8 to 10 minutes for red cabbage leaves, 3 to 4 minutes for green, and 2 to 3 minutes for Napa cabbage leaves. Drain.
To Steam: Steam cabbage in shreds, wedges, or whole leaves. Allow 15 to 17 minutes for red cabbage wedges, 12 to 15 minutes for green, and 6 to 8 minutes for Napa cabbage. Heap cabbage shreds in the steamer basket over 1 to z inches boiling water, cover, and steam un-til they are tender but still crisp, 8 to 10 minutes for red cabbage, 12 to 14 for green, and 6 to 8 minutes for Napa cabbage shreds. Whole leaves will steam to plia-bility in approximately 15 minutes for red cabbage, 5 to 7 minutes for green, and 3 to 5 minutes for Napa cabbage.
To Microwave: Spread 1 pound shredded cabbage in a 2 quart baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender but still crisp, 8 to 12 minutes, stirring after 4 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes. One pound cabbage wedges can be cooked the same way; rearrange the pieces after 5 minutes and cook until tender, 12 to 14 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes.
Do not freeze cooked cabbage; most thawed cabbage is watery and of poor quality. Cabbage is especially good accompanying rich meats, salted and smoked meats, game, and all root vegetables. It goes well with red wine, sage, thyme, caraway, dill, fennel, horseradish, apples, onions, chest-nuts, juniper berries, and sour cream. Allow 4 to 5 ounces per serving.

CACTUS PADDLE
In the Southwest and Mexico, the large, flat, fleshy, oval green pads of the nopal cactus are prepared as a vegetable. When cooked, pieces have the color and translucence of cooked bell pepper, but they are also viscid, like okra. The flavor is something between bell pepper and artichoke or asparagus or okra-unique and delectable. They are available all year in Hispanic markets. Select paddles that are about 4 inches wide and under ¼ inch thick. They will probably have had their prickers removed or be a so-called spineless variety. Choose paddles that are bright colored and somewhat stiff never limp. Pack in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
To Prepare: Use a vegetable peeler to trim the outside edges and any eyes where prickers were. Examine closely because there may be some in spineless paddles. If the prickers have not been removed, wear a glove on your working hand. Hold the pad firmly with tongs and use a small sharp knife to shave off the little bumps containing the thorns. Leave on as much skin as you can, since it is tasty. (If you should catch a thorn in your hand, press sticky tape over the spot and pull up.) Rinse the paddles well. If the thick base is still attached, cut it off and discard. Cactus pads can be oiled and slowly grilled whole (flavorful but a little chewy). Usually they are cut into ¼ to ¾ inch squares and boiled until tender, then added to salads, beans, and other vegetables.
To Boil: Bring a saucepan of cold salted water to a boil and drop in the pieces, adding a handful of coarsely chopped scallion greens if desired (the greens reduce the mucilaginous quality). Boil, uncovered, until tender but not soft, l0 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness. Drain and rinse several times in cold water until the stickiness is gone. Perhaps in the market you will find a package of paddles that have already been diced. They are fine if they are fresh and not discolored. Cactus paddles have affinities with Tex-Mex and Mexican flavors. Allow about 4 ounces per serving.

CARDOONS
Cardoons are the thick, fleshy stalks of a plant in the Thistle family, very similar to artichokes. The stalks look like very large, coarse, matte-gray celery. The dull color is the result of "blanching" the growing stalks are wrapped and deprived of sunlight for many weeks. Depending on the climate and the care in blanching, a cardoon's flavor can be mild or bittersweet and a little or a lot like artichoke. Depending on the area, cardoons may be available from late spring to late summer, or late winter through early spring. They are grown in California or imported from Italy; look for them in Italian markets. Select crisp, unbruised stalks (the smaller, the better). Wrap the base of the stalks in a moist paper towel and store in a perforated plastic vegetable bag in the refrigerator crisper for up to a week.
To Prepare: First discard any tough stalks, trim off any leaves, and scrape off any strings with a vegetable peeler. Cut stalks into 2 to 3 inch pieces, stopping where the stalk resists the knife. Immediately soak the pieces in water mixed with lemon or lime juice (1 tablespoon juice for every 4 cups) for about 30 minutes. If the pieces are tender, you can serve them raw for dipping, with a sauce for raw vegetables. Because cardoon tends to darken, boiling in water with lemon juice is the preferred basic cooking method; steaming is not recommended.
To Boil: For every 1 pound prepared cardoons, bring to a boil in a large saucepan 8 cups water with the juice of ¾ lemon and 2 ¾ teaspoons salt. Drop in the pieces and boil, uncovered, until the thickest can be pierced with a thin skewer. For tender but still crisp cardoons, boil gently for 15 to 30 minutes; for thoroughly tender pieces, boil for up to 1 hour. Drain well. The pieces can be covered and refrigerated for a few hours. They are delicious sautéed in butter or oil until hot and sprinkled with a grated robust cheese. and they make delectable fritters. Cardoons have all the affinities artichokes do. Allow about 5 stalks for 2 servings.

CARROTS
At the supermarket, buy carrots with their tops on, selecting only those with crisp, bright leaves. The sealed plastic bags in which most carrots are sold may help retain their moisture, but the bag makes selection frustrating. A cross-hatching of orange lines printed on the bag gives the illusion that the carrots are more orange than they are, and bands printed across the top and bottom of the bag cover up the stem ends-first to show signs of spoilage. Unless they have just been set out, loose carrots in an unrefrigerated bin are of the poorest quality of all. Among vegetables, carrots are second only to beets in sugar content. Depending on the variety, large carrots are often sweeter than skinny ones. Avoid carrots tinged with green (green is bitter), those that are cracked (hiding places for microorganisms), those with softness or mold at the stem end,and those that are rubbery or shriveled. Most carrots are treated with pesticide as they grow, so buy organically raised carrots when you can. Store carrots, their green tops twisted off, in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper. Carrots are related to parsley, and their green tops, though apt to be chewy, can be chopped and added to vegetable soup. The greens are perhaps most valuable as an indication of the freshness of the carrots. Store them in their own vegetable bag in the crisper. Cook carrots until tender but still crisp or until fully tender, according to taste. Carrots become sweeter as they cook, which makes them valuable in soups or stews.
Allow about 4 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Having been covered with soil, carrots need a thorough scrubbing with a vegetable brush or a light paring with a vegetable peeler before cooking. Carrots will cook fastest when cut lengthwise in half or in rounds or diagonal slices about ¼ inch thick.
To Boil: For each 1 pound prepared carrots, bring to a boil 16 cups (4 quarts) water with 1 ¾ tablespoons salt in a stockpot. Add the carrots and rapidly return to a boil. Boil, uncovered, until tender but still crisp, 4 to 6 minutes for matchsticks, dice, or slices; 7 to to minutes for halved carrots; or l2 to 15 minutes for whole carrots. Allow a few minutes longer to cook until tender if they are to be mashed.
To Steam: Arrange carrots in a steamer basket. Cover and steam over 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Depending on the number of layers, allow 7 to 10 minutes for matchsticks, dice, and slices; 16 to 20 minutes for halved or whole carrots.
To Microwave: Spread 2 cups sliced carrots in a 1 quart baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender but still crisp, or completely tender, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes.
To Pressure-Cook: Whole large (1 ¼-inch diameter) carrots can be pressure-cooked with 1 cup liquid at 15 pounds pressure for 4 to 8 minutes. Cool the cooker at once.

CAULIFLOWER
Cauliflower's flavor has a lovely nutlike quality beneath a sweet cabbage taste. Like broccoli, it is a cold weather member of the Mustard family. At the farmers' market, you may find cauliflower in its natural cloak of leaves. These shelter the hundreds of tiny flowers from the sun, keeping them snowywhite. If you ever see a patch of gray on a head of cauliflower, it is a spot the sun reached so just trim it off. Select heads that feel firm, whose florets are tightly packed and without a trace of black which would indicate the beginning of spoilage. Loose florets are also a sign of aging. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
Milder in flavor than broccoli, cauliflower still has similar affinities. It is especially good with cheese sauce.
Allow about 4 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: To cut into florets, cut the head in half or quarters, remove the core from each piece, and then cut or break the florets into pieces of the desired size.
To Boil: Cauliflower's flavor is mildest when boiled in a large quantity of water. Bring 16 cups (4 quarts) water, 1 ¾ tablespoons salt to a rolling boil in a stockpot. Add the cauliflower, either whole or separated into florets. If boiling the cauliflower whole, place it in the pot stem side up. Boil, uncovered, until a thin skewer easily pierces the stalk of a whole head, 10 to 15 minutes, or the largest floret is tender but still crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain.
To Steam: Place the cauliflower in a single layer in a steaming basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Cover and cook until tender but still crisp, 6 to 9 minutes for florets, up to 20 minutes for a whole head.
To Microwave: Spread 2 cups florets in a 1 quart baking dish. Add 1 tablespoon stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until crisp-tender or completely tender, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes. Or remove the core and place a whole head in a 2-quart casserole with 2 tablespoons water; cover and cook the same way.

CELERY
When choosing bunches of celery, the lightest color with the shiniest surface will have the finest flavor. Darker green stalks may be stringy. You might find Chinese celery, which has thinner stalks than regular celery and a remarkably intense flavor. Select a well shaped bunch of any celery that is heavy for its size, with moist, bright-colored leaves. Stalks should have no cracks, cuts, bruises, or trimmed patches. Store the whole bunch in a perforated plastic vegetable bag in the refrigerator crisper.
Celery is a flavorful addition to stir-fries. After thawing, frozen celery loses its crispness but can still be useful as a seasoning in cooking. Celery goes well with every sort of cheese, cream, lemon, dill, chives, parsley-and who can resist a stalk filled with peanut butter.
Allow 4 to 5 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Separate the stalks and rinse them well, giving a light scrub to the bases where sand has gathered. Trim off the remnants of the root at the base. Sometimes there will be a soft white heart at the bottom-the cook's treat. Pare off any strings from the surface of outer stalks with a vegetable peeler. The leafy tips starting at the point where each main stalk bursts into multiple stalks may be tougher, but they should not be discarded. Chop the tips up and then toss them into salads and soups and use to flavor stocks. Should stalks be limp after storage (or should you want them to be super crisp, for serving raw) soak them in ice water until they firm up. Unless the bunch is very young and tender, the outer stalks are best used in cooking. The paler center ones, also called the heart, are best served raw.
To Microwave: Cut 1 pound celery stalks into 2 to 3 inch pieces. Place in a 2 quart baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender but still crisp, 8 to 12 minutes, stirring after 4 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes.

CELERY ROOT
More or less round and orange in size, celery root has a daunting appearance which is knobby, grimy, and perhaps tangled at the roots. But beneath the skin is tender, cream-colored flesh with an exquisite nutty taste. An autumn and winter vegetable, celery root is also called celeriac and turnip-rooted celery. Select small to medium knobs, the heaviest for their size. They should have no cuts,bruises, or soft spots. If there are stalks on top, they should be crisp and fresh. You can use the stalks for seasoning. They have the concentrated flavor of Chinese celery. Leave on any stalks and store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
To Prepare: Scrub well all over with a stiff brush under cold running water. Cut off bits of roots. When peeling, have ready a bowl of acidulated water (1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 4 cups cold water) to drop the pieces in, because the flesh discolors when exposed to the air. Using a large stainless steel knife, cut off the top and the bottom. Use a sharp stainless steel paring knife to cut off the thick skin. Cut out any pits and pockets; you can cut the root any way you would a potato.
To Boil: Boiling the whole root in its jacket keeps the creamy color and delicate flavor intact. However, this method is best for small to medium roots because the outside would overcook on a large root. For every 1 pound scrubbed whole unpeeled celery root, bring 12 cups cold water with 1 ¾ tablespoons salt to a boil in a stockpot. Drop in the roots, return to a boil, and cook until easily pierced with a thin skewer, 35 to 45 minutes. Drain. The root can be peeled and prepared for serving at once or wrapped and refrigerated for up to 8 hours.
To boil cut-up pieces, cut each peeled root into 8 wedges and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve at once.
To Steam: Place 1 inch cubes of peeled celery root that have been kept in acidulated water into a steaming basket in a single layer over 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Steam until easily pierced with a thin skewer, 8 to to minutes. If there are several layers, stir once or twice and allow an extra 5 to 10 minutes of cooking time. Serve at once.
Celery root makes marvelous salad dressed with mayonnaise or vinaigrette; use it raw in place of or with cooked potato in salad.
Allow 4 to 5 ounces per serving.

CHARD
When you see the large, ruffled, rich green leaves of Swiss chard at the market, you might imagine they have a flamboyant flavor to match. In fact, chard has a more delicate taste than spinach, and very young chard leaves are as mild as lettuce. The Swiss is a puzzlement; there is nothing Swiss about this close relative of beets. But there is more to this vegetable than leaves. The fleshy ribs can be prepared separately; they taste like earthy celery. Chard leaves may be green with white ribs or burgundy with crimson ribs. Select the bunch with the smallest, crispest, brightest leaves and no yellowing, tears, or holes. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
Chard is best steamed, wilted, sautéed, microwaved, or braised. Dress cooked greens with oil and vinegar or butter and lemon juice. Very young chard can be added to salads, but usually this green is cooked. Cooked stems are excellent with any cream sauce.
Allow about 8 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Separate the stems from the leaves and rinse in warm water. The leaves can be left whole, torn into pieces, or cut into strips by stacking the leaves, rolling them up, and slicing into ¼ to ¾ inch ribbons. Cut chard stems crosswise into ¼ to ¾ inch slices.
To Boil: To retain their bright color, chard greens can be blanched if needed for another use (such as a pasta filling). Cook only 1 pound prepared leaves and stern pieces at a time. Bring 16 cups (4 quarts) water to a rolling boil with 1 ¾ tablespoons salt in a stockpot. Drop in the leaves, rapidly return the water to a boil, then boil, uncovered. For blanching, cook until the leaves are wilted, about 2 minutes; for boiling, cook 3 to 4 minutes for leaves, 5 to 7 minutes for ¾ inch pieces of stems. Scoop the chard out with a strainer. Drain and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
To Wilt: To retain the most nutrients and flavor (although the color will darken), place leaves with the water that clings to them from rinsing in a medium skillet. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt for each pound. Cook, turning the leaves with tongs every few seconds, for 3 to 4 minutes, then cover the pan and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes more.
To Steam: Whole leaves can be steamed, covered, in steamer basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water until tender but still crisp, about 8 minutes. Stem pieces take 8 to 10 minutes to steam until tender but still crisp.
To Braise: Bring to a boil 4 cups of water or stock and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium skillet. Add 1 pound prepared chard leaves and cook, covered, until tender but still crisp,3 to 6 minutes. Dress with oil and vinegar or with butter.
To Microwave: Coarsely chop 1 pound leafy greens and spread in a 3 quart baking dish. Cover and cook on high until tender but still crisp, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, still covered, for 2 minutes. If not tender enough for your taste, finish cooking in a skillet in a little olive oil. Serve sprinkled with fresh lemon juice.

CHAYOTE
Pear shaped and pale or apple green, chayote is a tropical form of summer squash. Also called mirliton and christophene, the squash has deep lengthwise ridges and a large center seed, like an avocado. The harder the squash and the darker the green, the better the flavor will be. Chayote keeps for up to 1 month unwrapped in a cool, dark, dry place. It also can be stored in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper, but for only 1 week.Chayote has good quality when frozen.
Allow ¾ squash per serving.
To Prepare: If the chayote is small, its skin will not be tough and will not require peeling. If the skin is thick, pare the chayote with a vegetable peeler, working under running water to prevent being irritated by the sticky substance just under the skin, which disappears in cooking. Use a sharp paring knife to cut out the skin in the ridges. Cut off the stem and halve the squash lengthwise to remove the seed.
To Boil: For every 1 pound prepared chayotes, bring 5 cups cold water with a generous 1 ¾ teaspoons salt to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Add the chayotes and boil gently, uncovered, until tender but still firm, about 45 minutes for halves, 30 minutes for lengthwise quarters, 20 minutes for ¾-inch-thick slices.
To Steam: Place chayotes in a steamer basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water and cover. Steam until tender when pierced with a thin skewer, to to 15 minutes for halves, or 4 to 6 minutes for ¼-inch-thick slices.
To Microwave: Place peeled ¼ inch thick slices of 1 chayote in a 2 quart baking dish. Add 3 tablespoons stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender or crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes.

CHESTNUTS
With their smooth, creamy texture and rich, earthy taste, chestnuts traditionally have been served as a vegetable. The flattish, plum-sized nuts with glossy brown shells are harvested in fall. Soon their starch turns to sugar, which gives them their characteristic sweetness. Refrigerate in perforated plastic bags. Chestnuts are always cooked before serving, having been peeled first.
One pound chestnuts yields a little more than 8 ounces peeled, or 2 cups.
To Prepare: Use the tip of a sharp paring knife to cut an X on the flat side of each nut. Drop into a pot of boiling water, let the water return to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Remove a few nuts at a time and peel off the outer shell and inner papery layers. If some resist peeling, return them to the pot to soak longer. Reboil if necessary. Now the chestnuts are ready to be cooked.
To Boil: Place peeled whole chestnuts in a large, heavy skillet or saucepan. For every 1 pound, add 5 cups boiling water and 1 ¾ teaspoons salt. Return to a boil, and boil, uncovered, until easily pierced with a thin skewer, 30 to 40 minutes. Milk (and no salt) can be used if the chestnuts will be sweetened, or stock can be used if the chestnuts will be in a savory dish. Place chestnuts in a buttered baking dish, cover with stock, cover the dish, and bake at 325°F until tender, about 1 hour.

COLLARD GREENS
Collards' large, smooth, dark green leaves have a flavor somewhere between cabbage or kale and turnip greens, fellow members of the Mustard family. Depending on their size and age, they can be mild and sweet or mustardy. Collards do not form a head but grow on stalks that are too tough to eat. The leaves cook fairly quickly. Choose crisp bunches with no yellow or torn leaves. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
Allow about 8 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: After rinsing in lukewarm water, strip the leaves from the inedible stalks. Stack the leaves, roll them up, and slice into very thin strips for fastest cooking or cut into wider ribbons and then chop.
To Boil: Follow the method for mustard greens, and cook the prepared leaves until tender but not mushy, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the age and thickness of the leaves. Baby greens will cook very quickly. Drain.
To Braise: Follow the method for mustard greens, and cook the prepared leaves until tender but not mushy, 12 to 15 minutes, though baby greens will cook very quickly. Drain.
To Microwave: In a 3 quart baking dish, place 1 ¼ pounds whole leaves with the water that clings to them from rinsing. Cover and cook on high until tender, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for a minutes.

CORN
The variety of corn we call sweet corn, which nowadays is the only type we eat fresh, has undergone radical change, becoming sweeter every year. Corn geneticists have engineered a bundle of sugar-enhanced and supersweet hybrids that are designed to remain sweet and nonstarchy while shipped and stored for supermarket sales. That is why we now get fresh supermarket corn, grown commercially in Florida, all winter long. Compared to most summer corn, winter corn lacks moisture, creaminess, tenderness, and all signs of just picked freshness. Even these qualities, it must be added, vary widely in fresh summer corn, according to the variety. Use fresh winter corn, then, as an alternative to frozen or canned corn rather than as a substitute for fresh summer corn, which is in a category of its own.
We recommend that you give fresh ears of corn no more than a quick dip in a large quantity of boiling water, just long enough to heat them but short enough to keep them sweet, crisp, and tender.
Popcorn is a different subspecies from sweet corn. It dries in a way that encloses a dot of moisture in the kernel's center. When the kernel gets hot enough, the moisture dries suddenly, causing the kernel to explode.
To Prepare: First remove the husks and silks. To remove kernels from the cob, hold the ear firmly with the bottom end placed on a counter or in a shallow soup bowl to keep the kernels from splattering. If you want to retain the shape and texture of the whole kernel, cut straight down the cob with a sharp knife, cutting two or three rows at a time. If you are after the inner creaminess of the kernel, cut off just the tops of the kernels. Then, with the back of your knife, scrape down the cob to press out the base of the kernels and the corn "milk,"which gives body and moisture to corn purees and creamy corn dishes. It is impossible to estimate precisely the cup volume of kernels per ear of corn because corn varies so widely. To err on the side of caution, in our recipes we have adopted the formula of one ear corn to equal ¾ cup kernels.
To Microwave: Place 1 to 4 unhusked ears parallel on the turntable, alternating tips and ends. Cook on high until you can smell the corn, 6 to 9 minutes for 2 ears, 12 to 14 for 3 or 4 ears. For 3 or 4 ears, rotate the ear(s) in the center with those on the outside halfway through cooking. After cooking, cover with a folded dish towel and let stand for 5 minutes. Use a fresh towel to protect your hands from the steamy husks when shucking the corn.
To Pop Corn: Stove top: heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Add 1 corn kernel. When it pops, add ¼ cup popcorn, cover, and reduce the heat to medium. Shake the pan nonstop until the corn stops popping. At once dump it into a bowl.
Microwave: add ¼ cup popcorn to a large bowl with a lid (lid must have holes in it) and microwave on high for about 3 minutes depending on your microwave.
Yield is about 7 cups popped corn.
The secret of fully popped corn is moisture in the kernels. If ¼ cup kernels yields 5 cups or less, add 1 tablespoon water to a 1 pound jar of the same kernels, shake well, and store in a cool, dry place for a few days before popping again.
Grilled: Soak ears of corn in their husks in cold water for 2 to 3 hours before putting them on the grill. For a stronger grilled or roasted taste, do not soak the ears. Do not worry about removing the silks, for they will come off later with the husks. Lay the ears directly on a hot grill rack, on ash-covered coals, or on a rack in a 450°F oven. Grill, turning the ears with a pair of tongs so that they roast evenly on all sides, for 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the heat.
Roasted: This method steams the ears inside a foil wrapper. Remove the husks and silks from 1 to 2 ears of corn per person. Rub lightly with a savory flavored butter or oil or sauce. Wrap each ear in aluminum foil. Bake in a 450°F oven turning a few times for 8 to 10 minutes.
Corn On The Cob: Allow 1 to 3 ears per person, depending on appetites. Today's corn needs only to be warmed through. If you immerse but 2 or 3 ears at a time in a large amount of boiling water, so that the water stays at a boil, a dip of only 30 to 60 seconds is enough to heat the ears. Sweet corn should be firm but tender to the bite. If you want it slightly softer and more cooked, leave the ears in the water for 2 to 3 minutes but no more.
Husk the corn and remove the silks if you like, but it is prefered to boil corn in the husks. Remove only the thickest outside husks to leave a tight covering inside, which steams the ear within and intensifies the corn flavor. You do not need to remove the silks first because once heated, they will come off with the remaining husks. Remove only the coarsest outside husks from fresh ears of sweet corn.
Drop them 1 at a time into a large pot of boiling water. Cook for at least 30 seconds or up to 3 minutes. Remove from the water with tongs, then strip back the husks, if you have left them on, leaving them attached to the ends of the cobs. Pile the ears on a platter and enjoy.

CUCUMBERS
These quenching vegetables (about 96 percent water) are cucurbitas, part of a huge family that includes squashes. They may be field or hothouse grown, long and slender or stubby or round, and nearly seedless or filled with seeds. We eat them when they are green and immature. The round lemon cucumber, however, we eat when mature and pale yellow. Pickling cucumbers, by contrast, have thick skins and have been bred to keep their crispness and to absorb liquid especially well. Small gherkins and cornichons are just pickling cucumbers bred to taste good when picked at the baby stage. West Indian gherkins, however, are a different subspecies; sometimes called prickly fruited gherkins, they are olive shaped and covered with soft spines, and they make excellent pickles. Cucumbers' season is summer and early autumn, although they are nearly always in the market. Because slicing cucumbers are very often waxed, you may have to peel the skin. Select only cucumbers that are a rich green and completely sound and firm (no soft spots, bruises, cuts, or withered places). Lemon cucumbers should be about 2 inches in diameter with yellow-green skin. Usually the smallest cucumbers will be the least mature and therefore will have the smallest seeds. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
To Prepare: If you leave the skin on, an attractive finish for slicing is to run a salad fork down the length of the cucumber all around. Although the seeds are tender and a source of fiber, you may wish to remove them. Halve the cucumber lengthwise and scrape them out with the tip of a spoon. If a sample of the cucumber tastes bitter, cut off the ends and peel it. Sprinkle cider vinegar all over it, then add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar. Let stand for up to 30 minutes, then rinse well. Europeans enjoy cooked cucumbers much more often than we do. The texture and flavor of a cooked cucumber is tender and mild.
Cucumbers go well with sour cream, yogurt, raw onions, and fresh tomatoes, and they are particularly delicious flavored with lemon, vinegar, soy sauce, dill, chervil, cumin, basil, parsley, tarragon, oregano, mint, lemon grass, garlic, and toasted sesame seeds.
Allow ¾ medium cucumber per serving.

EGGPLANT
Eggplants are native to Africa and Asia, and in many parts of those continents, they have come to be regarded as a satisfying substitute for meat. The soft, sweet flesh holds its shape when carefully cooked and is compatible with all sorts of sauces and seasonings. In this country, eggplant once meant the beautiful inky-purple teardrop and globe-shaped fruits so beloved in the south of France and Italy. Influenced by these cuisines, we acquired the habit of sprinkling the slices with salt before cooking, to draw out excess moisture and bitter juices from the flesh. Traditionally eggplant was fried to brown it (browning enhances its color and deepens its flavor). A great deal of oil is needed in frying, because the flesh soaks up oil at an astonishing rate. Nowadays, many cooks brown eggplant in a veil of oil, and only older eggplants are bitter; avoid these by not buying any whose flesh does not bounce back when lightly pressed. If young eggplants are not available, do salt sliced eggplant (instructions are below). Otherwise, today salting is rarely necessary. Asian eggplants, which are easily identifiable by their large, plump zucchini shape, and standard eggplants come in beautiful shades of purple, green, and white. Breeders are giving us smaller and smaller sizes of both types. As a group, Asian eggplants have thinner skin, creamier flesh, and fewer and smaller seeds, and they are more perishable than the standard sort. A third group of eggplants is available in markets with a Thai and Vietnamese clientele. These eggplants may resemble a bunch of green grapes, red fluted tomatoes, cream-colored eggs, or bright green-and-white-striped plums. Small ones can be very seedy and therefore crunchy. Red ones can be exceedingly bitter. Egg shapes may have the tender skin and flesh of Asian eggplants, or be relatively tough and bitter.
Eggplants may be available year round, but their peak season is midsummer to midautumn. Select eggplants of whatever sort that are heavy for their size, with taut skin, a fresh, green cap and stem, and not a single soft spot, cut, or bruise. In standard and Asian types, the skin should be glossy (Thai eggplants have a matte finish). As a rule, small to medium eggplants are the choicest, being the youngest. Store unwrapped in a cool place or in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper. Be careful not to bruise eggplant, for its skin can be fragile. Standard and Asian eggplants can be used interchangeably in recipes. All eggplants are tastiest baked, grilled, sautéed, and braised, and large standard eggplants make good shells for stuffing and baking.
Allow about 5 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Trim stems. Leave the skin on, unless it is thick or unless the flesh will be mashed or pureed. If the skin is tough, peel with a thin, sharp knife. Cut into slices, cubes, or halves. Eggplant discolors when cut with a carbon-steel knife, so use a stainless steel one and cook in a nonreactive pan.
To Salt: If the eggplant seems old and the flesh is dark, it may need salting to draw out bitterness. Generously sprinkle pieces (cut as called for in the recipe) with coarse salt. Place them in a nonreactive colander and let drain for 30 to 60 minutes. Turn onto a thick towel and gently press out excess moisture. Lightly rub the pieces in the towel to rub off the salt and dry them.
To Brown Eggplant: Brush a cast-iron skillet with a film of oil, and heat until hot but not smoking over medium-high heat. Add cubes and smallish slices of eggplant and toss and turn with a pancake turner until nicely browned. Or brush cut pieces with oil, arrange on an oiled baking sheet, and brown in a 400°F oven until they are the color you wish.
To Microwave: For puree, cut several deep slits in the skin of a whole 1 pound eggplant with a knife tip. Place in a baking dish. Cover and cook on high until tender, 6 to 8 minutes, turning it over after 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes. To microwave ¾ inch thick slices for use in casseroles and other dishes, arrange in a single layer on a paper towel lined plate and season as desired. Microwave, uncovered, on high to desired tenderness, about 6 minutes per 8 ounces. Let stand for 2 minutes.

FENNEL
A bulb of fennel looks like a bunch of celery with a wide, round base. The individual stalks, which are plaited, are broad and thin, while the tops are round and fleshy. Fennel leaves are ferny, and the flavor of the whole plant is like licorice. (Some markets label it anise, which it is not.) Fennel is a rare cool-weather vegetable (it is harvested from midautumn through midspring). Select sparkling white bulbs with crisp, bright greens (no cuts, dark patches, or bruises). The rounder bulbs seem to be more tender than those that are really flat. Store in a perforated plastic vegetable bag in the refrigerator crisper.
To Prepare: To separate the stalks, cut off the base where they are connected, then pull the stalks apart gently. To cut the bulb into wedges, trim the base no more than necessary, then carefully quarter the bulb lengthwise. If left exposed to the air for very long, the flesh can discolor. Either rub cut parts with a lemon half or place for no longer than 30 minutes in cold water mixed with a splash of vinegar.
Fennel's feathery leaves make a nice garnish or can be chopped and used as an herb. The top round stalks can be added to a stock for seasoning (they are usually too tough to eat). Fennel is good raw, dipped in light sauces, and it is a lovely addition to all sorts of salads. It is best roasted, braised, grilled, and sautéed. Or it can be lightly simmered in a seasoned stock.
Note that if you wish to grow fennel, select Florence fennel for the edible bulb; common fennel will give you tasty leaves and, ultimately, fennel seeds, but the stalks are liable to be very tough and stringy.
Allow about ¾ bulb per serving.
To Boil: Bring to a boil 16 cups (4 quarts) stock or water and 1 ¾ tablespoons salt in a stockpot. Add 2 to 3 bulbs of prepared fennel and cook until tender when tested with a thin skewer or knife tip; it should still have a hint of crispness. This will take about 4 to 6 minutes for ¼ inch thick slices, 6 to 8 minutes for ¾-inch-thick slices, 10 to 15 minutes for quarters, and 15 to 20 minutes for large whole bulbs.
To Blanch: Use this method when the bulb needs to be softened but will require further cooking. Follow the boiling method, using whole bulbs only, and cook for 9 to 10 minutes. Drain.

GARLIC AND ELEPHANT GARLIC
Fresh crops of garlic come to market from California in summer and from Mexico in spring, but this member of the Onion (and thus of the Lily) family is available all year. Choose plump, firm heads of cloves with tight, papery skins that may be white, purplish, or tinged with red. Store away from light at room temperature. Avoid using cloves with brown spots or green sprouts (they are past their prime). The bunches of green garlic you may find at the farmers' market are garlic at the immature stage (just as scallions are the immature stage of cooking onions). The flavor of the immature bulbs and tender green leaves is exquisite. Prepare and store it as you would scallions, but use as you would garlic.
Elephant garlic is not true garlic but a form of leek. Its white or purple skinned cloves are the size of brazil nuts, and their flavor is mild enough not to require cooking. Peel the cloves as you would,an onion and use as you would garlic.
To Peel: To loosen the skin from a true garlic clove, lay the clove on a board and press down gently but firmly with the side of a large, heavy knife. The skin will burst and is easily pulled off. Or use a tubular garlic peeler, available in kitchen supply stores; simply put a clove or two in the tube and roll on a hard surface. The skin comes right off and often stays behind in the peeler.
To Mince: Slice a peeled clove lengthwise, cut through once or twice horizontally, then chop crosswise into very fine pieces.
To Mash to a Paste: Hold the blade almost flat against the minced pieces and crush them while pulling the knife back and forth through the pulp until it becomes as smooth as you can make it. Although a garlic press is wasteful (because some of the clove remains in it) it must be used when raw garlic is part of a very smooth mixture and even mincing and mashing is not fine enough.
To Press: Crush the garlic clove through a garlic press.
To Cook: Garlic becomes milder when cooked. Blanch unpeeled cloves in a small pot of boiling water until tender; peel and continue with the recipe. When sautéing, beware of burning garlic, which will make it strong and acrid. Whole heads of garlic, roasted with all but their outermost papery skin intact, turn soft and sweet enough to be spread on bread. You also can squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins and spread over grilled or roasted meats for delicious seasoning, or use them in salad dressings and pasta sauces.
Garlic has great freshness when frozen as a paste, and cloves dry very well. When used with a light hand, garlic can enhance nearly every savory food.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES, OR SUNCHOKES
These knobby little tubers taste something like artichoke hearts, although they are not artichokes at all; when raw, they are as crisp as jicama and water chestnuts. Their season is late fall through midspring. Select the smoothest tubers (some varieties are scarcely knobby at all), with tight-fitting skins of uniform color, firm and free of discoloration or mold. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper. Jerusalem artichokes are delicious raw in salads or on a raw vegetable tray. They are also good steamed, stir-fried, sautéed, braised, and roasted. Be vigilant when cooking them, because they can turn to mush in an instant.
To Prepare: Whenever possible, leave the skin on, since most of the nutrients lie just beneath it. The flesh of Jerusalem artichokes discolors quickly. Use a stainless-steel knife and toss pieces with an acidic dressing immediately if you plan to serve them in salad, or keep in acidulated water (1 tablespoon vinegar mixed with 4 cups cold water) for up to 30 minutes before cooking.
To Cook: Do not cook the tubers in aluminum or iron, as these metals also discolor their flesh. With their neutral flavor, Jerusalem artichokes are compatible with most flavors, in the manner of potatoes. They are especially good with lemon and tar-ragon but can also be glazed like carrots . Allow about 4 ounces per serving.

JICAMA
The uninspiring appearance of a jicama (like a rough, brown-skinned turnip) belies its sweet, water-crisp, white flesh. Because its flesh holds its color and texture, jicama is a favorite for the raw vegetable tray and salad bowl. It is best quickly cooked. Jicamas are shipped from Mexico or warm parts of the USA all year. Select small to medium tubers that are uniformly hard, heavy for their size, with no sign of shriveling or drying. Store unpeeled and unwrapped in the refrigerator crisper.
Jicama's mild sweetness needs the contrast of lime, lemon, or orange juice. It also has an affinity with ground red pepper or hot pepper sauce.
Allow about 4 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Before serving, scrub well, then use a sharp stainless-steel paring knife to peel (the thin skin pulls right off). Next, remove the thin, fibrous layer beneath. Cut into slices, wedges, cubes, or matchsticks.

KALE
Kale deserves to be appreciated as much as spinach. Its crisp, curled, crinkly, or deeply cut leaves (in dark green, blue-green, or purple-red) have a rich but delicate cabbage taste and hold their texture in cooking. Select crisp, moist bunches with no torn or yellowing leaves. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
Allow about 8 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Rinse in lukewarm water, then strip the greens from the stems and discard the stems. Stack the greens, roll up, and slice into ribbons. Thin, tender ribbons can go in salads.
To Boil: Follow the method for mustard greens, and cook prepared leaves until tender but not mushy, 6 to 8 minutes for thin leaves, 18 to 25 minutes for densely curled leaves. Baby leaves will cook very quickly. Begin testing for doneness early, do not overcook. Drain.
To Braise: Follow the method for mustard greens, and cook prepared leaves until tender but not mushy. The timing will depend upon the thickness of the leaves, from 7 to 8 minutes for thin leaves to 20 to 25 minutes for densely curled leaves. Baby greens will cook very quickly. Drain.
To Microwave: Spread 1 pound Kale in a 2 quart baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender but still crisp, 8 to 12 minutes, stirring after 4 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes.

KOHLRABI
Kohlrabis look like vegetables at an early stage of evolution (hard green or magenta turnips, with cabbagey leaves on long stems sprouting out all over them). The word kohlrabi means "cabbage turnip" in German, and kohlrabis are related to cabbage. However, kohlrabi is neither a root nor a leafy vegetable but a swollen stem. They grow perched on top of the ground, and their flavor is not earthy but that of a delicate, sweet, nut-flavored cabbage. Young leaves are also sweet but have a slightly stronger taste of cabbage. Kohlrabis season is summer through autumn. Select them plum sized or smaller, with leaves attached if possible, and firm, unblemished, with glowing colors. Snip off the stalks and store with the bulbs in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper. The quality of frozen kohlrabi is acceptable.
Allow ¾ small kohlrabi bulb per serving.
To Prepare: Tender bulbs do not need peeling. Shreds are wonderful in salad, as are kohlrabi sticks (cut like carrot sticks) on the raw vegetable tray. Just scrub and trim the bulb evenly. The stalks are nippy, like radishes, and also can be chopped for salads.
To Boil: For 1 pound prepared kohlrabi, bring 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt to a rolling boil in a large saucepan. Add the kohlrabi, return to a boil, and cook until tender but still crisp, 7 to 9 minutes for matchsticks, 9 to 10 minutes for ¼ inch thick slices.
To Steam: Place the prepared kohlrabi in a steamer basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Cover and cook until tender but still crisp, 9 to 11 minutes for matchsticks, 12 to 14 minutes for ¼ inch thick slices. If more than 1 layer, stir occasionally and allow a few extra minutes.
To Cook Leaves: If you are lucky enough to find kohlrabi with the leaves still attached, they can be cooked like mustard greens. Cut the leaves into ribbons and cook until tender, 10 to 20 minutes, depending on age and thickness. Drain.
To Microwave: Spread 1 pound kohlrabi slices in a 2 quart baking dish. Add ¼ cup stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender but still crisp or completely tender, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes.

LEEKS
Looking like enormous scallions with flat rather than hollow leaves, leeks are an ancient member of the Onion family, milder and sweeter than any others in the clan. Leeks are in season from fall to spring, but they are in the market most of the year. When leeks start to send up flowers in spring, their centers become solid and inedible, but the outside leaves are still useful. When buying a bunch, try to choose leeks all the same size, preferably small. Be sure the leaves are bright, crisp, and not torn and the white parts are not discolored. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
Wild leeks, also called ramps, are harvested in spring. They can be cooked like cultivated leeks but smell much stronger until the heat mellows them. Store wild leeks tightly wrapped in plastic to contain their aroma. Slender leeks are especially nice sliced into salads, grilled and served hot, or steamed and served at room temperature.'I'hicker leeks are wonderful braised or in soups and stews. Be careful not to overcook leeks, as the layers are very thin.
Allow 10 to 12 ounces untrimmed leeks per serving.
To Julienne or Slice: Trim off the root and the dark green leaves; if the pale green part is tender, leave about 1 inch attached to the white part. For julienne, cut the leek lengthwise in half, then cut the halves into 2 inch lengths and slice lengthwise for julienne. For slices, cut the halves crosswise into half slices.
To Wash: The layers of a leek can contain dirt, since the white stalks are "blanched," buried in earth to keep them pale. Swish julienned or sliced leeks in a large bowl of cool water. Let them stand a few minutes while the dirt falls to the bottom, then lift them out with a strainer. Repeat if there is a lot of dirt left in the bowl. If you are using leeks that are simply halved lengthwise, soak them in water for 15 minutes to loosen the dirt,gently swish them around, and rinse under cool water, fanning the leaves open as you rinse if they are really dirty.
To Steam: Leeks of any thickness can be steamed whole, trimmed to the white bulb, or halved, sliced, or julienned. Arrange prepared pieces in a steamer basket in a single layer over 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Steam, covered, until a thin skewer easily pierces the thickest part. Depending on thickness and age, steaming times will be 10 to 25 minutes for whole leeks, 6 to 8 minutes for halves, and 3 to 5 minutes for slices or whole baby leeks. Begin testing for doneness early, as they overcook quickly.
To Microwave: Place 1 pound halved leeks in a single layer in a 2 quart baking dish with the water that clings to them from rinsing. Cover and cook on high until softened, 3 to 4 minutes, turning the leeks over after about 1 ¾ minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes.

LOTUS ROOT
The lotus plant is a tropical water lily that grows throughout Asia. Its sensuous, peony-like pink or white flowers, buds, large waxy leaves, and brown seeds can all be eaten. But it is the crisp, fine-grained rhizome (commonly called root) that is cooked in many ways in China and Japan. A plump oblong (5 to 8 inches long and about 2 ¾ inches wide), the rhizome is perforated with air holes (a crosswise slice looks like an ivory carving). Lotus rhizomes are in Asian markets year round. Select firm, buff-colored pieces without soft spots, blemishes, or bruises. Size has no effect on texture or flavor. Store the roots in a cool, dark place as you would potatoes; they will not keep as long.
To Prepare: The flesh darkens rapidly when exposed to the air, so have a bowl of acidulated water ready (4 cups water mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar). Pare off the skin, then slice and drop into the water. Cook quickly. For example, stir-fry thin slices until they begin to soften. Sprinkle with sake, soy sauce, and sugar, and stir over medium heat until tender. Season with red pepper flakes and serve with rice. Check Chinese and Japanese cookbooks for detailed recipes on lotus root.

MUSHROOMS
Mushrooms lend both elegance and earthiness to a dish. While we are grateful for the abundance of cultivated small button mushrooms, wild mushrooms have considerably more character, and an assortment of them is available in specialty groceries and supermarkets. Choose mushrooms that are heavy for their size, with dry, firm caps and stems, nothing damp or shriveled, no dark or soft spots, and all close to the same size. If the gills are open, the mushrooms are more mature and their flavor will be stronger, and with a wild mushroom, this may be a plus. Open-gilled mushrooms should be used as soon as possible. White button or commercial mushrooms are rounded, plump, creamy, and mild. Select only those with closed caps. If they are very small, use them whole.
Allow 4 to 5 ounces per serving.
Caution! A number of poisonous forms of wild mushrooms, during various stages of their development, resemble edible forms. Take the time to become familiar with the mushrooms you wish to pick (accompany someone you are absolutely sure is an experienced forager until you know your mushrooms as well as he or she does).
Cepes also called porcini or boletes, look like very large button mushrooms with thick stalks and reddish caps. They are among the tastiest of wild mushrooms, something to enjoy simply in a risotto or sauté of mixed mushrooms. Brush large ones with olive oil and lemon juice and broil or grill as you would meat. Look for fresh porcini in late spring and fall.
Chanterelles, or girolles resemble a curving trumpet. Their golden or orange-brown caps and slender stems can hint of apricots or be delicately earthy. They have an affinity with cream, whether over toast, pasta, chicken, or polenta. The similarly shaped black mushrooms variously called black trumpets, horns of plenty, or trumpets of death are closely related and similar in taste but have thinner flesh. Both are gathered from summer into winter.
Creminis, or Italian browns are the same as button mushrooms, only grown outdoors and bigger. They have light brown caps and a naturally more developed flavor.
Enoki are as slender as bean sprouts and, with their tiny dots of caps, look like an ivory sea creature. They are a pretty salad ingredient, adding a faintly sweet taste. They are also lovely barely heated and served in broth. To use, trim off the, spongy base and separate the strands.
Morels are small, with dark brown, conical, sponge-like caps. The honeycombed surface that allows them to soak up sauces can also harbor sand. Swish morels around in a bowl of water, being sure to pat them dry thoroughly before using. Morels have a special affinity with tender young vegetables.
Oyster mushrooms can be cultivated or wild. They grow in clusters of small fanshaped caps with short stems, cream colored to grayish brown. Their texture is smooth, and their flavor can have a touch of the sea.
Portobellos are cultivated mushrooms, full-blown creminis (above). They are generous in size (up to 6 inches wide), meaty, and robustly flavored (although they have no wild taste). Their open gills and large, flat caps make them naturals for grilling and broiling. They are also useful in sautés.
Shiitakes are umbrella shaped, brown or brownish black. They are cultivated on logs and have a distinctive earthy taste. Save the tough stems to siminer in stock.
Wood or cloud ear mushrooms are the dark, very thin, almost crunchy mushrooms that give so many, Chinese dishes a subtly woodsy taste. Unlike other fresh mushrooms, these should look damp. They are available in Asian markets.
To Store: Wrap unwashed mushrooms in a loosely closed paper bag or wrap loosely in damp paper towels. Leave packaged mushrooms in their unopened package. Store on a refrigerator shelf, not in the crisper (too much moisture hastens spoilage).
To Prepare: Clean mushrooms with a soft brush or wipe with a damp cloth. Or if the mushrooms are truly grimy, rinse them quickly under cold running water and pat dry. Never soak mushrooms because their delicate tissues will absorb water. If desired, slice 1/8 inch off the bottom of the stems to refresh them but do not discard the flavorful stems. If only caps are called for in a recipe, cut the stem flush with the cap. Either chop the stems fairly fine, toss them until lightly browned in a little butter, and add them to the dish or use within a day to flavor something else. As a general rule, use intense heat when cooking mushrooms, and cook just enough to lightly brown them and heat them through. The best methods are sautéing, stir-frying (for 3 to 4 minutes), grilling, and broiling.
To Brown: When mushrooms are to be added to a soup or stew, never add them raw. Mushrooms simmered from the raw state always seem to have a raw flavor. Bring out their flavor by browning them first in a little butter or oil, tossing them in a skillet over high heat just until you can smell them. To brown without fat, heat a cast-iron skillet very hot. Add whole small mushrooms, quarters, or large slices and stir over high heat without stopping until the pieces have lightly browned. Remove at once. Be sure to scrape all pan juices into the dish.
To Use Dried Mushrooms: Dried mushrooms provide intensified mushroom flavor in a sauce, soup, or stew. Soak dried mushrooms in lukewarm water to cover until softened, at least 15 minutes, then rinse well and remove the hard stems. To make a stock base for a sauce or stew, simmer dried mushrooms for an hour in stock or water to cover by several inches with a pinch each of salt and sugar. Strain the soaking liquid through a damp coffee filter, paper towel, or cheese-cloth to remove sand.

MUSTARD GREENS
This term technically applies to all leafy greens in the Mustard family, but usually it refers to whatever mustard greens happen to have been grown and offered for sale. Their season is January through April, although many may be available other times of the year. Mustards with broad, smooth leaves loosely formed in heads are called broadleaf mustards; they are pungent, whether mustardy or sweet. Coarse, large leaves with pinked edges are common, or leaf, mustards; their flavor is the mildest of the greens. Fringed and curled leaves are called curled mustards, and their flavor is spicy hot. YOU can add tender leaves to salads or cook them like chard, but it is best to mix there with milder greens for balance. Select them as you do other greens; look for crisp, bright leaves with no yellowing or tears. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
Allow about 8 ounces per serving.
To Prepare and Cook: Preparation and cooking methods are the same as for others in the family-collards, kale, and turnip greens. Timing varies, because some leaves are tender and some are tough. See each recipe for specific cooking times.
To Boil: Bring 16 cups (4 quarts) water and 1 ¾ tablespoons salt to a rolling boil in a stockpot. Add 1 to 1 ¾ pounds prepared mustard greens and quickly bring the water back to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until tender but not mushy, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the age and thickness of the leaves. Baby greens will cook very quickly. Drain.
To Braise: Bring 4 cups water or stock and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium skillet with lid. Add 1 pound mustard leaves and turn them with a pair of tongs until they wilt down and fit easily in the pan. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender but not mushy, 9 to 11 minutes, depending on age and thickness. Baby greens will cook very quickly. Drain.

OKRA
The okra pods beloved in the South are the young seedpods of a beautiful plant related to hollyhocks and hibiscus (okra blossoms are edible). Southerners know that okra can be cooked in two ways with distinctly different results. Whole pods, untouched by a knife, are steamed or sautéed for just 3 to 5 minutes. The pods emerge tender but still crisp and full of rich flavor. The pods are not gummy, repeat, are not sticky, slimy, or gummy. For a soup or stew, the pods are cut into thick slices so they can release their sweet mucilaginous ingredient for a natural thickening. The secret to superb eating is to choose pods no longer than your little finger. Pods should be heavy for their size, moist and plump, blemish free, with stems intact. Do not cook okra pods in an aluminum, iron, or unlined copper pot. Small pods and sliced large pods can be deep fried.
Allow 4 to 5 ounces per serving.

ONIONS
As they are one of the most versatile seasonings it pays to know your onions.
Fresh Onions
The most common fresh onions are scallions, called green onions in some parts of the country. They are essentially seedling onions, long, slender, and supple. Their white parts may be sweet or hot, but their hollow bright green leaves are generally sweet (a good substitute for chives. There are white, yellow, and red scallions, but the flesh of most is white, no matter what the skin color. Scallions are available year round. Bunching onions are a different type of green onion. They may look like scallions at first glance, but scallions have slightly rounded bulbs at the roots, while bunching onions are straight as an arrow. There are Japanese and Welsh bunching onions. Both produce meaty stalks that are superb in cooking, especially grilled or broiled. Their flavor is slightly more bitter than common scallions. For any scallions or bunching onions, select those with the crispest leaves with no yellowing or tears, and with shiny, bright, clean stalks. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper. Sweet onions are mostly grown during the winter in warm climates. They are full size but do not keep well. Sweet onions also tend to be juicy, and their moisture content adds to their perishability. Here are the Vidalias, Granos, Granexes, and lvlauis you can eat raw with pleasure in spring. (So-called Bermuda onions are in this group too.) Washington State's Walla Wallas are in season in July and August. Use crisp sweet onions in salads and sandwiches and as a garnish. Sometimes they are referred to as slicing onions, in contrast to cooking onions, which follow. Due to their sugar content, sweet onions caramelize beautifully when simmered but be careful that they do not scorch. However you use them, do so within a few days of purchase. Select only firm, crisp, unblemished onions and store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
Dried or Storage Onions
The yellow, red, and white onions at the supermarket from pearl to baseball in size have been cured, that is, dried. After reaching maturity, they are harvested and spread out in the air. As their skins dry to translucence, the hollow centers at their necks close tight, sealing them against spoilage. Although an onion just pulled from the earth is juicier, a dried onion's flavor is more concentrated. These onions are also sharper tasting. Dried onions are ready in autumn, but they will keep for months. Pearl and boiling onions are common large onions harvested when tiny or small. They may be white, red, or yellow. To peel, pour boiling water over them and let cool. Use a knife to cut off the roots, pull off the skin, then cut a shallow X in the root end. This will hold the outer layers together in cooking. Snip off any leaves on top. You can soak the onions in ice water to cover for 30 minutes at this point if you want to crisp them. Small onions were made to be swathed in white sauces. Cooking onions are the common medium to large yellow, red, and white onions that never fail us at the market and, when cooking, send up one of the kitchen's most seductive aromas. Skin color has less to do with the flavor of a cooking onion than its variety and where it was grown. Very generally speaking, yellow onions are richly flavored but on the sharp side when raw. Most sweeten beautifully when carefully cooked. White onions are often pungent when raw (sometimes breathtakingly so) but there are mild varieties like White Sweet Spanish. In some parts of the country, Spanish is understood to mean a very large, mild, yellow onion. Actually, breeders can attach the word Spanish to mild onions of every size and color. Red onions are usually on the sweet side and can be cooked the same way as most yellow and white onions. As a class, they do not store as well. Some red onions are red only down through the first layer; when you find a market that stocks onions that are red through and through, stick with them. Cooking onions of all kinds should be tightly closed and very firm, without soft spots or black, powdery patches of mold. To store dried onions, spread them out (do not heap) in a cool, dry place. Keep them away from potatoes, which give off moisture that hastens spoilage. Wrap cut onions tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate in the vegetable crisper.
Allow 4 to 5 ounces per serving if served on their own.
To Prepare: Tears can be reduced by chilling onions before peeling or by peeling them under runningwater and chopping them in the food processor. Hand chopping, however, keeps pieces drier and more uniform in size. To peel, use the tip of a sharp paring knife to pull the skin off the onion, then pull off any membrane beneath. To cut whole slices or to chop in a food processor or by hand, trim off the root end, which is tough. The only time to leave the root end is when slicing or dicing chef's style. After working with onions, scrub the cutting board well or rub it with lernon; otherwise, the next food chopped may pick up the aroma.
To Cook: Onions are best cooked quickly with as little liquid as possible. That means baking, grilling, broiling, stir-frying, and microwaving. When you cook onions with little liquid, be careful to stir often so that the edges do not burn. (Burned onions taste acrid.)
To Parboil Onions: Bring 16 cups (4 quarts) water and 1 ¾ tablespoons salt to a rolling boil in a stockpot. Add 1 to 2 pounds peeled onions and cook, uncovered, just until tender when pierced with a thin skewer or knife tip. Allow 5 to 10 minutes for pearl or boiling onions, 30 minutes for medium whole onions, and up to 1 hour for large whole onions. Onions sliced ¼ inch thick will cook in about 5 minutes.

PALM HEARTS
Today groves of palms are raised commercially in Florida and other tropical climates specifically for hearts, which are taken while the palms are tiny. A trimmed palm heart resembles a large carrot formed of layers of rings, like an onion. It has the whiteness of salsify and a flavor resembling a canned artichoke heart. Until now hearts of palm were only available canned, but since they are now a commercial crop, fresh hearts will be increasingly available, theoretically year round. Most are sent to market trimmed of their fibrous exterior laver, Select fresh hearts that show moistness at both ends and no signs of cracking, dehydration, or separation of layers. They are very perishable, so store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper and use as soon as possible. Whether cool or hot, these delicate pieces care best served by themselves. They make a superlative pureed soup. Allow 3 to 4 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Hearts of palm can be served raw or cooked. Rinse and, if necessary, pare away any fibrous material to reach the tender white heart.
To Prepare Raw for Salads: Slice crosswise into rounds about ¼ to ¾ inch thick and soak in ice water for an hour. Drain well and pat dry. The pieces will be crunchy and can be dressed with vinaigrette and served on a bed of greens (ideally, some of them bitter for contrast) or added to a mixed salad.
To Steam: Steaming the heart whole retains the best color and flavor. Place in a steaming basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water and cover tightly. Steam the hearts until tender when pierced with a thin skewer, about 7 minutes for small hearts or 9 minutes for larger hearts. Immediately lift out with tongs and drop into a big bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. When cool, slice and finish as desired.

PARSNIPS
These roots look like large cream-colored carrots and are as sweet as carrots, but they have a delightful spicy nip beneath the sweetness. Their cooked texture is like potatoes (they make a velvety puree). A winter vegetable, parsnips add pizzazz to carrot and potato dishes. Select small to medium roots (large parsnips can have woody cores), crisp, plump, and unblemished. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
Allow 4 to 5 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Peel before using. The dense core will soften when cooked unless it is very tough, in which case the thickest part of the core should be cut out and discarded. Cut into cubes, slices, or matchsticks.
To Boil and to Steam: Cut 1 pound prepared roots into ¾ inch cubes or ¼ inch thick slices and boil or steam as for turnips. For boiling, allow 4 to 5 minutes to cook until tender. Steamed cubes and slices will cook in 5 to 6 minutes.
To Roast: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut a pound peeled roots into ¾ inch cubes.Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ground black pepper. Place in a 13x9 inch baking pan and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a thin skewer or knife tip.
To Microwave: Spread 2 cups sliced Parsnips in a 1 quart baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender but still crisp, or completely tender, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes.
To Pressure-Cook: Whole large (2 inch diameter) parsnips can be pressure-cooked with 1 cup liquid at 15 pounds pressure for 10 minutes. Cool the cooker at once.

PEAS
Fresh Peas
Fresh peas are plush, meaty, and rich. Next time you see peas in the pod at the market (from spring through early summer) treat yourself to a feast. Select medium sized pods that are bright green, moist, firm, and tilled end to end with fat peas. Avoid those that are blemished and puffy. Petits pois are baby peas in which the bumps under the pod are developed but tiny. Store peas in their pods in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
Allow ¾ to 1 pound pods per serving (to yield ¾ to 1 cup peas).
To Prepare: At cooking time, rinse the pods, then shell the peas into a bowl. Snap off the stem and pull it down the side (a string will come with it, unlocking the seal). Press the pod at the seam, pulling it open on either side, and the peas will pop out. No need to rinse them. (Reserve some pods for sweetening soup stock.)
To Boil: Bring 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt to a rolling boil in a large saucepan. Add shelled garden peas, return to a boil, and cook, uncovered, just until tender, 4 to 10 minutes, depending on size and age. Older, starchier garden peas will cook in 7 to 10 minutes.
To Steam: Place the peas in a steamer basket over 1 to 2 inches of boiling water and cook, covered, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. If there is more than 1 layer, stir once or twice during cooking.
To Microwave: Place 2 cups fresh peas in a 1 quart baking dish. Add ¼ cup stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes.
Canned Peas
Canned Peas come already cooked so all you have to do is reheat them.
To Boil: Empty can into a saucepan. Cook, uncovered, until hot enough to eat, 4 to 10 minutes, depending on size.
To Microwave: Empty can into a microwaveable dish, cover and cook until hot enough to eat, about 2 to 4 minutes.
Oven: Cut top off of can and add water until water is at top of can and put can in oven for 30 minutes at 350degreesF.
Edible Pod Peas
Fresh peas are like shell beans, halfway in development between immature pods and brittle pods full of dried peas. Like green beans, edible-pod peas have only suggestions of seeds inside. All pods are edible at this stage, but not all are tender. The strain we call snow peas (and also sugar peas, Mennonite peas, or Chinese pea pods) are most delicate. We call them Chinese because the pods are a staple of stir-fries, and stirfrying is probably the tastiest and most nutritious way to cook them. Snow peas are available in Asian markets most of the year; buy snow peas only where the turnaround is brisk, for they can be rubbery if old. In the 1970s, sugar snap peas were developed from snow peas. These pods are as plump as those of shelling peas because they contain peas of a good size, but they are as sweet and tender as snow peas. A remarkable vegetable. Select and store them the same way as above. Sugar snaps are usually available early spring to early summer. In spring at Asian markets, look for a bin containing small dark green leaves on slender stalks, some with fine tendrils and white pea blossoms. These are pea shoots, leaves at the tips of stalks on snow pea plants (probably a variety of snow pea bred for its leaves). Leaves at the market are larger and tougher than those you would harvest were you raising them; still they are special. Choose the smallest and brightest with the thinnest stems. The whole branch has a sweet pea flavor. Remove the leaves, tendrils, and flowers from the stalk (unless the stalk is very tender, discard it). Pea shoots make a beautiful salad but can be briefly cooked as for any delicate green. They are extremely perishable and must be used the day you bring them into the kitchen. To store, plunge the ends into a jar of water and refrigerate
. To Prepare: Unless they are stringless varieties, sugar snap peas and snow peas must have their strings removed. Snow peas may need just the string removed from the thicker seam, but sugar snaps will probably need strings from both seams removed.
To Boil: Bring 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add 2 cups pea pods, return to a boil, and cook, uncovered, until crisp/tender. Start testing at 30 seconds, though they may take as long as 1 to 2 minutes.
To Steam: Place the prepared edible-pod peas in a steamer basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water and cook, covered, until tender but still crisp, 2 to 5 minutes. If there is more than 1 layer, stir once or twice during cooking.
To Microwave: Place 2 cups fresh peas in a 1 quart baking dish. Add ¼ cup stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes.

PEPPERS
Allow 1 small to medium sweet pepper per serving, but figure chili peppers according to taste.
The words pepper and chili are used interchangeably.
Popular Fresh Peppers
Anaheim: These long green chilies grow abundantly in the American Southwest and are likely the ones you will find in a can labeled "green chilies." They also grow in northern Mexico. When fresh, they are light lime green to red. The flavor is reminiscent of bell peppers and green apples. They have a tough skin and a heat level that varies from mild to hot, depending on the cultivar. Delicious when roasted and peeled and used in stews and sauces, they can also be stuffed or eaten raw in salads. Most measure 6 to 7 inches in length and 1 ¾ inches wide at the stem end, tapering slightly before coming to a rather pointy tip. Other names: California long green, Hatch, verde.
Banana: These pale yellow to orange-red crisp peppers range from sweet to very piquant and are easy to grow. Their flesh makes them hard to roast and peel. Use them raw or roasted and peeled in salads and stews, or pickle them. They measure 5 to 6 inches in length, 1 ¾ inches wide at the stem end, and taper to a point. Other names: guero, sweet banana, Hungarian wax.
Bell: From dark green to red, bright orange, bright yellow, pale yellow, and dark purple, bell peppers are the best known and most common sweet pepper used in this country. Although there are many cultivars available, the four-lobed bell-shaped fruits without any piquancy are the most popular. These thick-fleshed peppers are used in soups, stews, salads, relishes, sauces, and casseroles and often are stuffed as well. Roasting these peppers changes their flavor and softens the crisp, juicy flesh. Popular with some home gardeners is a slightly spicy cultivar known as Mexi-Bell. Bell peppers measure 4 to 6 inches in length and 3 to 4 inches wide at the stem end.
Cayenne: These long, curved, slightly wrinkled, very spicy fruits have become the most common type of capsicum grown in the world. They are used throughout Asia in meat and vegetable dishes and in great quantities in Cajun specialties in this country. Dried, they are kept whole or are ground into powder for cooking and spice blends; they also are used as a table condiment in the form of bottled hot sauces. The slender, green to red pods are elongated, measuring about ¾ inch wide and 5 to to inches in length. Other names: finger, long hot.
Cherry: Named for their large, cherry-shaped pods, these peppers range from mild to hot and are commonly pickled whole in their green and red stages. These fleshy peppers have many seeds, a slightly sweet taste, and tough skin. They measure about 1 inch in length and 1 to 1 ¾ inches wide at the stem end. Do not confuse them with the spicy cascabel chili (a similarly shaped pepper used dried in Mexico). Other names: hot cherry, sweet cherry, Hungarian cherry.
Chilaca: These delicious, smoky-tasting, somewhat twisted black-green chilies are not very well known in the United States but are common in western Mexico. They have a thick, slightly wrinkled, tough skin with medium-thin flesh that ranges from mild to medium hot. They are excellent sliced and fried, as well as roasted (although peeling them can be tedious), and are used in soups, salads, sauces, and vegetable dishes and anywhere else the more common poblano pepper appears. They measure about 8 inches in length and 2 inch wide all the way from the stern end to the blunt tip.
Cubanelle: Glossy peppers ranging in color from yellow-green to orange and red, sweet-tasting cubanelles are popular as a condiment in Italian dishes, in which they are sautéed with olive oil and garlic. They can be used wherever a bell pepper is called for (in salads, as a vegetable, or stuffed). They measure about 6 inches in length by 2 inches wide at the stem end, tapering slightly to a rather blunt tip. Other name: Italian.
Fresno: Similar to Santa Fe Grande and Floral Gem, these yellowish green to fire-engine-red peppers resemble jalapenos and are sometimes mistaken for them. Slightly hotter than jalapenos, they are deliciously floral and can be substituted for jalapenos in salsas and cooked dishes. They measure about 3 inches long by 1 ¾ inches wide at the stem end, tapering sharply to a point.
Habanero: Reputed to be the hottest of all chilies, these lantern-shaped peppers pack tremendous fruity and floral flavors and aromas, along with an incredible punch. Usually found in markets colored green, yellow-orange, or bright orange, habaneros are sometimes mislabeled as the equally hot but less floral Scotch bonnet. Used extensively in the Yucatan, they have become increasingly popular in this country in salsas, sauces, and condiments. They measure about 1 ¾ inches long and 1 ¾ inches wide at the stem end.
Jalapeno: These stubby green to red chilies are widely available and can vary considerably in their heat from totally mild (a new heatless jalapeno is now being grown for use in commercial American salsa) to quite hot varieties found in farmers' markets and their homeland of Veracruz, Mexico. This pepper's bright green, juicy, grassy taste works well in many dishes, from raw salsas to soups and stews, and even stuffed and fried. When mature jalapenos are smoked and dried, they are known as chipotles. Fresh jalapenos measure about 2 ¾ inches in length and ¾ inch wide at the stem end and taper a little before coming to a rather blunt tip.
Manzano: These highly aromatic, plump, lanternshaped, juicy chilies have a lush tropical flavor and aroma. The exterior is usually yellow to deep orange or red, and the interior seeds are jet black. Use manzanos in salsas and cooked dishes in place of jalapenos, poblanos, or habaneros, but know that they are quite intensely piquant. They measure 2 inches long and 1 ¾ inches wide at the stem end and look rather boxy, though most will have a little point or nipple at the tip. Other names: apple, peron (pear).
Peperoncini: These sweet to mildly piquant pale green to red peppers are best known as a pickled pepper used in Italian dishes. They rarely are found fresh in markets but are popular with many home gardeners. They measure about 3 inches in length and ¾ inch wide at the stem end, sloping gently to a point.
Pimiento: These fleshy peppers, which range from sweet to hot, are used mostly in the red-ripe stage for commercial canning. Pimientos can range up to 5 inches in length and 3 inches wide at the stem end, and they have a rather boxy appearance that culminates in a small point. Other name: pimento.
Poblano: Dark green, rich-tasting poblanos are used extensively throughout Mexico and are gaining in popularity in the United States. The pepper's flesh has a compact texture with a good (but varying) amount of heat. Use them roasted and peeled in soups, sauces, and stews or whole as an edible vessel for a pork or cheese filling, as in chiles rellenos. When dried, they usually are known as ancho chilies. Poblanos measure 4 to 5 inches long and about 2 ¾inches wide at the stem end, tapering to a sharp point. Other name: pasilla.
Scotch bonnet: These bright yellow, orange, green, or red peppers can be distinguished from habanero (with which they are often confused) by their squashed lantern shape and slightly smaller size. Extremely hot, these intensely aromatic, flavorful chilies are used extensively in the Caribbean in hot sauces and condiments. They measure 1 to 2 inches long by 1 to 1 ¾ inches wide at the stem end. Other name: Scot's bonnet.
Serrano: These tapering, bullet-shaped chilies are prized among cooks for their consistent heat level and pure, tresh chili taste. Serranos are such a staple in Mexican cooking that they are often called simply chiles verdes, or green chilies. Use them fresh, pickled, or roasted anywhere their spicy, green, hot pepper qualities are wanted. Serranos are mostly sold green, but greenish yellow to red ones can occasionally be found They measure 1 ¾ to 2 inches long and ¾ inch wide at the stem end. Other narne: verde.
Tabasco: This pale green to yellow-orange to red hot pepper was developed by the McIlhenny family of Avery Island, Louisiana, for use in Tabasco, their popular fermented hot sauce. Home gardeners prize these for their intense heat. Thai: Although there are many different peppers in Asian markets labeled "'Thai peppers," perhaps the most common in this country are the small, elongated, pointy green to red peppers sold with their stems attached. These intensely hot peppers measure about 1 ¾ inches long and only ¼ inch wide. Other names: bird, bird's-eye.
Dried Peppers
Ancho: These very dark peppers (dried poblanos) have a rich, earthy flavor with lots of sweet, fruity overtones and medium piquancy. They are used throughout Mexico in sauces, moles, and soups and are available in Mexican markets and specialty groceries in this country. They are wrinkled looking, roughly heart shaped, and measure about 4 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide at the stem end. Other name: pasilla.
Arbol: Fiery hot, these pointy, bright red chilies have a shiny skin, and usually their stems are attached. They are used in hot sauces or ground into powder. Fresh arbol peppers occasionally show up frozen in Latin markets. They measure about 3 inches in length and ¾ inch wide.
Cascabel: These round, dull cranberry-red peppers have seeds that rattle when the pepper is shaken (hence the name cascabel, or jingle bell) and are rich, spicy, and aromatic. Use them in salsas, sauces, soups, and stews. They measure about 1 inch in diameter. Other name: bolita.
Cayenne: These long, curved, slightly wrinkled, very spicy fruits have become the most common type of capsicum grown in the world. They are used throughout Asia in meat and vegetable dishes and in great quantities in Cajun specialties in this country. Dried, they are kept whole or are ground into powder for cooking and spice blends; they also are used as a table condiment in the form of bottled hot sauces. The slender, green to red pods are elongated, measuring about ¾ inch wide and 5 to to inches in length. Other names: finger, long hot.
Chipotle: Chipotle peppers (dried, smoked jalapenos) have made great gains in popularity in this country for their intense rich, smoky flavor. These days they show up everywhere, from canned tomato sauce (adobo) to salsas, sauces, pickles, stews, soups, and more. There are two types of chipotles, both made from different cultivars of the jalapeno. The first is the black-red chili chipotle (also know as the chipotle Colorado, mora, or morita); this small chipotle (1 to 1 ¾ inches long and ¾ inch wide) is prized for its sweet, smoked flavor and its dark, rosewood red color. The second type, usually called chipotle meco, is larger (3 to 4 inches long by 1 inch wide) and pale brown in color, with a more tobacco-like taste and usually less heat.
Guajillo: Smooth skinned, dark, translucent, Big, cherry red, with bright flavor, lots of tang, and a medium to hot piquancy, guajillos are the workhorse peppers of the Mexican kitchen. The thin-fleshed peppers are used commonly in sauces, soups, stews, and moles. They measure about 5 inches in length and 1 to 1 ¾ inches wide at the stem end, tapering gently to a point. They are often confused with the less flavorful New Mexico, or California, chilies.
Mulato: These very dark, black-red chilies often are mistaken for anchos. Once you taste them you will notice a deeper, dark flavor but with less sweetness. They are used in sauces, moles, and stews.
New Mexico: Similar to the popular guajillo chili in appearance, the New Mexico chili is the one often strung in ristras (swags) or clustered into decorative wreaths. But these translucent red, mild to medium hot chilies (known as long green, New Mexico, or red Anaheim chilies when fresh) are not just for decoration. They are delicious in soups, stews, and sauces and make a tasty ground chile powder. They measure about 5 inches in length and 1 ¾ inches wide at the stem end. Other names: colorado, ristra, California.
Pasilla: These nearly black, wrinkled peppers have a dark, woodsy flavor that adds a uniqueness (and medium amount of heat) to moles, sauces, soups, and stews. When fresh, this chili is known as the chilaca. Pasillas measure 8 to lo inches long and about 1 inch wide. Other names: negro, pasilla mexicana.
Pequin: These little red ovals, about ¾ inch long, have a relentless heat with a rich, complex, tangy flavor. They are used in salsas and sauces and fried whole as a condiment. Other name: piquin.
ROASTING PEPPERS
Roasting provides the best way to remove the skin of peppers. In addition, it softens their flesh, tempers the raw taste, and adds a delicious smokiness. Thickwalled peppers can be taken a step further and charred. Thinner-walled peppers-this includes most chilies are better if blistered but not completely charred, or they will lose flesh when you peel them. Red peppers tend to char faster than green ones, having more sugars in their flesh. Once they are blistered, lay peppers in a bowl and cover with a towel or plate. Leave for a few minutes. Their heat will create steam, which will loosen the skins. Try not to rinse peppers after roasting, for much of the smoky flavor is on the surface. Scrape off the skins with a knife. If the peppers were whole, make a slit down one side, then run the tip of a small serrated knife around the stem underneath its base. Remove the top and the core and seeds that come with it, then scrape away remaining seeds and cut away the membranes. Add any juices in the bottom of the bowl to the dish you are making, or blend them into a vinaigrette dressing. Roasting and peeling can be done a day or two in advance; wrap the peppers airtight and refrigerate.
Stove-Roasting Fresh Peppers: This is the simplest method. Place whole peppers directly in the flames of your gas burner on its highest setting. (If you do not have a gas burner, set the peppers on a grill called an asador, one that rests above the burner, or use the broiler method.) Keep an eye on the peppers and turn them frequently with tongs, letting the peppers blister or char (do not pierce with a cooking fork, as juices will be lost). Continue until the entire surface is blistered.
Many cooks quickly toast, or stove-roast, dried chili peppers before rehydrating them. As in toasting bread, a flash of intense heat deepens and rounds out flavors.
Broiler-Roasting Fresh Peppers: Line a broiler pan with aluminum foil. Place whole peppers on the foil and brush with olive oil. Broil, turning as needed, until blackened on all sides. You can also flatten the peppers, see below. To Cut Peppers into Pieces: Brush the skin with oil. Place the pepper skin side up on a broiling pan and set the pan 5 to 6 inches under the broiler. Broil until the skin starts to blister and brown in places, watching it at every moment. Let the pieces char if you wish the flesh to be well cooked.
Grill-Roasting Fresh Peppers: This is the most flavorful method. Set whole peppers on a rack over coals, a hot but dying fire. Let them sit in one place until they are blistered or charred, then turn them and repeat until the whole pepper is done.
Griddle- or Skillet-Roasting Fresh Peppers: This is for small fresh chilies such as serranos and jalapenos. Heat a dry cast-iron griddle or skillet over high heat, add the whole peppers, and shake them around the skillet until their skins are soft and charred here and there. These chilies are customarily not peeled after roasting, but they may be.
Griddle- or Skillet-Roasting Dried Peppers: This method gives the greatest control; overtoasted dried peppers turn acrid. For small chilies, heat a dry castiron griddle or skillet over medium heat until mediumhot. Add the chilies and press with a pancake turner, then turn and press until you can smell them (this will take just a few seconds). When the pods are lightly browned at the points where they touched the heat, remove them from the griddle. When cool, break off the stem, shake out the seeds, and discard them. For large chilies, remove the stems, slit the pod down one side, open up the pod, shake out the seeds, and break into pieces that will lie flat. If the pod is brittle and breaks, just shake out the seeds and break it into large pieces. Heat the dry griddle as above and press the pieces with the pancake turner, again until you can smell them (this, too, will take only seconds). Turn and repeat on the other side, then remove the pieces to a dish.
Rehydrating Dried Chilies: After roasting, rehydrate dried chilies by covering them with hot (not boiling) water, submerging the pieces in the bowl with a saucer, and letting them soak until pliant, 15 to 20 minutes. Longer soaking can leach out flavor. You can use the soaking liquid, but taste it to be sure it is not bitter.
PREPARING PEPPERS
To Cut Peppers into Pieces: For every shape but rings, use a small, sharp knife to cut around the stem at its base on top. Lift out the top and the core and seeds. Slice off a bit of the bottom, then make a lengthwise cut down one side. Open up the pepper into one flat piece. The skin is usually tough and glassy, making it easy for a knife to slip off (the inside is easier to work on). Set the pepper skin side down on your board, then scrape away the seeds and cut away the membranes. Now you can slice the pepper into whatever pieces the recipe calls for. For rings, cut out the stem, then cut crosswise into slices as thick as desired. Use a small, sharp knife to cut away the membranes and seeds from each slice.
To Prepare a Whole Pepper for Stuffing from the Top: Slice the top ¾inch from the pepper, then scrape out the seeds and membranes with a spoon. If the pepper does not stand straight, trim the bottom to level it (but do not make a hole, or the juices from the stuffing will run out). Chop the flesh from the top slice and add it to the stuffing if appropriate (or use it in salad). Huge peppers should be halved lengthwise through the stem. Leave the stem intact (it is needed to hold in the stuffing), but scrape out the seeds and membranes.
Allow 1 small to medium sweet pepper per serving, but figure chili peppers according to taste.

PLANTAINS
Plantains are a close relation of bananas, but they are starchier and therefore always cooked. The form and degree of cooking depends on a plantain's stage of ripeness. When green, it is very hard, not sweet, and barely banana flavored. Green plantains are cooked like potatoes, in their skins, and the timing is similar. When the skin is yellow, the plantains are half-ripe. Cook them with the skin on as for potatoes; the flesh will be creamy and have a delicate banana taste. When the skin is brown to black, cook plantains as you would a banana (the flesh will be soft but firmer than a banana's). In Mexico, plantain is preferred at this stage, and it is often fried in thick rounds in oil and served with rice.
Plantains are available year-round in Hispanic groceries. Green and half-ripe plantains can be ripened like bananas at room temperature; this will take several days. Once ripe, plantains will keep for a few days at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Allow ¾ plantain per serving.
To Bake: The easiest way to eat the fruit is to bake it in its skin. Perforate the peel in a few places with a fork, then bake in a 400°F oven until the flesh is fork-tender, about 40 minutes. Serve in its skin with butter as you would a baked potato, also sprinkling with lime juice and hot sauce if desired.
To Peel: To remove the stiff, thick peel of green and yellow plantains, cut the fruit crosswise into a to 4 pieces, slit the skin along each of its ridges, then pull off the peel from a corner of each section. To peel ripe plantain, cut off the ends, cut a slit the length of the skin, and remove it.

POTATOES
Potatoes fall into three types. Potatoes containing relatively high moisture and low starch are described as waxy and are called boilers. These are the potatoes that hold their shape as cubes and slices in potato salads, gratins, and stews. At the market, they are the smooth round reds, round whites, and oblong White Roses. Potatoes low in moisture and high in starch are described as mealy and are called bakers. When cooked, their flesh is dry and fluffy, exactly right for baking, frying, and mashing (even though they are boiled). These are the knobby, tuber-shaped russets, or Idahos, at the market. While a baking potato will crumble in a potato salad, boiling potatoes are superb baked. They will not be fluffy, but their skins will be crisp and their flesh will absorb pan juices or butter beautifully. A baking potato is the one to use in soup to give it body (it will fall apart gracefully). Russets are also the recommended type for frying. They have the ability to release their starch, given ample soaking and rinsing. Starch absorbs fat and, if not flushed out of the potato, results in heaviness. Russets can make crisp-on-the-outside and fluffy-on-the-inside fries. Russet potatoes that are either baked or boiled for mashing should be eaten or mashed right away, because they will lose their fluffy texture if left to stand. Keep potatoes out of aluminum and iron pots, where they will turn gray. The flesh of some potatoes is between waxy and mealy, having moderate moisture and starch. Called all-purpose, a few of these potatoes match the quality of the best boilers and bakers.
Potatoes are next classed according to agewhether they are new or storage. New potatoes are babies, harvested before they develop the potential their variety prescribes. No matter what the variety, new potatoes are boiler types, because they have not had enough time to develop much starch. (The opposite is not the case, however. Some of the potatoes that take longest to mature, called late-season, are also low in starch. The variety is the determining factor.) New potatoes are best steamed or roasted, always in their skins, and served with melted butter and chopped herbs or swathed in cream sauce. Purple-skinned, white-fleshed Caribes make especially delicious new potatoes. Somewhere in this vast country, potatoes are freshly dug and sent to market every month. That means when the sign at the market in January says, "New Potatoes;" you should be able to rub the skin off with your fingers. If you cannot, it is a storage potato, no matter how small its size. Storage potatoes have been cured in the sun, their skins toughened, and held in cold storage for weeks, sometimes months.
Like heritage apples, old-fashioned American and favorite continental varieties of potatoes are being grown again. White Rose is a pleasant potato, but there are many that are far more flavorful. Thus far, the most flavorful potatoes are Yellow Finn and Bintje; the best boilers, Butterfinger and Russian Banana; the best bakers, Russet Burbank and Lemhi Russet; the best all-purpose, Red Gold. The most beautiful has to be All Blue, with its sparkling lilac-blue flesh. Look for the following colors at farmers' markets, and ask your supermarket produce manager to find some. Blue potatoes through and through are All Blue (round all-purpose). Purple through and through is Purple Peruvian (fingerling baker). Yellow through and through are Yellow Finn (flat, round, or pearshaped all-purpose), German Butterball (round to oblong all-purpose), and Yukon gold (standard allpurpose). Red through and through is All Red (round boiler). Red and yellow-red skin, yellow flesh-are Rose Finn Apple and Ruby Crescent (both fingerling boilers), Desiree (round to oblong all-purpose) and Red Gold (standard all-purpose). White flesh with buff skin is Anoka (standard boiler).
Select potatoes that are firm and heavy for their size, with taut skin and no cuts, dark spots, cracks, mold, or other sign of spoilage. If there is a greenish cast to the potato or a green patch on it, avoid it-the green part was exposed to the sun and will be bitter (even mildly toxic). Avoid those that have sprouted; they will be soft and even bitter. Store potatoes, unwashed and unwrapped, in a cool, dark, dry, well-ventilated place. After storing, should you find your potatoes have turned green or begun to sprout, cut off the green or sprout with ¼ inch of the flesh beneath it (or discard them).
Allow about 6 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Leave skins on whenever possible (the skin is valuable nutritionally). If it is essential to peel, use a swivel peeler. Flesh exposed to air will darken if not cooked soon, so work quickly or drop pieces in a bowl of cold water mixed with a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar. Also use a stainless-steel knife, for carbon steel will discolor the flesh. When baking whole potatoes, be sure to prick the skin in several places to avoid steam buildup, which can cause a potato to explode in the oven.
To Boil: Place 1 or 2 pounds potatoes in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt for each quart of water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender when pierced with a thin skewer or knife tip. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for whole small or baby potatoes, 20 to 25 minutes for medium, and 35 to 45 minutes for whole large potatoes. Slices ¼ inch thick will cook in 5 to 7 minutes.
To Steam: Place whole potatoes or slices in a steaming basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water and cook, covered, until tender all the way through when pierced with a thin skewer or knife tip. For whole potatoes, allow 15 to 20 minutes for small or baby potatoes, 30 to 35 minutes for medium, and 35 to 45 minutes for large potatoes. Slices ¼ inch thick will cook in 10 to 15 minutes, a few minutes longer if there are layers.
To Bake: Set whole potatoes on an oven rack or a baking sheet. A baking nail or thick skewer through the center will carry heat evenly through the flesh, but it is not necessary. Do pierce the potato in several places to make sure that it does not explode in baking. Halved and quartered potatoes bake faster and have wonderfully crisp surfaces. Bake at 400°F until tender when tested with a thin skewer, 45 to 60 minutes for whole potatoes.
To Microwave: Peel and quarter 4 medium baking potatoes and arrange in a 2 quart baking dish. Cover and cook on high until tender, 9 to 12 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes. Immediately mash a microwaved potato if your goal is a fluffy texture.
To Pressure-Cook: Whole large (2 ¾ inch diameter) potatoes can be pressure-cooked with 1 ¾ cups liquid at 15 pounds pressure for 15 minutes; 1 ¾ inch diameter potatoes need just 1 cup liquid and 10 minutes cooking; ¾ inch thick slices need 1 cup liquid and 5 minutes cooking. Cool the cooker at once.

RADISHES
Spring and summer radishes (with names like Cherry Belle, Sparkler, and Easter Eggs) are the familiar round radishes, mostly red accents for salads and garnishes. As summer grows hot, so does the flesh of radishes. The elongated forms, icicles or French Breakfast types, tolerate heat better than the round shapes, which is why they turn up through summer. White icicle radishes are carrot shaped, with milder flesh than red radishes. The name French Breakfast refers to the French custom of swiping a radish through a pot of sweet butter before taking a bite, a refreshing idea at any meal. Spring and summer radishes are best served well rinsed, well chilled, with their leaves on and the rootlet nipped off. A dish of coarse salt is all that is needed for seasoning. If radishes are not thoroughly crisp, they can be revived by soaking in ice water.
By autumn, the large radishes, mostly Asian varieties, are ready. Chinese radishes are round or oval and green and can weigh a pound. Their flesh may be white, green, rose, or all three colors. They are served raw, often carved into delicate roses and other flowers. Autumn also brings enormous (foot long) pure white, carrot-shaped, juicy radishes called daikon in Japan and mooli in India. Unlike our spring and summer radishes, daikon/mooli radishes are mild in flavor and a valued part of the daily diet (often pickled, added to soup, or grated and cooked with other vegetables and spices). In winter come the turnip-shaped black radishes, black on the outside and snow white on the inside. Their flesh is pungent and relatively dry. Black radishes are a favorite in Russia for slicing or cutting into matchsticks and adding to mixed vegetable salad dressed with sour cream. All these radishes are available in Asian markets.
Allow 3 to 4 small radishes per serving; for large roots in cooking, allow 3 to 4 ounces.
To Prepare: Choose firm, flawless roots and bright, crisp greens. Trim the leaves from the roots and store separately in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper. Radish leaves have a shorter keeping life than the roots. The leaves are as tasty and nutritious as turnip greens. Cook them the same way or add them to a tossed salad. Tender, juicy radishes can be prepared in the same ways as turnips. In fact, some varieties of turnips, as babies, are indistinguishable from white radishes.
To Boil: Bring 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt to a rolling boil in a large saucepan. Add 1 pound radishes, peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes, and cook until tender when pierced with a thin skewer or knife tip. Allow 6 to 8 minutes for turnips, 12 to 14 minutes for radishes. Drain.
To Steam: Place prepared radishes in a single layer in a steamer basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Cook, covered, until tender when pierced with a thin skewer or knife tip. After 2 minutes, lift the lid briefly to allow sulfurous compounds to escape. For radishes, allow 7 to 9 minutes for.

RUTABAGAS
The moment you taste buttery potatoes mashed with golden rutabagas, you will understand their appeal. Closely related roots in the Mustard family, rutabagas have the shape of a top. Rutabagas have creamy gold skin with purple tops and yellow flesh and are firmer than turnips. Rutabagas are crisp and peppery sweet when raw but meltingly soft and wonderfully, sweetened when cooked. Rutabagas are harvested in autumn, but they are customarily dipped in wax and then stored in a cool, dark, dry place for use over winter (keep an eye out for mold on the wax). Select firm, unblemished roots, heavy for their size (the smaller, the sweeter). Store roots from the market in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper. Rutabagas can be mashed and served any way potatoes are. They are especially satisfying when blended in equal parts with potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Allow 8 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Scrub the rutabaga, then peel with a sharp paring knife to remove the thick skin and any wax. Cut into slices, wedges, cubes, or matchsticks. The earthy taste of cooked rutabagas and older turnips makes it possible to use them interchangeably in recipes.
To Boil: Bring 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt to a rolling boil in a large saucepan. Add 1 pound rutabagas, peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes, and cook until tender when pierced with a thin skewer or knife tip. Allow 12 to 14 minutes for rutabagas. Drain.
To Steam: Place prepared roots in a single layer in a steamer basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Cook, covered, until tender when pierced with a thin skewer or knife tip. After 2 minutes, lift the lid briefly to allow sulfurous compounds to escape. For for rutabaga matchsticks, l0 to 12 minutes; for rutabaga cubes, 18 to 20 minutes; and for rutabaga quarters 35 to 45 minutes.
To Roast: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Peel and cut medium rutabagas into ¾-inch cubes. For each 1 pound prepared roots, toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ground black pepper to taste. Place in a single layer in a roasting pan and cook until tender when pierced with a thin skewer or knife tip, 55 to 65 minutes for rutabagas.
To Microwave: Place 1 pound ¾-inch peeled cubes in a 2-quart baking dish. Add 3 tablespoons stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes.

SALSIFY
This root resembes big carrots and parsnips. Salsify has beige skin. Another name for salsify is oyster plant. Its season is late autumn through winter. If it is homegrown, add the tender leaves to salads. Use only firm, unblemished roots and store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator. The roots sweeten during cold storage.
To savor their unique delicate flavor, mash cooked salsify with a fork and add butter, salt, and pepper. They also can be prepared any way parsnips are and simple ways potatoes are.
Allow about 5 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Because the flesh darkens when exposed to air, and because much of the flavor is in its skin, the roots are best cooked unpeeled and whole.
To Steam: Place in a steaming basket over 1 to 2 inches of boiling water. Cover and steam until they can be easily pierced with a thin skewer, about lo minutes. Be careful not to overcook, or the flesh will be mushy.

SCORZONERA
This root resembes big carrots and parsnips. Scorzonera's skin is nearly black. Its season is late autumn through winter. If it is homegrown, add the tender leaves to salads. Use only firm, unblemished roots and store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator. The roots sweeten during cold storage.
To savor their unique delicate flavor, mash cooked scorzonera with a fork and add butter, salt, and pepper. They also can be prepared any way parsnips are and simple ways potatoes are.
To Prepare: Because the flesh darkens when exposed to air, and because much of the flavor is in its skin, the roots are best cooked unpeeled and whole.
To Steam: Place in a steaming basket over 1 to 2 inches of boiling water. Cover and steam until they can be easily pierced with a thin skewer, about lo minutes. Be careful not to overcook, or the flesh will be mushy.

SHALLOTS
These are members of the Onion family, usually the size of small boiling onions, with copper, gold, or graybrown skin. Their flesh can be white, yellow, or pink. Sometimes what appears to be one round shallot will be two half rounds; merely pull them apart. The flavor of a shallot is milder than that of any other onion, but warm and intense. The French use shallots for seasoning far more than onions. In this country, that would be prohibitive because shallots are expensive because their growing habit makes using machinery impossible (people must care for shallots in the field). Shallots are available year-round because they store well, but they are best when freshly harvested (from mid- to late summer). Select firm bulbs that fill their skins and have no sprouts on top (unless you wish to grow greens).
Season with shallots in cooking as you would onions but do not brown them because their flavor can be bitter. Best to first soften them in butter, wine, or vinegar. Whole shallots can be cooked like small boiling onions.
To Prepare: Trim off the top and base with a small, sharp knife. If you will be chopping or slicing the bulb, cut it lengthwise in half and carefully pull off the skin. If it will be cooked whole, peel, using the tip of the knife. The flesh of shallots can react badly to rough handling. When crushed, it exudes liquid, which may result in the flavor of the shallot going bitter. So chop with care.

SORREL
Sorrel's leaves look like bright green spinach, but that is where the resemblance ends. Spinach has an earthy green flavor; sorrel is piercingly sour. When spinach cooks, the leaves crumple into a dark green heap that can be chopped or creamed. Cooked sorrel leaves dissolve and turn khaki green. However, used as a seasoning rather than a vegetable, sorrel is exhilarating on the tongue and complementary to everything from potatoes to fish. Sorrel is in season spring, summer, and fall, but its leaves are most tender in spring. Pick the smallest and crispest leaves, with no wilting, soft spots, or tears. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper as for greens.Sorrel ribbons are delightful in salads. Like spinach, the leaves contain a considerable amount of oxalic acid, so do not make a steady diet of raw leaves.
Allow 2 to 4 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Rinse and nip off the stems at the base of the leaves (the stems can contain annoying fibers). Either strip the leafy greens from the ribs and cut them crosswise into thin ribbons or keep tender leaves whole.
To Cook: Sorrel needs very little cooking (be sure to use a pan that is not aluminum, or the pan will discolor). For soup, add ribbons of greens to the pot during the last 3 to 4 minutes of cooking. For a sauce, cook ribbons in a little butter, stock, or water in an uncovered skillet, stirring, until the leaves have completely wilted and changed color.

SPINACH
Spinach is available all year at the market, but its peak season is the cool of spring and fall. As with all greens, choose only those that are crisp, bright, and unblemished (no soft spots, wet places, wilting, yellowing, or tears). Store unwashed in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
Allow 5 to 8 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Wash thoroughly just before serving. Twist off the pink root ends (called crowns), and rinse and save them for tossing in salad. Nip off stems at the base of the leaves and chop the tender stems for soup. Either use leaves whole, or stack and cut crosswise into thin ribbons, or tear into small pieces.
To Boil: to retain their bright color, spinach greens can be blanched if needed for another use (such as a pasta filling). Cook only 1 pound prepared leaves and stem pieces at a time. Bring 16 cups (4 quarts) water to a rolling boil with 1 ¾ tablespoons salt in a stockpot. Drop in the leaves, rapidly return the water to a boil, then boil, uncovered. For blanching, cook until the leaves are wilted, about 2 minutes; for boiling, cook 1 to 2 minutes for leaves until wilted, 5 to 7 minutes for ¾ inch pieces of stems. Scoop the spinach out with a strainer. Drain and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
To Wilt: To retain the most nutrients and flavor (although the color will darken), place leaves with the water that clings to them from rinsing in a medium skillet. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt for each pound. Cook, turning the leaves with tongs every few seconds, for 2 minutes, then cover the pan and continue to cook for 2 minutes more.
To Steam: Whole leaves can be steamed, covered, in steamer basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water until tender but still crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes, turning the leaves every minute so they cook evenly.
To Microwave: Place 1 pound rinsed leaves in a 3 quart baking dish. Cover and cook on high until tender, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

SUMMER SQUASH AND SQUASH BLOSSOMS
Summer squash is another vegetable picked at an immature stage, as green beans and sweet corn are. Let a zucchini grow until its shell is hard, and you can treat it like a winter squash. Over the years, farmers, gardeners, and cooks have harvested in summer those winter squash that taste best when their skin is still thin. In fact, as long as we are eating squash young, we should pick them very young. Most French and Italian cooks feel a summer squash is over the hill if it has no blossom attached. Squash cross-pollinate very easily, and breeders are also constantly working on new forms, In addition, a gene called precocious yellow has been threaded into the genes of traditional shapes, giving us bright yellow pattypans and zucchini with deep, sweet, buttery flavor.
Look for the following squash at farmers' markets. All but tromboncino belong to the group that gives us acorn winter squash and most pumpkins; tromboncino comes from the group that gives us butternut winter squash. Cocozelle is a heritage Italian-style zucchini, pale green with light ridges; fine-grained, nutty, superbly flavored flesh; 4 to 6 inches long and slender. Cousa is a heritage Middle Eastern-style zucchini, very light green, 3 to 4 inches long and blocky, with mild, lightly sweet flesh. Marrow is an English-style zucchini, pure white, fine textured, and tapered 6 to 8 inches long. Pattypan or scallop squash are flattened rounds with scalloped edges, picked 3 inches wide or less. Their flavor is lighter and nuttier than zucchini. Heritage pattypans are pale green. Hybrids are more rounded and can be gold (Sunburst, with the precocious yellow gene) or dark green. Tromboncino is an intriguing pale green heirloom-long, thin, trombone shaped, picked at 8 to 12 inches, with sweet, fine-grained flesh. Yellow crookneck are heritage American squash with bright yellow, bumpy skin on bulbous-shaped squash with slender curved necks 4 to 5 inches long, and incomparable sweet flavor. Pattypan and yellow crookneck squash, because of their sweeter flavor, are good mashed. Straightneck squash have the same flavor but look like yellow zucchini. Zucchini nowadays are thin, dark green, and 6 to 8 inches long; similarly long and thin but bright gold (Gold Rush); and nutty 1- to 4-inch rounds. Select the smallest, firmest, glossiest squash, heaviest for their size, without soft spots or other blemishes. Store in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
Allow about 5 ounces per serving.
Squash blossoms (taken from both summer and winter squash) are sometimes available at the market. Rush them home and prepare them as soon as possible, for they wilt quickly. To pick your own, choose excess male blossoms (with no rounding at the base) just before using. Flowers will last in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper for a few hours if necessary. Do not wash unless the blossoms are dusty. Remove the stem and calyx if they seem tough. Inspect for insects. Squash blossoms are delightful stuffed and baked, and they make lovely sweet or savory fritters. Allow three per person.
To Prepare: Simply rinse. The stalks are edible if tender enough; otherwise, trim them off. Never peel summer squash. Small cubes or matchsticks are delicious in salads and on the raw vegetable tray-in fact, young squash can often be prepared the same way as cucumbers. The best way to preserve the flavor and texture of these delicate vegetables is to cook them as quickly as possible in as little liquid as possible.
To Boil: Bring 16 cups (4 quarts) water and 1 ¾ tablespoons salt to a rolling boil in a stockpot. Add the prepared squash and cook just until tender but still crisp. Whole baby squash, ¾ inch cubes, l/4-inch slices, and matchsticks will cook in 2 to 4 minutes; squash quarters or halves in 6 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness. Drain.
To Steam: Place prepared squash in a steamer basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Cook, covered, just until tender but still crisp. Whole baby squash, ¾ inch cubes, l/4-inch slices, and matchsticks will cook in 4 to 6 minutes; squash quarters or halves in 7 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness. If cooking more than 1 layer, stir gently about halfway through.
To Microwave: Place 2 cups slices in a 1 quart baking dish. Cover and cook on high just until tender, 2 to 4 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 1 minute.

WINTER SQUASH (INCLUDING PUMPKIN)
Native to this hemisphere, many of our noble squash are of ancient heritage. Many are brilliantly colored, beautifully shaped, and of a generous size. The texture of cooked winter squash is thick and velvety. It can taste intensely sweet and rich or bland. If you are planning to bake pies and/or cakes with winter squash and have a choice, choose a squash with dry flesh. For the table, moist-fleshed squash are preferred. A selection of the following squash should be available in winter and spring.
Acorn squash are a deeply ridged acorn shape, in black, dark green, or orange. They weigh 1 to 3 pounds, convenient for 1 to 2 servings. Their flesh is yellow to orange, moderately sweet, but relatively bland. Orange acorns often are sweetest and have the best flavor. Ambercup is a 3-pound hybrid with a red-orange color and shape and extra-sweet, dry flesh. Banana is a huge (10 to 75 pounds) cylinder with ivory to pink rind and dense orange flesh that is moderately sweet and tasty. Buttercup and Kabocha, or green hokkaido, are more or less drum shaped, 3 to 5 pounds, with rinds that can be dark green to black. Their flesh is deep orange, immensely rich and sweet, and on the dry side, even flaky. Kabocha/green hokkaido was developed in Japan from buttercup. Butternut is tan and long necked with a bulb at one end; inside, the orange flesh is rich, sweet, dry, and superb. These 4 to 6 pound squash have the least waste of any winter squash, since the neck is solid and just the bulb contains seeds. Cushaw is pear shaped, and different varieties come in sizes from 12 to 40 pounds. Usually the shell is a shade of green and the flesh is yellow, thick, fine grained, and sweet. It is excellent for pies. Delicata and Sweet Dumpling are two different forms of the same squash. Delicata is cylindrical and Sweet Dumpling is round. Both are deeply ridged and ivory to yellow with green stripes. They weigh about 8 ounces and are charming baked for a single serving. Their moist orange flesh is reminiscent of sweet potatoes and in fact, they are sometimes called Sweet Potato Squash. Hokkaido, or orange hokkaido, is red-orange, with a globe or teardrop shape, weighing 4 to 7 pounds. It was developed in Japan from Hubbard squash, which its flesh resembles. Hubbard is another richly flavored squash. Shaped like an old-fashioned top, the shell can be green, blue-gray, or gold and is often warted. Traditional Hubbards weight 8 to 20 pounds, but now there are 2 ¾ to 4 pound sizes. The flesh is deep orange, fine grained, sweet, and dry. Pumpkin is the name we have given orange winter squash with rounded shapes, usually ridged, containing orange flesh. No pumpkin is a specific type, the way the rest of these squash are, but no matter. The finest all purpose pumpkin( good for mashing, pies, and jacko'lanterns )is Connecticut Field. It reaches 15 to 25 pounds. Small Sugar is considered the finest pie pumpkin, around 7 pounds. New pumpkins include many that are palm sized, but these are strictly for decoration. Vegetable Spaghetti, usually called spaghetti squash, is yellow and cylindrical, with pale yellow, translucent fibers that behave like spaghetti on the plate and has pasta's bland taste. It is fun to eat, a favorite with children.
To select winter squash, even if a cut piece, choose one that is heavy for its size, with a thick, hard shell showing no soft spots, mold, cuts, or bruises. Store whole squash unwrapped in a cool, dark, dry place with good ventilation. Store cut pieces in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
On average, 1 pound untrimmed squash yields a generous 13 ounces edible flesh or 1 ¾ cups cooked puree. Allow 8 to 12 ounces untrimmed squash per serving.
To Prepare: Scrub the squash before cooking. If baking whole, leave as is. If baking in pieces, leave the peel on. For all other cooking techniques, peel the squash by cutting in half or in pieces if large. Cutting into the thick, hard shell of a long-stored winter squash can be difficult, if not dangerous. Use a strong, sharp, heavy knife, preferably serrated. It is best if someone can steady the squash for you. If not, set the squash on a thick towel. Cut slowly and deliberately, plunging in the tip of the knife first, then pulling down on the rest of the blade (you may have to hammer it with a mallet). Rather than try to saw your way through, lift the knife out and start again. Remove the seeds and strings, and peel with a vegetable peeler or a paring knife. Cut the squash into chunks, cubes, or slices.
To Steam: Place prepared squash cut side down in a steaming basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Cook, covered, until easily pierced with a thin skewer or knife tip, 12 to 15 minutes for 1 inch cubes, 15 to 20 minutes for small squash halves like Delicata or Sweet Dumpling, 25 to 30 minutes for large pieces of squash.
To Roast or Bake Whole: Scrub the squash before cutting. Squash that will comfortably fit into your oven can be baked whole quite successfully. This saves the most nutrients and is an easier way to deal with a hard shell than trying to cut it. Deeply pierce the squash in 4 to 5 places around the top with a knife-air vents to keep the squash from exploding. Set the squash in a baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet (it may ooze sugary juices) and bake in the middle of a 375°F oven until the flesh tests tender when pierced with a thin skewer or knife. A small squash may take 45 minutes; a whole butternut, 1 ¾ hours. Cut in half through the stem, scoop out seeds and strings, and serve as desired.
To Roast or Bake Pieces: Large squash must be cut into pieces for cooking. Bake halves, quarters, 0r slabs 0°F winter squash cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Remove the seeds and strings before baking. Add ¾ inch water to the pan and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake in a 400°F oven until tender when pierced with a thin skewer. Halfway through the baking, pieces can be turned over with tongs, brushed with butter or oil, and sprinkled with brown sugar and nutmeg or other spice. Allow 30 to 45 minutes for small pieces. Serve in the shell.
To Microwave: A whole acorn squash can be microwaved. Pierce the squash in 4 or 5 places with a sharp knife. Place on a paper towel. Cook on high until tender, 7 to 10 minutes, turning the squash over after 4 minutes. Cover with a cloth and let stand for 5 minutes. For squash cut into 1 inch cubes, place in a 2 quart baking dish. Cover and cook on high until tender, 6 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes. For slices, cover and cook on high heat until tender, 7 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes.
To Pressure-Cook: Winter squash can be pressurecooked if cut into 1 inch thick cubes or slices. Cook with 1 ¾ cups liquid at 15 pounds pressure for 12 minutes. Cool the cooker at once.
To Bake Seeds: Winter squash seeds are a tasty bonus. To roast them, separate them from the strings but do not wash. Toss the seeds with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil per 1 cup seeds and a little salt, if desired. Spread the seeds on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until dry, about 1 ¾ hours. The seeds then may be seasoned and toasted in a 350°F oven.

SWEET POTATOES, YAMS, AND TRUE YAMS
When we say "sweet potatoes," we mean the ones with yellow-gray to brown skin and yellowish to white, dry, mealy flesh. When we say "yams," we mean the ones with copper to purple skins and very sweet, moist, orange flesh. The simple difference between sweets and yams is variety. True yams, however, are not related to any of these sweet potatoes. They are tropical tubers with crisp, bland, white to yellow flesh. Available in Hispanic groceries, the tuber can be boiled, baked, fried, or prepared in any potato way except pureed, which emphasizes its mucilaginous qualities.
Shape is not an indication of quality. All can be round or torpedo shaped, knobby or sleek. When choosing potatoes, select firm tubers with uniformly bright skin, heavy for their size, free of soft spots, dark spots, and mold. Although available year-round, the potatoes are harvested fresh fall through winter. Store the potatoes unwrapped in a cool, well-ventilated, dark, dry place. Cooked yams should be refrigerated; they reheat better than white potatoes.
To Prepare: Scrub well. If peeling is necessary, it is easiest to do so after cooking. Yams and sweets are best baked, steamed, grilled, or microwaved.
To Boil: Boil whole sweet potatoes in their jackets for flavor and color. Place scrubbed whole potatoes of uniform size, in a broad pot. Measuring the water, add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Add ¾ tablespoon salt for every quart of water, bring to a boil, then cover and boil until a thin skewer can easily pierce to, the center (tender but not soft). Depending on size, allow 15 to 35 minutes. Drain.
To Steam: Steam whole, unpeeled sweet potatoes, covered, in a steaming basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water until tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Steam halves until tender, 15 to 20 minutes; 13 to 18 minutes for 1 to 2 inch cubes.
To Bake: Pierce the skin in several places. For soft skin, rub the potato with butter or oil; for crisp skin, just pat the potato dry. Place the potatoes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet (the potatoes may ooze syrup) and bake, uncovered, at 400°F until softened, 45 to 60 minutes, depending on size. Yellow sweet potatoes are also good grilled.
To Microwave: Pierce as many as 4 whole medium potatoes in several places. Place on a paper towel in a spoke pattern. Cook on high until tender, 5 to 9 minutes for 2 potatoes, 10 to 13 minutes for 4 potatoes, turning them over and rearranging after 5 minutes. Cover with a towel and let stand for 5 minutes.
To Pressure-Cook: Whole large sweet potatoes can be pressure-cooked with 1 cup liquid at 15 pounds pressure for 10 minutes. Cool the cooker at once.

TOMATILLOS
Tomatillos look like small shiny green, yellow-green, or lavender tomatoes encased in parchment-paper husks. Tomatillos are picked underripe. They are related to tomatoes, but tomatillos have a lemony tang rather than the sharpness of green tomatoes. Tomatillos may be sporadically available at the supermarket, but they are always for sale at Hispanic groceries. Select fruits that are firm and fill their husks, and avoid any that have come out of them. Store them, unwashed and unhusked, loose in the refrigerator crisper (they will keep for weeks).
Allow about 4 ounces per person.
To Prepare: Peel off and discard the husks, rinse off the sticky covering, then trim out the stems. Do not peel. Tomatillos can be quartered and added raw to salads, but even when a Mexican sauce is called cruda, or raw, tomatillos are cooked because cooking intensifies their flavor.
To Boil: Bring 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt to a rolling boil in a large saucepan. Add 1 pound husked tomatillos and cook just until softened, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on size.
To Steam: Place husked tomatillos in a steaming basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Cook, covered, just until softened, 5 to l0 minutes, depending on size.
To Roast: Flavor is greatly enhanced by a touch of roasting. They can be roasted on a hot dry griddle the same way as chili peppers, cooking until the skin is slightly charred and the fruits have softened. This can be tricky because the skin has a tendency to burn before the flesh softens.
To Broil: Broil tomatillos on a rimmed baking sheet 4 inches under a very hot broiler until they blister, darken, and soften on one side, about 4 minutes; turn them over and broil the other side for 5 to 6 minutes.

TOMATOES
Tomatoes come in two shapes, round and plum, and in many sizes. Cherry tomatoes are usually the first round tomatoes in season. Their skins are relatively tough, but their flesh is sweet and juicy. Cherry tomatoes may be red, gold, orange, or yellow-green.
Currant tomatoes, the shape and size of currants, are the closest thing to wild tomatoes that most of us will ever taste. They have not been fiddled with by breeders but come straight from South America. Their flavor is ultrasweet, especially the yellow ones. Most standard round tomatoes are as juicy as cherry tomatoes and as easily used raw. At the market, round tomatoes are round tomatoes. But gardeners can choose to grow salad tomatoes, which are small to medium in size and only moderately juicy which are ideal for salads. And they can grow slicing tomatoes, large to beefsteak tomatoes, which are wonderfully rich and juicy. Look for them at the farmers' market. Also look for heritage tomatoes that may be ruffled or in a rainbow of colors.
The other basic shape tomatoes take is called plum or pear. Oval or teardrop in shape, these tomatoes are small to medium, about the same size as salad tomatoes. Their value lies in cooking because their flesh is thick, meaty, almost dry. Sometimes they are called paste or Roma tomatoes because they are the ones to use in classic tomato paste, and Roma is the best known variety of plum tomatoes. Without juices that must be evaporated in long simmering, the fresh, tangy-sweet flavor of a plum tomato immediately goes into a soup, sauce, gratin, stew, or any cooked tomato dish. You also can use plum tomatoes raw in salads and uncooked sauces, as well as whenever juiced tomatoes are called for (just skip the juicing step).
Botanically fruits are impossible to ship when fully ripe, most tomatoes are picked at the hard, green, relatively indstructible stage, then ripened with gas (no sun in sight). Green tomatoes, like green bell peppers, are unripe and come in every size and shape. They may be puckery tart,with crisp flesh not unlike that of a tart green apple.
Years ago, commercially raised tomatoes were red, period. Now red, yellow, gold, and orange tomatoes come to market. Flavor, for the most part, is determined by the variety, but on the whole we find gold and orange tomatoes much sweeter than red tomatoes. Some can be positively fruity, as though a strain of apricots had been mixed in.
Tomatoes are in the market all year, but in most parts of the country, tomato season is midsummer till frost. Out of season, most market tomatoes have been grown in a greenhouse or hydroponically (in water rather than soil). They look like tomatoes, they slice like tomatoes, but they have no tomato taste. However, when you see plum tomatoes out of season, look around for the box they came in. If they came from Mexico, they will probably be tasty, but they should be peeled because they will probably have been sprayed.
Tomatoes continue to develop their mature color off the vine, but since sugars do not materially increase, flavor does not improve. The finest commercial tomatoes are called "vine ripened." They are not mature when picked, but they have begun to show their finished color. Select firm, bright tomatoes that are heavy for their size. Scarring around the stem end is harmless. When there are leaves attached, they must be moist and fresh looking. If the tomato smells like a tomato, grab it. Homegrown tomatoes should be picked when they are fragrant and then eaten on the spot or at least the same day. Store underripe to firm ripe tomatoes at room temperature, unwrapped. Store ripe tomatoes (those that yield to the touch) in the refrigerator, unwrapped, on a shelf, not in the moist crisper.
Allow 4 to 5 ounces per serving.
To Peel: Cut a small X in the bottom of the tomatoes but do not cut the flesh. Ease the tomatoes one by one into a pot of boiling water. Leave ripe tomatoes in for about 15 seconds, barely ripe tomatoes in for twice as long. Lift them out with a sieve and drop into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Pull off the skin with the tip of the knife. If the skin sticks, return the tomato to the boiling water for another l0 seconds and repeat. If the dish can use a touch of smoky flavor and if you have a gas burner, an easier way to peel tomatoes is to hold the tomato on a long-handled fork over the burner, turning it until the skin splits. Do not plunge in water, but after cooling, peel as above.
To Seed and Juice: To seed and juice a tomato, cut it crosswise in half (between the top and bottom). Squeeze each half gently, cut side down, over a strainer set in a bowl to catch the juice, which you can add to soup. Now run the tip of a finger into each of the cavities and flick out the mass of seeds.
To Roast: Roast tomatoes under the broiler as you would tomatillos. They are done when the skin is charred but the flesh beneath is still soft. Peel with a sharp paring knife (but not meticulously. Roasted tomatoes are especially suited to soups, sauces, and stews.
To Sweat: Quarter them and place in a saucepan with a small lump of butter and a pinch each of sugar and salt for each tomato. Bring to a simmer, stirring, then cover the pan, adjust the heat so the tomatoes continue to simmer, and cook until tender, 5 to 15 minutes. Minced onion and sweet basil also can be added. An old country trick was to add big cubes of thick pieces of toast when the tomatoes were juicy. Serve hot.
To Microwave: Place tomato halves in a round dish. Cover and cook on high, 2 to 4 minutes for 2 medium tomatoes, l0 to 13 minutes for 4 medium tomatoes, rearranging once halfway through. Let stand, still covered, for 2 minutes.

TRUFFLES
A truffle is simply the underground flowering of a fungus typically found around oak or hazelnut trees, with whose roots it has a symbiotic relationship. There are said to be at least 70 species of truffles in all, but in the culinary canon the only two that matter are the black truffle (Tuber melanosporum), harvested primarily in France and a bit in Italy and Spain, and the white truffle (Tuber magnatum), found mostly in the Piedmont region of Italy. The two are vastly different in character:
Black truffles (which are sometimes more brown than black) have a nutty character and a faint but distinct aroma; they are usually cooked or at least marinated or macerated (typically in Cognac) before use. Black truffles are essential to the classic French Perigourdine sauce, are often added to pates and terrines (especially of foie gras), and are frequently combined with eggs and potatoes.
White truffles are positively pungent, with a racy, almost primal perfume so strong that, in Italy, it is against the law to carry them on public transportation. White truffles are almost never cooked but are instead shaved raw over pasta, risotto, fonduta (the Piedmontese version of fondue), egg dishes, and salads. They are often stored (briefly) nestled in closed containers of risotto rice, to which they lend a vivid truffle flavor; the truffle can be used elsewhere, as it does not give all its flavor to the rice.
Entrepreneurs have long tried to raise truffles by inoculating forest soil with fungus spores, and some claim limited success-but in general truffles must be hunted in the wild. This work is traditionally done by dogs in Italy and pigs in France, though dogs are also making inroads in France because they do not eat the truffles when they dig them up, whereas pigs do.
Less expensive than classic black and white truffles are the so-called summer truffle (Tuber aestivum), a pleasant but mild-flavored black variety, and a pungent but not particularly interesting white variety (Tuber gibbosum) found in northern California and southern Oregon.
Truffles sold in jars or cans vary widely in quality but can be quite good.
If you are so fortunate as to be able to buy (and afford) a fresh truffle, choose one that is firm to the touch, with a pronounced aroma. Spongy, blandsmelling truffles are too old.
To Prepare: Brush them lightly with a soft kitchen brush or wipe them gently with a soft cloth. Do not wash them unless they are coated with dirt (those imported from France and Italy will not be).

TURNIPS
The moment you taste glazed young turnips mashed with buttery potatoes, you will understand their appeal. Closely related roots in the Mustard family, turnips have the shape of a top. Turnips have white skin with purple tops and white flesh. Turnips are crisp and peppery sweet when raw but meltingly soft and wonderfully, sweetened when cooked. Turnips are best when freshly harvested, spring and fall. Select firm, unblemished roots, heavy for their size (the smaller, the sweeter). Store roots from the market in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper. Cooked turnips can be mashed and served any way potatoes are. They are especially satisfying when blended in equal parts with potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Allow 8 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: No need to peel small, thin-skinned young turnips, but older turnips should be thinly pared. Cut into slices, wedges, cubes, or matchsticks. Young turnips are delicious raw. The earthy taste of cooked rutabagas and older turnips makes it possible to use them interchangeably in recipes.
To Boil: Bring 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt to a rolling boil in a large saucepan. Add 1 pound turnips peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes, and cook until tender when pierced with a thin skewer or knife tip. Allow 6 to 8 minutes for turnips. Drain.
To Steam: Place prepared roots in a single layer in a steamer basket over 1 to 2 inches boiling water. Cook, covered, until tender when pierced with a thin skewer or knife tip. After 2 minutes, lift the lid briefly to allow sulfurous compounds to escape. For turnips, allow 7 to 9 minutes for matchsticks; for ¾ inch turnip cubes, l0 to 13 minutes; for medium turnip quarters, 17 to 20 minutes; and for whole medium turnips, 39 to 40 minutes.
To Roast: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Peel and cut medium turnips into 6 wedges. For each 1 pound prepared roots, toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ground black pepper to taste. Place in a single layer in a roasting pan and cook until tender when pierced with a thin skewer or knife tip, 35 to 45 minutes for turnips.
To Microwave: Place 1 pound ¾-inch peeled cubes in a 2-quart baking dish. Add 3 tablespoons stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes.

TURNIP GREENS
Cut the stalks off turnips a few inches above the roots and store the greens in perforated plastic vegetable bags in the refrigerator crisper.
Do not freeze cooked turnip greens; most thawed greens are watery and of poor quality.
Turnip greens are especially good cooked with other greens, like collards, in water flavored with salt pork or a ham bone. They are traditionally seasoned with sprinklings of oil, vinegar, hot sauce or ground red pepper, and sugar.
Allow 6 to 8 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: After rinsing, pull tender leaves off ribs and tear large pieces into bite-sized ones. Discard stalks.
To Boil: Bring 16 cups (4 quarts) water and 1 ¾ tablespoons salt to a rolling boil in a stockpot. Add 1 to 1 ¾ pounds prepared greens and quickly bring the water back to a boil and cook prepared leaves until tender but not mushy, 8 to 13 minutes, depending on the age and thickness of the leaves. Baby leaves will cook very quickly. Drain.
To Braise: Bring 4 cups water or stock and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium skillet with lid. Add 1 pound mustard leaves and turn them with a pair of tongs until they wilt down and fit easily in the pan. Cover and cook prepared leaves until tender but not mushy, 11 to 13 minutes. After cooking for 2 minutes, lift the lid to release sulfurous compounds, then cover again and finish cooking. Drain.
To Microwave: Spread 1 pound shredded greens in a 2 quart baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons stock or lightly salted water. Cover and cook on high until tender but still crisp, 8 to 12 minutes, stirring after 4 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes. One pound turnip greens wedges can be cooked the same way; rearrange the pieces after 5 minutes and cook until tender, 12 to 14 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes.

WATER CHESTNUTS
The fresh water chestnuts sold in Chinese markets have a seductive delicacy not found in the straightforward crunch of the canned. They are not chestnuts at all but resemble them in size and in the brown color of their papery skin. Refrigerate canned water chestnuts in a paper bag for up to 2 weeks. Rinse water chestnuts shoots well before using. If you cannot use the whole can, transfer the remaining water chestnuts to a covered container of fresh water and try to change the water daily; to reduce their tinny taste, boil for 1 minute and drain well before using.
Water chestnuts grow in muddy water; fresh ones must be washed before you peel them. Their crisp, white flesh will discolor, so drop the peeled pieces into a bowl of water if not cooking at once. Water chestnuts can be eaten raw but become more flavorful with cooking, without losing their crispness. Slice and add to stirfries or chop and mix into ground meat or grains prior to cooking. For use in salads, boil them for 5 minutes, drain, and chill.
Allow 3 ounces of water chestnuts per serving.

YAUTIA
Yautia, also known as malanga, stands out among tropical tubers for its strong, earthy taste. Look carefully for relatively thin, chestnut-colored skin with no softness or withering when you select yautia, as the root does not keep well; store at room temperature for no longer than a couple of days.
Allow about 5 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Peel with a paring knife; the flesh will be slippery and maybe white, creamy yellow, or streaked with pink. Rinse well and drop into cold water until ready to cook.
To Cook: Leave pared yautia whole or cut into 3 to 4 inch pieces, simmer in salted water to cover until tender when pierced, about 25 minutes. Watch the pot for the last few minutes, as the root begins to disintegrate quickly once cooked through. Like other tropical roots, yautia also can be cooked as chips or fritters.

YUCA ROOT
Also called cassava, manioc, or tapioca, the root known as yuca in Spanish has a rich, buttery taste. The texture of its flesh is that of a rather flaky boiled potato, and it is good in stews, anointed with garlicky olive oil, or dabbed with fresh salsa. Its shiny, barklike brown skin conceals hard, pure white flesh that turns yellowish and almost translucent when cooked.
Yuca root does not store well, so make sure it smells fresh and has no mold or cracks when you buy it. Keep it at a cool room temperature and cook it as soon as possible, or freeze peeled raw chunks tightly wrapped in plastic for up to 1 month.
Yuca is higher in calories than potatoes and quite filling in small portions; it provides much potassium and some iron.
Allow 6 to 8 ounces per serving.
To Prepare: Cut the tapered root into chunks, slit the skin with a paring knife, then use the blade to peel away the skin and its underlayer in one piece. Halve chunks lengthwise and pull out the thin, fibrous core that runs down the center of the root. Rinse well and hold in cold water.
To Cook: Simmer in salted water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes for 2-inch pieces.

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