1. Vegetables! Nutrients, Storage, cooking…

2. Plant Parts Root: carrot, radish –Grow deep in soil, smooth skin Stem: celery, asparagus –Edible stems and stalks, picked very young Flower: cauliflower, broccoli –Plant’s bloom

3. Parts (cont.) Seed: corn, beans, snow peas, other pods Leaf: spinach, endive, lettuce –Serve raw or cooked, high water content –Edible seeds, some pods edible Tuber: potato –Large underground stem growing just below the surface of soil

4. Parts (cont) Bulb: Garlic, Shallots, Onions, leeks –Grows underground, often used as seasoning, picked young, distinct flavor Fruit: Eggplant, Tomato, Avocado –Comes from flowering plant, contains at least one seed

5. Good Source of Protein! Dried peas Dried beans soybeans

6. Good source of Vitamin A Carrots Spinach Potatoes

7. Vitamin C Cauliflower Tomatoes Green pepper

8. Storage Fresh: leaf, stem, seed, flower –Store in refrigerator –Wash when ready to consume –Use within 1-2 weeks Fresh: bulb, tuber, roots -store in cool, dark place -will keep for 3 or more months

9. Storage Canned –Cool dry place –Keeps up to one year –Mark with purchase date

10. Frozen Once thawed, DO NOT freeze again! Shelf life 6-8 months

11. Dried Closed container, in a cool place Keeps 6 months +

12. Cooking Fry, stir-fry, steam, bake, broil, grill, microwave Use little or no liquid Cook for short time Use a lid Eat raw

13. Signs of overcooking Mushy and dull color Bland or bitter taste Loss of nutrients

14. Effect of overcooking Green veggies –Look green-grey –Use little H2O Yellow veggies –Cooking liquid will turn yellowish White veggies –Turn dark gray or yellow Red veggies –Will turn purple

15. Purchasing Veggies…! Root –Firm, unwrinkled, even in color Stem –Firm, straight, unblemished Flower –Bright color, unblemished Leaf –Crisp leaf, bright color Seed –Firm, well shaped

16. Purchasing cont…. Tuber –Firm, even color Bulb –Firm, specific aroma without strong odor Fruit –Smooth skin, unblemished