A paradox is a statement or group of statements that represent an apparent contradiction or a situation that appears to be illogical. As I have been thinking about fruits and vegetables more and more lately, two fruit and vegetable paradoxes occurred to me.
Fruit paradox
A) There is a potential risk in buying fresh fruit in that it spoils over time. Most people don’t like to feel that they have wasted food or money. This can discourage the purchase and consumption of fresh fruit.
B) Lots of people buy frozen fruit for smoothies, baked desserts, etc.
Paradox resolution (my take away): Buy loads of fresh fruit when it is on sale. Use what you can right away, but don’t let the rest spoil. Throw the excess fruit in the freezer for inexpensive and delicious treats later. (note: this also applies to other methods of preserving produce such as canning, dehydrating, and pickling, but freezing is just so easy)
Vegetable paradox
A) Sometimes we just don’t quite know what to do with vegetables. Some vegetables might seem weird or difficult to prepare and this can discourage the purchase and consumption of fresh vegetables.
B) I have eaten a number of stir frys in which I could not be 100% sure that I could identify every vegetable in the dish.
Paradox resolution (my take away): Buy vegetables, especially when they are on sale and without regard to whether you are familiar with them or know at the moment what you plan to do with them. If you happen to get home, look for recipies and preparation tips, and come up short, try the vegetable(s) in a stir fry with whatever else you have lying around (e.g., meat, seafood, herbs, spices, etc.). Odd are you’ll come up with something tasty and exciting - and that’s part of what cooking is all about.
Have a great weekend folks,
Larry