- SIMPLE COOKING -
You went to your local farmers market, saw all the beautiful variety of produce, and didn't know what to do with it... You're not alone. Here are a collection of cooking tips you can use to approach just about any vegetable you might find at a south-central Kentucky farmers market.
METHODS
Dry HeatSaute: Sauteing is one of the easiest and quickest methods of cooking. It generally consists of searing portion-sized cuts of meat or fish in hot oil on both sides to brown. Bake/Roast: Baking (or Roasting) is the slow cooking of meat, poultry, fish or vegetables, uncovered, with dry, indirect heat. Grill/Broil: Grilling (or Broiling) is the quick cooking of meat, fish or vegetables over (or under) intense heat. The source of the heat can be burning wood, simmering coals, a gas flame, or an electric heating element. |
Moist HeatSteam: Steaming involves suspending food over simmering or boiling water and cooking it with the resulting steam. Stew: When chunks of meat, seafood or vegetables are slow-simmered in a flavorful liquid brew, the result is a warming, comforting dish called a stew. Braise: Braising is a way of cooking meat, fish, seafood or vegetables by first searing the item in hot fat, and then simmering it, covered, in liquid to finish. Poach: This simple cooking method involves slow simmering eggs, meat, poultry, fish, seafood or fruit in a flavorful liquid just long enough to cook it through. |
SEASONAL
Winter |
Spring |
- HELPFUL RESOURCES -
Tools
A kitchen doesn't have to be a complicated place. Sure, there are plenty of gadgets that can make a cooking task quicker or a bit easier, but to make yourself good food, a few basics will get you through.
A nice sharp knife (the one we have linked here is a staple in commercial kitchens, and much more affordable than the fancier stuff in retail stores), something to cut on (I prefer a wood cutting board, but bamboo or plastic are just as useful), a few mixing bowels in various sizes (nesting small, medium, and large metal bowls can be found for cheap and will hold up a long while), and something to cook all your food in (if I could only have one pan, it would be the one linked here, but something big enough to boil pasta in, and something small enough to melt butter or heat small jars of sauce would also be handy). Not pictured but also handy would be a set of measuring cups, a set of measuring spoons, a small pairing knife, a grater, a small spatula, and a few wooden spoons.
There you have it. Ten items (give or take a few depending on your preferences), most of them available at local thrift shops for only a couple of bucks, and you've got a functioning kitchen!
A nice sharp knife (the one we have linked here is a staple in commercial kitchens, and much more affordable than the fancier stuff in retail stores), something to cut on (I prefer a wood cutting board, but bamboo or plastic are just as useful), a few mixing bowels in various sizes (nesting small, medium, and large metal bowls can be found for cheap and will hold up a long while), and something to cook all your food in (if I could only have one pan, it would be the one linked here, but something big enough to boil pasta in, and something small enough to melt butter or heat small jars of sauce would also be handy). Not pictured but also handy would be a set of measuring cups, a set of measuring spoons, a small pairing knife, a grater, a small spatula, and a few wooden spoons.
There you have it. Ten items (give or take a few depending on your preferences), most of them available at local thrift shops for only a couple of bucks, and you've got a functioning kitchen!