Blanching vegetables

By Sandy Hu
A new video for Video Friday

As the weather warms up and farmers’ markets and supermarket produce counters are filled to overflowing, it’s time to celebrate the bounty with crudité platters and delicious dips.

Some vegetables, such as radishes and sugar snap peas, taste great just served raw. But hardier vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower florets, green beans, asparagus and even carrots taste better when they’re blanched. A quick dip in boiling water takes the raw edge off and makes these vegetables taste sweeter.

Blanched vegetables can also be used for cooking. I like to blanch green beans , then sauté them in olive oil. By blanching first, the beans cook more evenly, since they have had a head start through the blanching process, and cooking goes faster.

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Assemble and Serve Supper

By Katie Barreira

Ah, August. Time for those dripping hand-held fruits – peaches, nectarines and yes, tomatoes. Ingredients this fresh are best left unadulterated and that’s great, because I sure don’t feel like cooking. Hmmm, it’s as if Mother Nature knew exactly what I needed....

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Easy Fish Tacos to Celebrate Summer

By Jess Ziman

I remember perusing the farmers’ market eight months ago and wistfully bidding farewell to my favorite summer produce. There are seasonal gems all year round, but without a doubt summer is the most vivacious. I was so happy to go to the farmers’ market last week and take in the renewed abundance of color and variety – fresh tomatoes, asparagus, cherries and lovely golden peaches!

To me, these tilapia tacos with peach, corn, and black bean salsa are the perfect way to welcome the season. Nothing says summer quite like a lovely ripe peach and fish tacos instantly making me feel like a sun-kissed surfer. Not only are the tacos a refreshing, yet surprisingly filling meal, but they are quick to make so you won’t have to be indoors too long, missing the sunshine.

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Cook Simply in the Summer

By Lori Powell

Summer is one of those seasons where it’s easy to cook for just one or two. For one thing, you have the most amazing vegetables, fruits and herbs at this time of year. When you have the best the season has to offer, cooking simply is really all that is required!

It’s the season of the corn on the cob. There are so many ways to prepare it but the cardinal rule is just keep it simple. See the photo below for a quick and easy way to get those crunchy kernels off the cob.

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