I also enjoy raspberry jam any time of the year, on toast, as a cake filling or topping, and even in tarts or cookies. Have you ever tried baked brie with raspberry compote spread on a warm slice of baguette? A warm, sweet treat on a chilly winter’s day.
Buying Tips: Fresh raspberries have a pretty short shelf life, so it’s best to buy them and eat them right away. Look for plump, somewhat firm berries that are a deep pinky-red. Avoid any berries that are mouldy or squashed. Raspberries also freeze well and will last for up to a year.
As for my favourite vegetables, I want to say tomatoes and avocados, but those are actually fruit! When it comes to my favourite true vegetable, I do love potatoes. You can do so many things with them. Bake, boil, poach, fry, smoke, mash. Potatoes are so versatile, and they never disappoint!
Buying Tips: Choose potatoes that are fairly clean, smooth, firm and heavy for their size. Avoid any potatoes with dark spots, large cuts, growth cracks, bruises, decay, sprouts, or shrivelling. If you’re cooking from a recipe, pay attention to the type of potato called for. For example, baking potatoes are really only good for baking and turn chalky if cooked other ways. For boiling, you want smooth, new potatoes, which have more fibre and so hold together well.
I also love corn, asparagus, butter lettuce, and red peppers, all when in season. I enjoy them most when they’re freshly-picked, plain and simple, maybe with a bit of salt, pepper, and a dollop of good olive oil.
And I think radishes are totally under-appreciated. Beets too. I could go on and on.
-Kristina
Anna Wallner (left) & Kristina Matisic are journalists, shopaholics, and hosts of the cookbook and product testing series Anna & Kristina’s Grocery Bag, airing on W Network in Canada and OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) in the USA. You may also know them from their original series, The Shopping Bags, and their fashion & beauty series, Anna & Kristina’s Beauty Call.
Read more about Anna & Kristina and all of their product reviews at annaandkristina.com.
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