D. Mastering Produce

Vegetables vary greatly. Some are leaves. Some are roots. Some are stems. Some can even be fruits. The same vegetable can go by several names, and the same plant can produce a number of distinct vegetables, which is why judging vegetable quality is such a complex issue.

Looking, smelling, and poking are not enough. It helps to know what you’re looking at. It helps to know that although white and purple eggplant may look different, once you get them peeled and diced they cook up and taste exactly the same. It’s good to know that a Jerusalem artichoke is not anything like the more commonly seen globe artichoke, and that kale, cabbage, collard, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and brussels sprouts are all different members of the same plant family.