SayPro PREPARING VEGETABLES FOR HOT AND COLD DISHES

Vegetables are very healthy. They have lots a high nutritional value. There many different types of vegetables and each has its own methods of preparation and cooking to preserve its nutritional value. Hygienic principles should be followed during the preparation and storage of vegetables.We can divide vegetables into two categories: those that grow below the ground and those that grow above the ground. Then we can divide these two categories further as shown in the table below. Examples are also given of vegetables that fall under each category.Categories of vegetables

Below ground
Roots	Tubers	Bulbs

Leaves	Stems	Fruit
Flowers	Fungi	Seed

Identify and categorise all the vegetables shown in the diagram below

2. 1. THE QUALITY/FRESHNESS POINTS OF VEGETABLES (AC 1)

You can buy vegetables in four forms:

1. Fresh: you buy fresh vegetables from shops or markets, which have fresh produce delivered often
2. Frozen: shops store frozen vegetables in their freezers, where they last for a few months
3. Canned: shops sell vegetables in cans and they last up to one year
4. Dehydrated: some shops and markets sell vegetables in a dried form. You all water back again by soaking or cooking the vegetables.

Freshness pointsWhen preparing vegetables for hot and cold dishes, you should only use fresh vegetables. Check for the following generally:

• Colour and ripeness
• Smell
• Firmness
• Shape and size
• Signs of decay – yellowing or browning
• Mould and softness
• Price
• Packaging

• Greens: Celery, parsley, dill, kale, leafy lettuce, broccoli, etc. should always be green and crisp looking. If it’s starting to look wilted, pale, or brown, it’s past its prime. Only buy it if it’s a bargain and you can use it right away. Sometimes the outside of a head of lettuce is wilted but the inside is still okay.

• Cabbage: Choose a crisp and heavy head.

• Root vegetables including turnips, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, etc: Root vegetables should feel heavy. The skin should be smooth, not wrinkled. They should smell fresh and have an attractive colour. Smaller ones are usually tastier.

• Potatoes: The skin should be unwrinkled. Green skin is a sign of poisonous solanine. Cutting off the green won’t remove all of the solanine. Dirt on potatoes can be a sign of freshness, because they are usually washed before storage. The eyes of old potatoes start to sprout.

• Cucumbers, zucchini, eggplants, and peppers: Heavy, unwrinkled, dark (although some varieties of zucchini are pale).

• http://i2.wp.com/www.cookingmanager.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/decayingmushroom.jpgMushrooms: White, if that is their original colour. Smooth with no blemishes. Check the ends of the stems should also be white.

Avoid vegetables with rough skins and deep growth cracks since this increases wastage. It is also wise to cut open turnips and Swedes and examine for woodiness, which makes the vegetable unacceptable.All vegetables should be eaten as fresh as possible and preferably on the day of delivery. This is because they deteriorate rapidly and lose appearance, texture, colour, flavour and nutritional value. However, in a commercial situation they usually have to be stored for short periods, particularly for service at weekends and public holidays.

Identify the quality/freshness points of vegetables. Explain the importance of only using fresh vegetables when preparing hot and cold dishes.

2. 2. THE CORRECT PREPARATION METHOD FOR VARIOUS VEGETABLES (AC 2)

There are various methods that can be used when preparing different types of vegetables. It is very important to always choose the correct method.There is a wide range of types of vegetables. This includes

• Roots
• Tubers
• Bulbs
• Leaves
• Stems
• Vegetable fruits
• Pods and seeds
• Flower-heads, and
• Squashes

Methods that can be used to prepare the above vegetables types include:

• Washing
• Peeling
• Slicing
• Chopping, and
• Trimming.

Most vegetables are grown in treated or manure-enriched soils so it is important to thoroughly clean all vegetables before preparation. Once vegetables are clean, you must select a method of cutting them depending on the meal that you are preparing. Vegetables are cut different ways for the following reasons:

• To allow for fast and even cooking
• To improve the appearance of the meal being served
• To release the flavour of the vegetable, and
• To meet the specific recipe needs of a traditional dish

Washing vegetablesVegetables should be washed before they are cut and prepared. Remember that they should not be left to soak as the vitamins and minerals will dissolve into the water.Peeling vegetablesMany vegetables must be peeled before or after they are cooked. Some peels are unpleasant to eat and sometimes a recipe requires a particular peeled vegetable such as potatoes. Remember to cover peeled potatoes with cold water to prevent them from going brown.Skinning vegetablesSome vegetables need their skin to be scraped off with a vegetable scraper for example carrots. This process improves the cleaning of the vegetable but you must still wash it before and after skinning.Slicing vegetablesSome vegetables need to be cut into round, square or curved slices such as butternut, pumpkin and marrow. Use a sharp knife especially if the skin has not yet been removed as many vegetables have thick tough skins.Chopping vegetablesMany recipes need vegetables to be chopped. Practise your chopping skills by following these steps:

1. Cut the vegetable lengthways into slices about three millimetres thick. (This step is not necessary for celery)
2. Cut lengthways again to make sticks. Once you become practised, you can pile two or three slices on top of each other and cut through the whole pile at the same time
3. Gather a pile of sticks and turn them so that they are in a comfortable position for you to cut them. Slice through the sticks to make small dice/cubes of equal size (about three millimetres square).

Trimming vegetablesSome vegetables need only to be trimmed to prepare them. This means that there is not much wastage. For example, you lightly trim the stems of mushrooms.Cleaning and peeling vegetablesFollow these procedures to clean and peel different types of vegetables.To prepare root vegetables

1. Wash and remove any blemishes
2. Cut off the tops and bottoms and peel with a peeler or a cook’s knife

To prepare tubers

1. Wash, remove any blemishes and peel
2. When peeling onions and shallots, cut through the top and pull the skin downwards
3. When peeling garlic, lightly hit the garlic head with the palm of the hand then hit the clove with the flat of the blade of a cook’s knife. To crush the clove, sprinkle with salt and scrape to a paste with the flat of the blade of a cook’s knife.

To prepare leaves

1. Soak lettuce leaves in cold salted water and then dry them
2. When preparing spinach, remove the stems with a knife then wash the leaves in plenty of cold water
3. Wash the outside of a cabbage then cut through the bottom stalk and remove any wilted leaves. Cut the cabbage in quarters, then cut out the centre stalk and nay large ribs.

To prepare stems

1. Lightly scrape asparagus stems. Wash and tie them into small bundles, making sure that the heads are level. Cut the ends of the stems to make them level
2. Wash celery and cut off the root end at an angle. Clean the head and remove wilted leaves, then wash again under cold running water.

To prepare flower vegetables

1. Cut through the stalk at the base
2. Remove the outer leaves
3. Wash and trim the stalks to just under the flower heads

To prepare fruit

1. If you need to peel the fruit, use a peeler to do so. Tomatoes can be soaked in boiling hot water for a few minutes to loosen the skin, after which you should be able to remove it easily.
2. If the fruit contains pips, cut it in half and spoon out the pips
3. Remove the eye of a tomato with the point of turning knife

To prepare fungi

1. Trim the stalk or remove it
2. Wipe the paper towelling or a clean cloth. Do not wash fungi under water as they tend to become soggy if you do.

Practical activityIn groups of four or five,Choose a vegetables and demonstrate how to prepare it. One person in the group must explain what is happening. One person must demonstrate how to follow hygiene rules. One person must demonstrate the different ways of preparing the vegetables.

2.3 STORING VEGETABLES (AC 3)

Food that is appetising smells or looks very good making a person want to eat it. It is therefore very important to put vegetables in the correct containers and store in an organised and efficient manner.2.3.1 PUTTING VEGETABLES IN THE CORRECT CONTAINERSEnsure your vegetables stay fresh longer by storing them properly. You should use correct containers for the vegetables. Vegetables can be put in storing containers or plastics. Afterward, you can store vegetables in the refrigerator.How to store vegetables· Artichokes‐ place in an airtight container sealed, with light moisture.· Asparagus‐ place them loosely in a glass or bowl upright with water at room temperature. (Will keep for a week outside the fridge)· Arugula‐ arugula, like lettuce, should not stay wet! Dunk in cold water and spin or lay flat to dry. Place dry arugula in an open container, wrapped with a dry towel to absorb any extra moisture.· Basil‐ is difficult to store well. Basil does not like the cold, or to be wet for that matter. The best method here is an airtight container/jar loosely packed with a small damp piece of paper inside‐left out on a cool counter.· Beans, shelling‐ open container in the fridge, eat as soon as possible. Some recommend freezing them if not going to eat right away· Beets‐ cut the tops off to keep beets firm, (be sure to keep the greens!) by leaving any top on root vegetables draws moisture from the root, making them loose flavour and firmness. Beets should be washed and kept in and open container with a wet towel on top.· Broccoli‐ place in an open container in the fridge or wrap in a damp towel before placing in the fridge.· Cabbage‐ left out on a cool counter is fine up to a week, in the crisper otherwise. Peel off outer leaves if they start to wilt. Cabbage might begin to lose its moisture after a week, so, best used as soon as possible.· Carrots‐ cut the tops off to keep them fresh longer. Place them in closed container with plenty of moisture, either wrapped in a damp towel or dunk them in cold water every couple of days if they are stored that long.· Cauliflower‐ will last a while in a closed container in the fridge, but they say cauliflower has the best flavour the day it’s bought.· Celery‐ does best when simply places in a cup or bowl of shallow water on the counter.· Cucumber‐ wrapped in a moist towel in the fridge. If you’re planning on eating them within a day or two after buying them they should be fine left out in a cool room.· Eggplant‐ does fine left out in a cool room. Don’t wash it, eggplant doesn’t like any extra moisture around its leaves. For longer storage‐ place loose, in the crisper.· Garlic‐ store in a cool, dark, place.· Greens‐ remove any bands, twist ties, etc. most greens must be kept in an air‐tight container with a damp cloth‐ to keep them from drying out. Kale, collards, and chard even do well in a cup of water on the counter or fridge.· Green Tomatoes‐ store in a cool room away from the sun to keep them green and use quickly or they will begin to colour.2.4 GARNISHING SALADS (AC 4)Enjoyment of a meal is affected by how it looks. If food has eye appeal, then enjoyment of the meal tends to increase. This is why garnishing properly is essential when presenting food. The garnish will complement the main dish in colour, flavour, and texture. Garnish enhances the flavour of a dish as well its eye appeal.An attractive and appealing appearance stimulates the desire to taste new salad. Garnishing also helps to draw attention to salads that might not be chosen.Some rules of garnishing that the food service staff should consider include the following:

• Make sure the garnishes chosen are within the food service budget, not too time consuming, and easily prepared.
• Consider the flavour of both the garnish and the food. Bland foods require more highly flavoured garnishes such as lemon slices that are sprinkled with paprika.
• Avoid extreme contrasts since flavours should complement each other.
• Choose garnishes that are edible.
• Garnish each pan of food, the salad bars, and the serving line, instead of each plate.
• Don’t over garnish.

Practical activity (Group work)In groups,I. Demonstrate how to garnish/ decorate salads.II. Explain the importance of doing this.

2. 5. THE PREPARATION AND STORAGE OF VEGETABLES FOR A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ESTABLISHMENT (AC 5)

Vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet providing vitamins, minerals, protein, starch and cellulose. Most root vegetables and tubers contain sugar or starch. Tubers are particularly high in starch with potatoes being a staple food for many people.Vegetables should always be prepared by following the given recipe. No matter who you are preparing the vegetables for, it is always very important to make sure that the dishes are presentable. You should always wash vegetables before preparing them. Vegetables may be prepared for a restaurant, special event, office event, hotel, supermarket etc. always follow guidelines from that establishment during the preparation and storage of vegetables dishes.

• Remove the vegetables from their sacks or delivery cartons and store on racks in a clean, cool, dry and well-ventilated area between 4- 8°C.

• Ensure leeks are spread out on well-ventilated racks and use as soon as possible.

• Inspect the storage racks regularly and discard any vegetables that have deteriorated. Ensure good stock rotation and the principle of First in First Out.

• Raw onions, even when prepared ready for cooking, should never be stored in a refrigerator because of their strong odour.

Identify different types of establishments you may prepare vegetable dishes for. Discuss different ways you may use to prepare and store the vegetables for each establishment. Give reasons.

2. 6. DEALING WITH UNEXPECTED SITUATIONS (AC 6)

Even if you are careful, things can go wrong when you are preparing vegetables and vegetables dishes.For example,

• you could run out of ingredients
• equipment could break or be unsuitable
• Insufficient or damaged vegetables
• unsanitised chopping board
• knives could be blunt, or
• injuries could take place

It is therefore very important to be able to solve unexpected problems in the kitchen as quickly and correctly as possible.InjuriesWhen working with vegetables, injuries can easily occur if equipment is not suitable or is badly maintained. If there is an accident, report it to your supervisor immediately. He/she will then report the accident to the staff member who is trained in first aid so that he can help the injured person. Always have a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher available. Make sure that there is a list of emergency numbers where it is easy for all staff members to see.Broken equipmentUse these guidelines to help you to deal with some of the common types of broken equipment or equipment failure.

• If a knife is blunt and you cannot sharpen it, use an electric slicer to slice vegetables. Use a vegetable knife with a serrated edge to cut the vegetables into the required shapes.

• Report to the supervisor so knives can be replaced

Discuss the best way of dealing with the following unexpected situations during the preparation of vegetable dishes: insufficient or damaged vegetables blunt knife unsanitised chopping board

When preparing vegetables dishes, sometimes you may discover that some vegetables have spoiled or you do not have enough vegetables.

• Inform your supervisor immediately via email, telephone or in person.

• Clearly indicate the vegetables that you need and when.

• Check and report all raw materials shortages on time. Clearly indicate the quantities needed.

REFERENCE LIST

United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Food Handling. Kitchen Companion. Accessed January 12, 2011Wayne Gisslen. 2006. Professional Cooking, 6th Ed. John Wiley and Sons.Kohli R (1st edition 2013), Developments in surface contamination and cleaning (volume 6) (H/C), Publisher Elsevier S & T (USD), EAN number: 9781437778793Durkee J (1st edition 2013), cleaning with solvents: science and technology (H/C), Publisher Elsevier S & T (USD), EAN number: 9781455731312Washing kitchen equipment(Date Accessed 19 January 2016)Cleaning and sanitizing(Date Accessed 19 January 2016)Buying Guide for Vegetableshttp://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/VegetableBuyingGuide.htm(Date Accessed 19 January 2016)Vegetable quality pointshttp://baroquedub.co.uk/archive/catering/site_1/main_frames/veg/content/quality/veg_quality_1.htm(Date Accessed 19 January 2016)Storing Fruits and Vegetableshttp://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/articles/storing-fruits-and-vegetables.html(Date Accessed 19 January 2016)Please visit our website at www.saypro.online Email: info@saypro.online Email: info@saypro.online Call: + 27 11 071 1903 WhatsApp: + 27 84 313 7407. Comment below for any questions and feedback. For SayPro Courses, SayPro Jobs, SayPro Community Development, SayPro Products, SayPro Services, SayPro Consulting, and SayPro Advisory visit our website to www.saypro.online