PREPARING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Make sure to try the recipes that are listed after each fruit or veggie description. They are some of my favorites.
FRUITS H-Z
- HONEYDEW MELON
The melons should be heavy for their size and give slightly when pressed with your fingers. They should also smell sweet and, well, like honey. Wash them well before slicing and gently scoop out the seeds. Honeydew Salad Wedges - KIWI FRUIT
Kiwis taste like a combination of strawberries and melon and are a delicious source of Vitamin C. The black seeds are edible. Peel the skin and slice to serve. Sherbet Fruit Pie - LEMONS AND LIMES
Lemons should feel heavy for their size. To get the most juice, gently roll them on the countertop to break down the cell structure. Or you can prick them with a knife and microwave them for 30 seconds on high, then juice. Lemon Truffle Pie - MANGOES
This luscious fruit tastes like a wild peach. They should smell sweet and be soft when pressed with the fingers, but not wrinkled. Color isn't a reliable indicator of ripeness. To prepare mangoes, hold them upright and cut down along one of the fat sides, curving your knife to avoid the large oval pit. Repeat on the other side. Then score the flesh with a knife in a crisscross pattern. Gently press the scored halves to turn inside out and cut off the chunks of fruit from the peel. Trim the rest of the fruit off the pit, peel, and use in the recipes. Baked Brie with Mango - PAPAYAS
The large black papaya seeds are edible, although I've never really enjoyed the peppery taste. Simply test the fruit to make sure it gives slightly with pressure from your palm, then wash, peel, scoop out the seeds, and slice. Caribbean Chicken Salad - PASSION FRUIT
These strange looking exotic fruits are delicious. A wrinkled skin is a sign of ripeness. Just wash them, cut them in half and scoop out the soft, sweet flesh with a spoon. - PEACHES
Ripe peaches are a wonderful treat. They should be firm, yellow with a red or pink blush, smell sweet, and give slightly to palm pressure. Unless you are canning them, be sure to select freestone peaches, not cling. I bought a case of cling peaches once and was driven to tears trying to remove the pit, or stone. Peaches can be blanched for 30 seconds in boiling water, then plunged into cold water. The skins will slip right off. Brie Peach Sandwiches - PINEAPPLE
Fresh pineapple is a wonderful treat. The ripe fruit should smell ripe and give very slightly when pressed at the bottom. To prepare, wash, then firmly grasp the leaves and twist off. Cut the pineapple into four sections, and using a curved knife, cut the flesh away from the prickly peel. Remove the hard core and slice the fruit or cut it into chunks. Grilled Pineapple - RASPBERRIES
Raspberries need no preparation - just wash gently and quickly and serve. Be sure to carefully check packages before you buy so there are no squished or moldy fruits in the bottom of the container. Caramelized Peach and Raspberry Shortcakes - STARFRUIT
Starfruit are ripe when yellow and give slightly to pressure. The entire lemony fruit is edible. Just wash and slice - and the slices will look like stars! - STRAWBERRIES
Fresh strawberries should be red, firm and plump. The best are harvested yourself from pick-your-own farms, or from farmer's markets. To prepare, wash thoroughly, then cut out the leaves (hull) and any white part at the top, or shoulder, of the strawberry. Then slice or chop. Strawberry S'more Tart - WATERMELON
Seedless varieties of watermelon aren't really seedless, but have very small, tender, edible seeds. Watermelon is best cut into large wedges, then sliced. When ripe, the watermelon will give a hollow thud when thumped and will smell sweet. Watermelon rind is a popular ingredient for people who love to pickle fruits. Watermelon with Mango Berry Salsa
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