To Fridge, or Not to Fridge: That is the Question

So… you’ve banished grains from your diet. Your coffee is “enjoyed” black, and you enthusiastically share recipes renovated to include elk and bison. Maybe, like me, you’ve also started receiving a weekly delivery of local, organically-grown produce.

And if you’re like me, when you were unpacking your box of butter lettuce and eggplant and red onion and oranges and dragon tongue beans on Thursday night, you wondered: should all of this stuff go directly into the fridge? into a “cool, dark place?” into an attractively-arranged bowl on the countertop?

What’s the best way to treat and store this beautiful bounty to feed my body and soul? (or something along those lines…)

I’m glad you asked!

Tomorrow, I’m going to rant like a maniac about a truly craptastic article I read in Cooking Light last month. But today, I want to pass along helpful information I learned in the same issue.

photo: madame_furie

WHAT TO STORE WHERE

Refrigerator
The following will be happiest kept in the produce drawers of your fridge.

Veg
Artichokes
Asparagus
Beans
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Corn
Cucumbers
Green onions
Leafy greens
Leeks
Peas
Radishes
Summer squashes

Fruit
Berries
Cherries
Figs
Grapes

Countertop
Keep these guys out of direct sunlight and place them in a ventilated bowl. May I suggest a lovely colander?

Veg
Eggplant
Peppers
Pumpkin
Tomatoes
Winter squash

Fruit
Apples
Apricots
Avocados*
Bananas
Citrus fruits
Kiwifruit
Mangoes
Nectarines*
Papayas
Peaches*
Pears*
Pineapple
Watermelon
* move to fridge when ripe

Pantry
Think of these tasty ingredients as the little trolls that want to live in the dark. Keep them away from light in a well-ventilated cupboard (even trolls need air).

Garlic
Onions
Sweet potatoes
White potatoes (which I know you’re not eating, right?)

Now that you know how to safely stow your ingredients, here are some of my favorite recipes to transform those raw materials into satisfying meals. Yumm-Eeee!
Bigos (the perfect cool weather dinner)
EZ & Fast Chicken Coconut Curry
Mole Pork Chops (scroll down)
Thai Beef & Basil