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• Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients.
• Vegetables are plants or parts of plants like leaves, fruits, tubers, roots, bulbs, stems, shoots, and flowers used in a dish either raw or cooked.
• Vegetables give color, texture, and flavor to our meals and also provide vitamins and minerals.
• Vegetables are good sources of food nutrients that are very important in everyday meals.
• According to parts of a plant, vegetables can be categorized as Gourd Family (cucumber, pumpkin, chayote), Seeds and Pods (beans, green peas), Fruit Vegetables (avocado, eggplant, sweet pepper, tomato), Roots and tubers (beet, carrot, radish, turnip, artichoke, potato, sweet potato), and Cabbage family (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bokchoy).
• According to chemical composition, vegetables can be categorized as carbohydrates-rich (seeds, roots, tubers), protein-rich (legumes, peas, beans), and fat-rich (nuts, olives, avocado).
• Vegetables can also be categorized according to their moisture content as high moisture (mushrooms, tomatoes, radish, green leafy vegetables) and low moisture (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bokchoy).
• Vegetables can be categorized according to their nutritive value as Vitamin A-rich (green leafy and yellow fruits and vegetables), Vitamin C-rich (yellow vegetables, cabbage-type vegetables, dark green and yellow vegetables, bell peppers, lettuce, potatoes), and Vitamin B (complex)-rich (legumes, peas, beans).
• Leftover vegetables should not be mixed batches.
• Store the leftover creamed vegetables for one day only.
• Fresh vegetables should be stored for a short time.
• Do not refreeze thawed vegetables.
• Discard cans that show signs of damage (swollen, badly dented rusted cans).
• Canned vegetables should be kept in a cool dry place, away from sunlight and off the floor.
• Before storing, cool rapidly by placing the container on ice.
• Keep dried vegetables well sealed and off the floor.
• Frozen vegetables should be stored at 0°F ( - 18°C) or colder in original container until ready for use.
• Dried vegetables should be stored in a cool (less than 75°F) dry, well ventilated place.
• Raw, cut potatoes are held in cold water for a short time.
• Potatoes, eggplants and other vegetables that brown when cut should be treated with an acid or blanched them to inactivate the enzyme that cause browning.
• Frozen vegetables require shorter time in cooking because they have been partially cooked, can be cooked from the frozen state, and most are slightly salted during processing.
• When cutting vegetables, cut uniformly for even cooking.
• Fresh vegetables are newly harvested vegetables that undergo little or no processing until marketed or sold, are highly perishable and bulky to stow, and their structure is obtained mainly from cellulose.
• When preparing vegetables for cooking, do so as close to service time as possible and in small quantities, reheat at service time, and never use baking soda with green vegetables.
• Cook green vegetables and strong-flavored vegetables uncovered, do not overcook, and standard quality of cooked vegetables should have bright, natural color.
• When selecting vegetables, consider the intended use, buy in season, consider the storage available, choose high-quality vegetables, and just before going to the grocery store checkout counter, pick up frozen vegetables that are frozen solid and get them to your freezer as quickly as possible.
• Canned vegetables are a method of food preservation that helps make the vegetables last longer and makes cooking easier and more convenient, and undergo several procedures before canning.
• Dried and dehydrated vegetables are preserved and prolong the shelf life of vegetables by removing water, inhibiting the growth of bacteria, yeasts and molds that can promote spoilage and rot.
• Braising involves heating a pan, adding liquid, stock, water or wine or combination of liquids, and cooking vegetables slowly.
• Sautéing and Pan-Frying are also used for the complete cooking of raw vegetables.
• Baking is a method of cooking starchy vegetables using the heat of the oven, rather than range top, because the dry heat produces a desirable texture.
• The procedures in Sautéing include preparing vegetables as required, heating a sauté pan on high heat, adding a small amount of clarified butter or oil, adding vegetables, not overloading the pan, flipping the pan to toss vegetables, and continuing to flip as necessary.
• Plating vegetable dish requires a picture-perfect food enhances both the look and taste of the food.
• Deep-Frying involves frying vegetables large enough to coat with breading or batter, quick-cooking vegetables can be fried raw, and some may be precooked by simmering or steaming briefly to reduce the cooking time in frying.
• Steaming involves placing vegetables in a steamer, heating the steamer, and cooking the vegetables.
• The essential factors to consider in plating vegetable dish include visual sense, good presentation and cooking techniques, and professional skill.
• The procedures in Frying Vegetables include preparing mise-en-place, heating a pan and adding fat, placing prepared vegetables in the pan, cooking to desired degree of browning, turning vegetables with a spatula and continuing to cook until done, and removing from pan and draining off excess fat.
• Sautéing and Pan-Frying are methods used to complete cooking or precooked or blanched vegetables.
• Proper storing of vegetables will keep them fresh and safe to eat, there are some vegetables and fruits that can be stored at room temperature while other can be kept in a cool dry place and some need to be stored properly in the refrigerator.
• To ensure a satisfying looks and taste of the dish the following are the guidelines in plating: keep food off the rim of the plate, arrange the items for the convenience of the customer, keep space between items unless they are stacked on one another, maintain unity that create a center of attention and relate everything to it, make every component counts, add sauce or gravy attractively on plate, keep it simple by avoiding food too elaborate, and garnishes must be related to the dish and should always be edible.