Cooking Vegetables

Some good hints on cooking vegetables appear in last week’s “In the Bag”:

Blanche: To briefly immerse in boiling water, then plunge into cold water to stop the cooking. Greens will retain their bright color.

Braise: To brown meats and vegetables in a small amount of fat, then cook, tightly covered, in a small amount of flavored liquid for a long time over low heat.

Sauté: To cook quickly, in fat, over high heat.

Steam: To steam, in a steam basket over simmering water in a wide, tightly covered saucepan.

Stir-fry: To cook small pieces of food quickly in a large pan in a small amount of very hot fat over high heat. Stir constantly.

Wilt: To wilt, first rinse the leaves, then place the wet leaves in a pot or skillet over low heat and cover tightly. Greens become limp and pliable.