Roll on my early Summer, a few suggestions

Roll on my early Summer

Now for some tricks and suggestions to make your fresh ingredients taste a little fresher.

Try buying your fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs from a greengrocer or an independent store that doesn't automatically chill everything.  Although cold preserves the shelf life, it diminishes the flavour and, even if these early harvests have been forced and then travelled in a cool lorry, the fact that they aren't in a chilled isle or in a cold cabinet means that when you buy them, their flavour will approximate fresh.

Tomatoes, herbs and green vegetables will certainly benefit and when you bring them home do not put them into your own fridge.  For example, put your tomatoes in the bowl on the counter along with your lemons, courgettes, peppers, limes and garlic.  You will use them all in a few to four days so there is no need to store them in a fridge.

If you buy olives - marinated or otherwise, taste before you buy if you can.  The disappointment will be avoided when you get them home.  How many times have we all brought them home and they have been too waxy or the lack of flavour has tempted us all to just throw them away?  If you are in this position, a possible way to eek a little flavour out is to marinade them overnight in some extra virgin olive oil and some chopped fresh herbs, but this will only help flavour them, if they are hard and waxy, you may want to soak them in brine with a little added cooking soda for a couple of days, then marinade them over night.  Not perfect, but better than simply throwing them away.

Fresh herbs should be bought in bunches larger than you think you need, especially parsley and mint.  Add them to a shall vase or tumbler out of direct sunlight with fresh water every day (and again, not in the fridge).  You will use them in less than three days and if for any reason not, on the third day chop finely and freeze in small portions or, my personal favourite, mix into softened butter and then place in the fridge.  Use as a simple dressing for hot plain pasta or for that quick baked potato one evening.

Whole spices, dry fry first before you pound them, they smell and taste so much better this way and along with many seeds, this is a sure way of invigorating the taste buds ready for the warmer months.

Roll on Summer!