Vegetables

Front 1

what are the standards for cooked vegetables?

Back 1

color - bright, natural

appearance on plate - cut uniformly, not swimming in cooking liquid; good garnish; attractive arrangement

texture - crisp tender, right degree of doneness, soft veggies should be cooked through

flavor - garden fresh, not off or bitter

seasonings - light, not too strong or masking garden flavors

sauces - butter and seasoned butters should be fresh; veggies not greasy, enhanced, not covered up

combination - pleasing combo in flavor, color, shapes, and veggies cooked separately, then combined

Front 2

after washing veggies for service, do what next?

Back 2

drain, refrigerate and keep lightly covered if not using immediately

Front 3

do not soak veggies for long periods. Why?

Back 3

loss of flavor and nutrients

Front 4

which veggies should be soaked 30 minutes to eliminate insects?

Back 4

cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower

Use cold, salted water

Front 5

limp veggies can be soaked briefly in cold water to do what?

Back 5

restore some crispness

Front 6

what do dried beans absorb when soaked?

Back 6

their weight in water

Front 7

what should you add to veggies that brown easily such as potatoes, eggplant, artichokes and sweet potatoes?

Back 7

add an acid such as lemon juice, or hold them under water until ready to use

Front 8

give some examples of items we think of as veggies that are actually fruits?

Back 8

tomatoes
eggplant
peppers
green beans
okra
cucumber
squash
pea pods
walnuts
avocadoes

Front 9

when choosing artichokes, what should you look for?

Back 9

compact, tight leaves
heavy for their size
few or no brown blemishes

Front 10

how should you prepare an artichoke for cooking?

Back 10

wash
cut 1 inch off top
cut off stem, remove a few lower leaves
scrape out the fuzzy choke
dip in acidulated water
tie lemons to top and bottom

Front 11

what should you look for with Brussels sprouts?

Back 11

bright green
tight heads
uniform size

Front 12

how do you prepare Brussels sprouts?

Back 12

trim bottom ends
remove yellowed outer leaves
pierce base to ensure even cooking
rinse well in cold salted water

Front 13

how do you prepare eggplant?

Back 13

look for firm, not soft, eggplant with shiny, dark, purple color and heavy plumpness, no blemishes

wash, trim off stemmed end
peel skin
cut just before use
salt the cut slices and press
rinse off before using

Front 14

what's the advantage of using a lot of water when cooking green veggies?

Back 14

plant acids are more quickly diluted and driven off, preserving COLOR

Front 15

using a little liquid when cooking veggies increases cooking time. Why?

Back 15

when you add veggies to boiling water, the temp gets lowered and they sit in warm water while it heats back up

Front 16

what are factors that contribute to nutrient loss?

Back 16

high temp
long cooking
leaching (dissolving out)
alkalis (baking soda, hard water)
plant enzymes (destroyed by high heat)
oxygen

Front 17

yellow and orange veggie pigments are very stable, but what does long cooking do to them?

Back 17

dulls the color

Front 18

do not add what to maintain green color?

Back 18

baking soda

Why: soda destroys vitamins and makes texture mushy and slippery

Front 19

what are the benefits of steam cooking?

Back 19

cooks rapidly
lessens dissolving of nutrients, flavor
doesn't break up delicate veggies

Front 20

what is becoming the most preferred method of cooking green veggies?

Back 20

steaming

Front 21

how can you protect the color green when cooking veggies?

Back 21

cook uncovered so plant acids escape
cook shortest possible time - veggies should be crisp tender, not mushy
cook in small batches

Front 22

what ingredient is the enemy of green veggies?

Back 22

acids

Front 23

because red pigments dissolve easily in water, how can you protect them in cooking?

Back 23

use short cooking time
use only as much water as necessary
cook beets whole and unpeeled with root and 1 inch of stem attached (skins will come off easily after cooking)
serve cooking liquid as a sauce with the veggie

Front 24

what do acids prolong?

Back 24

cooking time

Front 25

why is red cabbage sometimes cooked with tart apples?

Back 25

because of the acid

Front 26

red beets and cabbage have their best color when cooked with a small amount of what?

Back 26

acid

Front 27

red pigments in cabbage and beets react very strongly to acids and alkalis. Acids turn them . . .

Alkalis turn them . . .

Back 27

bright red


blue or blue-green

Front 28

the red color of tomatoes and red peppers is due to what pigment?

Back 28

carotenoid

Front 29

for white veggies, steaming helps maintain their color.

Overcooking or hold them too long in a steam table turns them . . .

Back 29

dull yellow or gray

Front 30

what can you add to keep veggies like cauliflower white?

Back 30

lemon juice or cream of tartar

(but not too much, or you'll toughen the veggie) cover the pot to keep acids in

Front 31

visual quality is just as important for a veggie as taste and nutrients.

what are pigments?

Back 31

compounds that give veggies their color

Front 32

what change happens over time to veggies such as corn, peas, carrots, turnips and beets?

Back 32

when harvested young, they have a high sugar content that makes them taste sweet. but sitting in storage and maturing, the sugar turns to starch

Tip: if veggies are mature, add a small amount of sugar to the cooking water

Front 33

why cook cabbages and members of the cabbage family quickly and uncovered?

Back 33

because overcooking produces undesirable changes

Front 34

how should you handle strongly flavored veggies such as onions, leeks, shallots, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips and rutabagas in the cooking process?

Back 34

leave uncovered to allow flavors to escape

use larger amounts of water

Front 35

how do flavors get lost?

Back 35

they get dissolved in cooking liquid

they evaporate

Front 36

What are the rules for getting the right doneness on veggies?

Back 36

peel items such as asparagus, broccoli; pierce brussels sprouts base, remove center stalks of lettuce before braising

uniform size cuts

don't overcook

cook as close to service as possible

if need to cook in advance, slightly undercook, cool rapidly in cold water, drain, refrigerate, reheat via saute

don't mix batches

Front 37

what gives veggies shape and structure?

Back 37

fiber such as cellulose and pectin

Front 38

in what ways does the amount of fiber vary in veggies?

Back 38

it's different for different veggies (tomatoes have less than carrots)

it's different between young and old in the same veggie (old have more fiber)

in the same veggie, tips of asparagus have less than the stalk

Front 39

how is a veggie's fiber made firmer?

Back 39

acids: extend cooking time

sugars: strengthen cell walls

heat: longer cooking means softer veggies

alkalis - baking soda

Front 40

cooking changes the flavor of a veggie, and it can also cause the loss of what?

Back 40

flavor

It can also cause development of stronger flavors, as in cabbage

So don't cook longer than you have to

Front 41

How do white veggies (flavones) such as potatoes, turnips, cauliflower, onions look when overcooked?

Back 41

yellowish gray

Front 42

how do red (anthocyanin) veggies like beets and red cabbage look when overcooked?

Back 42

greenish blue

Front 43

how do green (chlorophyl) veggies look when overcooked?

Ex: asparagus, green beans, lima beans?

Back 43

olive green

Front 44

what color are yellow (carotenoids) when overcooked?

Ex: tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes

Back 44

slightly faded, dull

Front 45

Chef Matt's Slide Rules for Cooking . . .

Back 45

Don't overcook
cook in small quantities
blanch
never use baking soda on green veg
cut uniformly
cook green veggies uncovered (to release plant acids)
don't mix old and new batches

Front 46

what is blanching?

Back 46

a preparation, not a cooking technique

Front 47

how do you blanch?

Back 47

start with boiling salted water for veggies growing above ground - cold salted water for those below ground

shock in ice water
drain

Front 48

what are factors in considered how long to blanch?

Back 48

what's your next cooking step?

how long is the next cooking step?

how many more cooking processes are there?

what is the goal?

what is the final intent?

Front 49

what can you do with veggies after you blanch them?

Back 49

puree
boil or steam
saute and pan fry
braise (blanched or raw)
bake or roast
grill or broil
deep fry with batter on, breaded, no batter, fritters, croquettes (thick vegetable purees breaded and fried)

Front 50

what is the most appealing and attractive quality of a vegetable?

Back 50

freshness

Front 51

what are the goals of vegetable service?

Back 51

preserve and enhance flavor, texture, color, and make them sought after

Front 52

what softens fiber?

Back 52

heat - the longer the cooking, the softer the veggie

alkali - don't add baking soda - makes mush and destroys vitamins

Front 53

a vegetable is said to be done when what?

Back 53

it has reached the desired degree of tenderness

Front 54

what does "al dente" mean?

Back 54

firm to the bite; crisp tender

Front 55

cooking affects vegetables 4 ways. What are they?

Back 55

texture
flavor
color
nutrients

Front 56

what is cooling quickly under cold water called?

Back 56

shocking or refreshing to prevent veggies from being overcooked in retained heat

they can be reheated via saute

Front 57

Give the pigments for each of the following colors:

white
red
green
yellow

Back 57

flavones
anthocyanin
chlorophyll
carotenoids

Front 58

what are veggie fritters?

Back 58

small veggies mixed with a batter

Front 59

what is a veggie croquette?

Back 59

thick veggie purees which are breaded