Recipes for Fruits and Vegetables

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Walnuts

Ingredients

2 medium beets - scrubbed, trimmed and cut into cubes
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
5 oz mixed baby salad greens
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 ounces goat cheese

Instructions

Place beets into a saucepan, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain and cool.
While the beets are cooking, put the walnuts in a skillet over medium-low heat. Heat until starting to toast, then stir in the maple syrup. Cook and stir until evenly coated. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Whisk together the orange juice concentrate, balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl to make the dressing.
Divide baby greens onto four salad plates and place candied walnuts equally over the greens. Place equal amounts of beets over the greens, and top with dabs of goat cheese. Drizzle some of the dressing over the greens.

How to Keep Vegetables Fresh

Buy Local Some vegetables travel over a week to get to the supermarket. When you buy local, you can be comfortable knowing that you are buying vegetables soon after harvest, while they are still in their prime, without trading shelf life for travel time.

Store Produce as Soon as You Get Home Make the produce stop the last one on your shopping trip, so that your vegetables don’t sit in a hot car while you run around completing more errands.

Remove Vegetable Tops While vegetables like beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, rutabaga, have leafy greens that you may want to enjoy, they will pull moisture from the roots they are attached to if you don’t remove them. Separate them from the rest of the vegetable and store in a plastic bag until you are ready to use them.
Remove Excess Moisture Wet vegetables can become soggy quickly. If they are damp, wrap them in a lint free towel or line the storage bag with a paper towel to absorb any remaining moisture.
Shake Off the Dirt Don’t wash your veggies before storing (see the moisture note above), but shake off any dirt before placing them in the refrigerator.
Don’t Leave Them Naked A refrigerator can dry things out quickly, so keep your veggies in a plastic bag or specialized storage container to keep them fresh. This is helpful even if you have a special humidity-controlled produce drawer.
Watch for Cold Spots Many refrigerators have spots prone to freezing where the tubes for ice makers or freezers are close to the surface. Save these spots for items like butter, and place your produce where it will be cold, but not at risk of freezing.
Not All Produce Should be Refrigerated Tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and the like do better at room temperature – but make sure to find them a cool dry place out of direct sunlight to keep them at their peak longer.
Water Your Herbs Parsley, basil, and other herbs stay fresh longer if placed in a jar of water and covered with a plastic bag before being refrigerated.
Check in With Your Veggies Take a good look at your vegetables every few days – changing towels or bags and refreshing water. Trim and discard any wilted, brown, or yellow spots. Discard if they have started to shrivel or grow mold.
Change Your Game Plan If you bought something for a specific dish, but now won’t be doing that before the vegetable will spoil, consider freezing it, or cooking it in another preparation before it is too far gone.