Celebrating the King of the Kitchen: Parsnips

by Chef's Garden | Jan 25, 2022 | Food & Cooking

“Parsnips,” Chef Jamie Simpson from the Culinary Vegetable Institute explains, “may be even more versatile than potatoes because their sugar content allows them to caramelize well—and they also have flavorful raw applications. That’s why I call them the king of the...

Sensational Squash: How to Cook Fall Squash

by Chef's Garden | Dec 3, 2021 | Cooking and Recipes

Here’s the beauty of fall squash. You can keep your preparation simple and enjoy the maximum amount of flavor. “Just split the fall squash in half,” suggests Culinary Vegetable Institute Chef Jamie Simpson, “and then remove the seeds. Place the squash halves on a...

How to Cook Eggplant, Recipes—and its Health Benefits

by Chef's Garden | Sep 10, 2021 | Cooking and Recipes

Chef Jamie Simpson explains that not all eggplant is the same. The big purple ones found in grocery stores are mature plants with mature seeds and a spongy texture. These plants are grown to maximize yield per acre. Now, compare that to the eggplant grown at The...

Health Benefits of Tomatoes, Recipes—and How Else to Use Them

by Chef's Garden | Aug 15, 2021 | Health and Nutrition

Tomatoes may be the prime example of a food where you can pop one in your mouth for full-on deliciousness (such as baby specialty tomatoes) or slice one (with heirloom tomatoes) and then do the same. You might want to add a touch of salt or fresh basil to get fancy!...

Guide to Fresh Tomatoes: Flavor, Recipes, Nutrition, and History

by Chef's Garden | Jul 20, 2021 | Culinary Exploration

So, here’s the story. In 2017, we asked Farmer Lee Jones to reveal his favorite variety of farm-fresh tomatoes. His answer was that it was an easy question . . . but he then got an important phone call—and then another one—and so we never did get his answer. We...