Tips for Cooking and Roasting Vegetables

Some additional tips for cooking and roasting vegetables (related to Redlands Daily Facts Food Column "Root of Savory", 10.9.10)

The following guidelines for vegetable cookery might be helpful for you.

1. Vegetables should be carefully cut into uniform shapes and sizes to promote even cooking and provide a visually attractive finished product.
2. Cook vegetables for as short a time as possible to preserve texture, color and nutrients.
3. Cook vegetables as close to service time as possible. When held, even without heat, vegetables will continue to cook.
4. When necessary, vegetables can be blanched in advance, then refreshed in ice water and refrigerated. They can be reheated as necessary.
5. White and red vegetables (those with flavonoid pigments) may be cooked with a small amount of acid such as lemon juice, vinegar or white wine to help retain color.
6. When preparing an assortment of vegetables, cook each type separately, then combine them. Otherwise, some items might become overcooked in the time required to properly cook others.