Dog3 wrote:
> "Leila" > wrote in
> oups.com:
>
>> Mark Bittman and I are so in tune. The Minimalist Cook (also wrote
>> "How to Cook Everything", a cookbook we recommend around here
>> frequently) writes in the NY Times today about discovering frozen
>> vegetables.
>>
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/16/di...266296400&en=5
>> 18bc4adba6683f7&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland
>>
>> Sheldon, among others, was commenting on this same topic recently.
>> I've certainly had good results with frozen spinach, and find that
>> frozen green beans make pre-schoolers very happy. Safeway's organic
>> frozen veggies are also a great value compared to fresh organic
>> produce out of season.
>>
>> But Bittman expands my thinking with recipes for chicken in a pot,
>> pepper fried rice, and penne with ricotta and peas.
>>
>> Most of the time I don't buy produce out of season (making some
>> exceptions) so I just wouldn't cook with fresh red peppers at this
>> time of year, as Bittman does. THere's plenty of tasty winter produce
>> here in California to tide us over until March or April. But frozen
>> produce is also a lifesaver when you have an ongoing family health
>> crisis and people still need to be fed (without calling for takeout).
>> Our emergency dinner for the kids involves frozen store brand ravioli
>> dressed with olive oil and parmesan cheese, frozen peas or green
>> beans served with either butter (peas) or lemon juice and olive oil
>> (beans), and fresh "baby" carrot sticks. Fruit and a small cookie
>> for dessert. The teenaged babysitter can handle putting this meal
>> together when necessary.
>>
>> Bittman suggests another way for cooking frozen green beans that I
>> plan to try.
>>
>> Hope this gives you some good ideas for midwinter meals.
>>
>> Leila
>>
>>
>
> Very interesting read Leila. Thanks for posting the link. The recipes
> to the right of the article are also interesting. I liked the pepper
> fried rice and the penne. The other 2 were great also.
>
> Michael

Yep, nice article. I much prefer frozen if I can't buy fresh in season.
Fresh out of season is way to expensive - sorry but I'm not paying $3 for a
tiny bunch of asparagus in February. It also kills me they charge twice as
much (at least here) for "trimmed" fresh bunches of broccoli. It may be a
convenience for busy people but I'd throw the stalks in the freezer and use
them later to make veggie stock. Much less costly to buy frozen florets
when it's out of season.

Jill