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_Vegetables That Are Fruit |
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Print this Recipe There are countless vegetables that are botanically fruits. Fruit is the pulpy part of a plant that houses the seed. Tomatoes, cucumbers, squashes, eggplant, bell peppers, and avocados are all fruits. The botanical purpose of a fruit is to protect and nurture a seed until it is ready to grow into a new plant. When the seed is mature, the fruit ripens, making it attractive to animals. Hopefully they will eat the fruit, thus scattering its seed and helping the plant species to flourish. As a fruit ripens, its skin blushes with color; it gets softer and juicier; its starch is converted to sugar, making the fruit sweeter; and enzymes break down its cell walls, releasing a characteristic perfume. For fruits like tomatoes, corn, and avocados, full ripeness is the essence of quality, but for most fruit-vegetables ripening is a process of diminishing returns. Think about the qualities of full ripeness, such as soft flesh, sweetness, and pronounced aroma. They are the very attributes that make a cucumber or zucchini undesirable. Ripe cucumbers are yellow and soft. Ripe zucchini are flaccid and full of seeds. Completely ripened eggplants are flabby and bitter. These fruits are judged by the opposite criteria--firmness, smallness, greenness, and a clean, fresh aroma. Bell peppers are the trickiest of all fruit-vegetables in which to judge quality. Part of the problem is that the desirable degree of ripeness changes with the pepper. Green bell peppers are underripe. They should be very firm, be heavy for their size, and give off a characteristic acrid aroma. Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are green peppers that have been left to ripen. They should have vivid color and a heady, sweet fragrance, but unlike other ripe fruits, peppers should never be soft. The line between a ripe bell pepper and a rotten one is very thin. Choose carefully, avoiding ones with bruises, soft spots, or a musty odor. This recipe comes from the Cook'n collection. Try Cook'n for FREE!
02-What's Your Hurry? 03-The Ingredients 04-Organic and All-Natural Ingredients 05-Setting Up A Pantry 06-Using the Recipes _What Makes An Onion Sweet? _Flavored Oils _Chiles-Too Hot To Handle _Instant Polenta _What Is Bruschetta? _Ponzu _Refried Beans _Puff Pastry _Canned Pumpkin Is Better Than Fresh _The Allure Of Pouched Fish _Melting Cheese _Defining Fruit _V8: A Garden In A Jar _Making Substitutions For Cream _Ready-To-Serve Precooked Bacon _Endives _Precut Produce _Salting To Cook, Not Just For Flavor _Sprouts: An Instant Salad _Cooking Without Heat _Choosing Meat _Hanger Steak _Mesquite Sauces _Chimichurri _Frozen Dough _Restaurant-Style Stock And Sauce Concentrates _Preservatives In Jarred Garlic _Tough Cuts Of Meat _Pots And Pans _Food In A Tube _Refrigerated Guacamole _The Joy Of Soy _Making Substitutions: Salsa And Dressing _Mole Paste _Leftovers: Turkey Salad Reinvented _Keep Your Skin On _Fishing For Broth _Lean Fish / Fat Fish _How Do You Know When The Fish Is Done? _Judging Freshness _Fish On The Bone _Dry-Pack, Day-Boat, Unsoaked Scallops _Don't Overlook (Seafood) _Tofu _Quorn _Asian Quick-Soak Noodles _Seitan _Meatless Protein _Flavored Salsa _The Two Faces Of Veggie Burgers _Frozen Potatoes _Techniques For Cooking Vegetables _Speed-Baking Potatoes _Edamame _Cook Your Vegetables By Color _Buying Leafy Vegetables _Vegetables That Are Fruit _Shopping For Root Vegetables _Fennel, Celery, And Other Stem Vegetables _Quick-Cooking Whole-Grain Rice _Risotto _Instant And Precooked Polenta _Buckwheat _You Say Tabbouleh, I Say Tabouli _Quinoa _Lemon Zest _Canned Tomatoes _Tomatoes And Cream _Dried Wild Mushrooms _Cooking With Salad Dressing _Resting Lasagna (Or Any Casserole) _Couscous _White Beans _Curry Paste _Microwave Steaming _How Does A Slow-Cooker Work? _The Theory Behind Slow-Roasting _Perfect Cheesecake _Prepared Pie Crust _Chai Concentrate _Buying And Storing Honey _The Sweet Side Of Pepper Spread _Cornbread Mixes _Canned Dairy _Baby Carrots _Quick Tomato Sauces |
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