Don't give frozen veggies the cold shoulder
March is National Nutrition Month, a chance for us to examine the food choices we make and strive to put more nutritious foods in our bodies. To mark National Frozen Food Month at the same time might seem counterintuitive, but the people at Itasca-based Market Day remind us that the two can coexist.
Many of the vegetables found in the freezer case are flash frozen, a process that retains most, if not all, of the just-picked flavors and nutrition of fresh vegetables. In some cases, frozen fruits and vegetables have lost less nutrients than their fresh counterparts that have migrated from across the country or across the border.
Market Day's newest addition to the frozen vegetable line is Petite Garden Vegetables, a mix of sweet peas, carrots, petite cauliflower florets and corn in a buttery herb sauce. The dish retains the vibrant hues and crunchy textures and boasts just .2 grams of fat, 70 calories and 11 grams of carbs.
For a more robust side dish, try Market Day's Marinated Vegetable Salad that serves eight.
Cook 2 cups each frozen green beans, sweet corn, peas and carrots. Add 1 cup of cherry tomatoes (halved). In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add 1 cup diced red onion; cook until soft (3 to 5 minutes). Add 1 medium yellow squash (cut into strips) and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Place in bowl with vegetables. Toss with about 2 cups mustard vinaigrette (homemade or store-bought) and top with 11/4 cups goat cheese or feta cheese and 1/4 cup chopped pecans.
Organizing dinner: As much as I cook at home, there are those nights when time or energy precludes the act and I turn to take-out. Only I can never find my menus (and attached coupons). Some make it to the wicker basket with the phone books, but others never make it out of my briefcase or car. What I need is a system for organizing them.
Enter the "Take-out Menu Organizer" ($19.95) by Ryland, Peters and Small (even cookbook publishers get take-out, apparently). The idea is simple: a binder with tabbed pockets and extra pages where you can jot down notes, such as your favorite beef and broccoli shop or the name of the nice delivery guy from the Italian place down the street.
Grow your own: The Geneva Green Market will hold the first in a series of gardening courses at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, at Inglenook Pantry, 11 N. Fifth St., Geneva.
During the 90-minute seminar "Start a Seedy Relationship With Your Yard," attendees will learn how to start seeds indoors and how to identify and use the right supplies to transplant the seedlings; they will leave with planted seedling starts and seedling supplies. Participants with their own seeds are welcome to bring them. The course will be taught by Craig MacLean of The Pure Gardener, who will also share information on growing sprouts, onions and garlic.
The course costs $25 for members of the market group; $35 for nonmembers. For details or to register, e-mail genevagreenmarket@gmail.com or call Karen Stark at (630) 208-9321.
Chef event: Award-winning chef Grant Achatz of the renowned Alinea restaurant in Chicago will host a rare cooking demonstration from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 1 at Now We're Cooking, 1601 Payne St., Evanston.
Achatz, who blossomed in the Chicago-area dining scene at the now-shuttered Trio in Evanston, will share culinary insights, cook and sign copies of his book "Alinea."
The event costs $65; it's another $50 for a copy of the book. Register at (847) 570-4140.
- Deborah Pankey
• Contact Food Editor Deborah Pankey at (847) 427-4524 or food@dailyherald.com. Listen to her discuss food trends, recipes and restaurants on Restaurant Radio Chicago, 5 to 6 p.m. Saturdays on WIND 560-AM.