ZUCCHINI

Available all year, peak June through August.

Look for glossy, dark green skin and firm flesh. Zucchini should be heavy for its size. Avoid zucchini longer than 8 inches (20cm) and with any brown or yellow spots. Refrigerate in a perforated plastic bag up to 4 days.

COOKING TIME:

- Steam : 5 to 10 minutes

- Microwave: 3 to 6 minutes

- Blanch : 2 to 3 minutes

- Boil : 5 to 10 minutes

- Others : broil halves for 5 minutes

TOMATOES, TOMAT

Available all year, peak May to August.

Look for well-shaped, heavy tomatoes with uniform full color. Avoid those with bruises and mushy centers. Vine-ripened tomatoes are better than those picked while green, which are often treated with ethylene gas to force reddening. Store ripe tomatoes at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerate up to 3 days. Underripe tomatoes should be left in a warm spot until ripe. Never refrigerate tomatoes until fully ripe.


COOKING TIME:

- Steam : 2 to 3 minutes
- Microwave : 3 to 4 minutes
- Blanch : 1 to 2 minutes
- Boil : Not recommended
- Other : bake halves 8 to 15 minutes at 400F (200C)

SQUASH

SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Available all year, peak December to February.

Look for hard, smooth, even-colored squash without ridges or bumps. Avoid those that are green or have spots. Store, uncut, in a cool, dry place up to 3 days. Refrigerate up to 1 week.

COOKING TIME:

- Steam : Not recommended

- Microwave : 5 to 6 minutes / pierced

- Blanch : Not recommended

- Boil : 15 to 20 minutes

- Other : Bake 40 to 90 minutes at 350F (190C)

WINTER SQUASH

Available all year, peak December to February.

Look for hard, firm skins. Avoid those with signs of softness, mushiness or bruises. Store, uncut, in a dark, dry, cool place up to 2 months. Refrigerate cut squash wrapped in plastic wrap up to 1 week.

COOKING TIME :

- Steam : 15 to 40 minutes

- Microwave : 6 to 10 minutes

- Blanch : Not recommended

- Boil : 5 to 10 minutes

- Other : bake 40 to 60 minutes at 350F (190C)

SPINACH, BAYAM

spinach

Available all year, peak March to June.

Whether growers pick flat-leaf varieties or those with crinkly textures like other cooking greens, harvesting spinach is intimate business.
Extracting tender leaves requires getting down on hands and knees and hand-plucking them from the plant. But despite the delicate treatment it requires, spinach can also have tough grit and should be dunked in cold water and drained at least once to remove sand or dirt. All that washing is worth your while - at only 7 calories percup, this veggie is an excellent source of fiber, folate and vitamin C, and provides a whopping 20 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A.
Spinach was first cultivated in ancient Persia, now Iran, where it's still a favorite ingredient in soup, stews, and flaky turnovers. it quickly became a staple in cultures and cuisines around the world. Indians use it in pesto-like purees with raw garlic, and Chinese saute it. The French incorporate it into savory tarts, Italians like it on pizza and who here in Popeye-land can resist spinach when it's steamed with a squeeze of lemon or a dash of hot sauce ??

Look for dark green, fresh leaves. Avoid yellow, wilted, bruised or mushy leaves. Refrigerate, unwashed, in a plastic bag up to 3 days.

COOKING TIME :

- Steam : 5 to 6 minutes

- Microwave : 3 to 4 minutes

- Blanch : 2 to 3 minutes

- Boil : 2 to 5 minutes

- Other : stir-fry for 3 minutes

TIPS :
Spinach should only ever be cooked once and never re-heat-ed, since otherwise it can release harmful nitrite.

POTATOES - KENTANG

potatoes

POTATOES, KENTANG

Available all year.

Look for firm, somewhat smooth, clean, well-shaped potatoes. Avoid wilted, sprouted or green-tinged potatoes. Avoid wilted, sprouted or green-tinged potatoes. Store, unwashed, in a cool, dark,dry place up to 3 weeks. Do not refrigerate as starch will turn to sugar.

COOKING TIME:

- Steam : 10 to 12 minutes

- Microwave : 8 to 10 minutes

- Blanch : Not recommended ( should be cooked before freezing)

- Boil : 15 to 20 minutes

- Other : bake 25 to 30 minutes at 400F (200C)

SWEET POTATOES, UBI MANIS

Available all year; peak October to December.

Look for firm, blemish-free potatoes of uniform shape. Avoid those that have cracks, mold or soft spots. Store in paper or perforated plastic bag in a cool, well-ventilated spot up to 1 week. Do not refrigerate.

COOKING TIME :

- Steam : 12 to 30 minutes

- Microwave : 6 to 8 minutes

- Blanch : Not recommended ( fully cook before freezing)

- Boil : 20 to 30 minutes

- Other : bake 40 - 60 minutes at 400F (200C)

BELL PEPPERS - PAPRIKA

Available all year; peak August and September.Look for shiny, crisp pepper with smooth skins. Peppers should feel heavy for their size. Avoid those with soft spots or shriveled areas. Refrigerate in a plastic bag up to 5 days

PEAS - KACANG POLONG - KAPRI

ENGLISH PEAS, KACANG POLONG
Available all year; peak January to August.
Look for fresh, light green, plump, velvety young pods filled with developed peas. Avoid wilted, yellow or flat pods. Refrigerate pods, unwashed, in a plastic bag up to 2 days.

SNOW PEAS, KAPRI
Available all year; peak fall and spring.
Look for bright green pods that are firm, crisp, small and flat with immature seeds. Avoid peas which are drying along the seam. Refrigerate, unwashed, in a plastic bag up to 2 days.

PARSNIP

Available all year; peak October to March.
Look for straight, small (5-10 inch / 12.5-25cm), smooth-skinned roots. Large parsnips might have woody cores. Avoid parsnips that are limp, shriveled or have splits or brown spots. Refrigerate in a plastic bag up to 10 days.

ONIONS -SHALLOTS

onion

Available all year. Pearl onions (immature dry onions) peak in fall and winter and sweet onions peak in late summer and fall. Look for firm, well-shaped onions with dry skins. Avoid sooty or sprouting onions. Green onions should be crisp and tender with fresh tops and medium-size necks. Store onions in a cool, dark, dry place up to a month, preferably hung where air can circulate around them. Onions can give off an odor in the refrigerator and affect the flavor of other foods. Refrigerate green onions in a plastic bag up to 1 week.




SHALLOTS


shallots

KOHLRABIES

Available sporadically all year, peak May to July.Look for small to medium, smooth bulbs. Leaves should be firm and green. Avoid kohlrabies with cracks or yellowing leaves. Separate leaves from bulbs. Refrigerate bulbs in a plastic bag up to 1 week and leaves up to 2 days.

EGGPLANT - KAJI - TERONG

eggplant, sliced eggplant


Available all year; peak August and September.

Look for fim eggplants with smooth skin and a uniform color. Avoid those that are soft, shriveled or have cuts or scars. Usually, the smaller the eggplant is the sweeter and more tender it is. Eggplants bruise easily, Handle gently and store at room temperature up to 2 days. Or, refrigerate in a plastic bag up to 4 days. Use as soon as possible since eggplant becomes bitter with age.

Eggplant is thought to have originated in Southeast Asia and India, which is thin, tender and purple, about 3-4 in (8-10 cm) long. Use slender (Japanese) eggplants, not the bulbous variety – the seeds are too large and they need salting before they can be used.

COOKING TIME (for whole) :
- Steam : 15 to 30 minutes
- Microwave : 7 to 10 minutes
- Blanch : 10 to 15 minutes
- Boil : 10 to 15 minutes
- Other : bake 30 minutes at 400F (200F)

CORN

corn

Available May to September.
Look for fresh, moist, green husks, cob should be well filled with bright, plump, milky kernels that pop easily when pressed with a fingernail. Kernels should be tightly packed together in even rows. Refrigerate immediately in husks; if shucked, store in plastic bags up to 2 days. Use as soon as possible since the sugar in corn begins to turn to starch as soon as it is picked.


baby corn

Look for bright yellow and crunchy baby corn, it is used to cook for stir-frying, soup, or only steam baby corn for salad. Make sure to put in refrigerate if not using, to avoid baby corn becoming brown.

CAULIFLOWER

Available all year; peak October and November.Look for a creamy-white head with tightly packed, crisp flowerets. Leaves should be bright green. Avoid heads with brown spots or dry leaves. Refrigerate in original packaging or in a plastic bag up to 4 days.

CARROTS - WORTEL

Available all year.

Look for firm, smooth, well-shaped carrots with a deep orange color. Avoid those that are flabby, soft, cracked, shriveled or show signs of mold. If leaves are attached, they should look fresh. To store, cut off leaves and refrigerate in a plastic bag up to 2 weeks. Apples produce a gas that causes a bitter flavor in carrots; therefore, store separately. Wilted carrots still have flavor and vitamin A, which makes them good for soups, stews, stocks, and purees.

BROCOLLI

Available all year.

Peak October to April.Look for tightly closed, compact, dark green to purplish-green flowerets on tender, firm stalks. Avoid those with yellow flowers, wilted leaves or thick, tough stems. Refrigerate in a plastic bag up to 4 days.

GREEN BEANS AND LIMA BEANS

GREEN BEANS BUNDLES
Available sporadically all year; peak May to August.Look for vivid green, crisp, tender beans without scars and well shaped, slim pods with small seeds. Buy beans of uniform size to ensure even cooking. Avoid bruised or large beans. Refrigerate, unwashed, in a plastic bag up to 2 days

LIMA BEANS
Available August and September.Look for green, shiny and pliable pods; beans should fill pods well. Avoid pods with signs of drying. Half the weight of a lima bean (the shell) is waste. Although yields vary according to size of bean, one pound when shelled will measure 11/2 to 2cups (375 to 500 ml) of beans. Buy plump-shelled beans with green to greenish-white skins. Refrigerate pods in a perforated plastic bag up to 3 days. Use as soon as possible since flavor is best when fresh. Shell beans just before using.

ASPARAGUS

Available sporadically all year; peak March to June.

Look for firm, straight spears with closed, tightly budded, compact tips. The stalks should be crisp, not wilted. Buy spears of uniform size to ensure even cooking. Avoid woody, dry stems. To help retain moisture, stand cut ends in an inch of water or wrap ends in a moist paper towel or cloth; place in a plastic bag, making sure tips stay dry. Refrigerate up to 5 days.

COOKING TIME:
- Steam : 8 - 10 minutes
- Microwave : 4 - 6 minutes, in adding 2 tbsp water per 450 g
- Blanch : 2 - 3 minutes
- Boil : 5 - 12 minutes