Ask the Coach!

April 2026

My name is Donna Jodhan and I am using my extensive experience as a sight loss coach as well as my lived experience to share and respond to questions that are submitted to me and I also invite you to share your thoughts on questions asked.

 

For this month:  a question from  Carina in New Castle New Hampshire.

Carina asks about finding some tips on vegetable preparation.

 

Carina, it is probably the perfect time to ask this question as we are in the midst of summer and will soon be preparing to welcome.

Here are some tips for you.

Let us know what you think.

 

Some Basic Vegetable Preparations

(not meant to be comprehensive)

AVOCADOS

With their “good” fat, creamy texture and wonderful flavor, avocados can be an important part of healthy eating. The two most widely marketed avocados are the Hass, with a pebbly textured dark green skin that is almost black when the fruit is ripe, and the brighter green Fuerte, which has a thin, smooth skin. Avocados ripen best off the tree. Buy firm fruits that feel heavy for their size. To hasten ripening at home, put them in a paper bag with an apple, close the bag and leave at room temperature. Check daily. When the skin darkens and the fruit yields to gentle pressure at the stem end, the avocados are ripe and can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

To prepare: Cut the avocado lengthwise around the seed. Hold a half in each hand and twist in opposite directions to separate. Insert a small (tea) spoon between the seed and the fruit and ease out the seed. If you are going to mash the avocado, scoop it out with the spoon. To slice or dice, put the halves cut side down on a cutting board and pull off the skin. Then cut as the recipe specifies.

BELL PEPPERS

Before slicing, chopping or dicing red, green or yellow bell peppers, cut them in half lengthwise and pull out the stem, core and seeds. If the peppers are to be roasted whole or grilled, there’s no prep. Italian frying peppers, often called cubanelle, are not so thick as bell peppers but are treated the same way.

CELERY

Cut a slice off the root end, then separate the stalks. Wash before cutting. Celery is easy to slice. It is also easy to dice: Cut a stalk in 4 or 5 lengthwise. Hold the pieces together and slice crosswise from one end to the other.

CUCUMBERS

The choice of whether or not to peel a cucumber is yours. Some people like to peel regular cucumbers because they may have been waxed (to retain moisture). Others like to peel Kirby cucumbers when the skin has tiny bumps. The variety of cucumbers available in markets seems to grow year after year, making it hard to be size-specific in recipes. Japanese, Persian and the long, usually individually wrapped cucumbers (often called English or hothouse) do not need to be peeled. Neither do “mini” cukes.

FENNEL

Crunchy fennel may be found year-round. All parts are sweetly delicious and often appeal to children. Slice the large white bulb (discard the two outer “leaves” if they seem very tough) and use it in salad. Or cut thicker slices to braise or roast. Thinly slice the stalks (they are too tough to eat raw) and add to soup. Use the feathery leaves (fronds) as you might dill, snipped over sour cream or yogurt in a bowl of soup, or in a fish salad. Small young bulbs, found in farmers’ markets, can be braised whole. More mature bulbs generally weigh about one pound.

GARLIC

Because of the wide range in size of garlic cloves, most recipes specify the amount of garlic in teaspoons or tablespoons chopped or minced (minced is very fine and often used when the garlic is to be eaten raw).

Break off as many cloves of garlic as you think you might need. Pull off the papery skin with the help of a small paring knife, or put the cloves on a chopping board, hold the flat side of a knife on top of them and hit the knife firmly with the other hand. The garlic cloves should split open, allowing the papery skin to be easily removed. Cut a thin slice off the root end of the cloves before chopping, dicing or mashing with salt.

A garlic press works well and there’s no need to peel the garlic.

Finely chopped garlic packed in a jar has a somewhat stale, over-garlicky flavor and is not recommended.

GINGER

Look for firm, unshriveled roots (botanically speaking, ginger roots are rhizomes, like potatoes). Wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator.

To use fresh ginger, cut off small knobs. Peel root with a vegetable peeler or small paring knife, or scrape with a teaspoon. Then slice to use as slices, or to finely chop. You can also grate the root with a box or rasp grater. If you use ginger infrequently, slice or grate the entire amount and freeze in a thin layer so you can break off what you need.

JALAPENOS, SERRANOS AND OTHER HOT CHILE PEPPERS Cut the peppers in half lengthwise. Pull out and discard the stem, core and seeds (where much of the “heat” lurks). Then chop or cut as the recipe directs. Be careful not to touch eyes or other sensitive areas before thoroughly washing your hands.

LEEKS

Leeks are members of the onion family, they resemble oversize scallions and can vary in size from 3/4 inches across to a mature 2 1/4 inches across. To trim, cut off the root and the tough dark green part of the leaves. Cut the white and pale green part as recipe directs. Leeks harbor sandy soil so be sure to wash carefully before cooking. This is easiest when the leek is sliced. Leeks tend to be expensive because their growing time is long, compared to scallions, and extra labor is required to produce the white bottom half but their mild flavor is an asset to many dishes. Unlike scallions, which are often eaten raw, leeks need cooking to bring out their best.

ONIONS

Cut a thin slice off the root end and pull some of the skin off with the slice. You will probably need to pull off one or two layers of skin until you reach pearly-looking onion.

Onion is chopped most easily in an organized way that takes advantage of its form. Peel a large onion and take a practice run.

Use an 8 or 9 inch chef’s knife, whichever size that feels comfortable. Cut a large peeled onion in half from stem end to root end. Put one half cut side down on chopping board, with stem end pointing toward your knife hand. Hold with palm of other hand. Cut off and discard a thin slice from the stem end. Leaving the root intact, cut the onion lengthwise in thin wedges, angling the knife as you follow the curve of the onion. Now, slice across the onion, starting at the stem end and working toward the root end. As you slice, chopped onion will fall from beneath your knife.

By varying the space between the slices, you end up with coarsely chopped, finely chopped or even minced (very finely chopped) onion. Try finely chopping the other half of the onion. The closer the spaces between the slices, the more finely chopped the onion. If this is a new experience for you, with a little practice you will be able to do a very neat job of chopping an onion.

SCALLIONS

Trim root ends with a small knife. Pull off and discard any mushy or very torn leaves, then rinse the scallions. Use the white part and most of the green part. To slice scallions, hold several together close to the white end. Using a chef’s knife, cut thin or thick slices as the recipe calls for, starting from the white ends and gradually moving your fingers (that are holding the bunch) back along the green part.

SHALLOTS

Shallots, a mild, less-oniony form of onion, are now easily available. Shallots used to be tiny and a pain to peel, but farmers are now growing larger varieties, making peeling and chopping easy. Follow directions for onions.

TOMATOES

As with avocados or bananas, you may need to ripen tomatoes at home. Leave them stem side up in a basket on the counter. Or put them in a closed paper bag to speed up the ripening process. Only refrigerate tomatoes if they are fully ripe and you won’t be able to eat them within a day. Refrigeration kills flavor and stops the ripening process dead in its tracks. Plum tomatoes are often called for in recipes because they contain less water and have fewer seeds than other tomatoes.

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To contact me with a question or a thought; please send an email to me at donnajodhan@gmail.com and I’ll be sure to respond in 5 business days at the most.

If you wish me to respond earlier then put the word important in your subject line and I’ll do my best to respond more quickly.

Until the next time then!

I’m Donna wishing you a pleasant day and thanking everyone for their insightful feedback and suggestions!