My fresh vegetables always turn out soft after I cook them, even if I cook them for less time than I am supposed to. It doesn’t matter if I boil or steam them … they are always limp!

Limpness can be a drag… even when it comes to vegetables. But fortunately, there’s an easy solution, and one that will also bring more color to your plate, too.

What you add to the water will really affect the final appearance of the vegetables. Look at the chart below. For colors that really pop on the plate, try adding either an acid (like vinegar, citrus juice or milk) or salt to the water before boiling or steaming.

You’ve fixed the water, now it’s time to blanch the vegetables to get them perfectly al dente (tender, but firm with no hard core). Blanching means that you stop cooking the vegetables (either boiling or steaming) a few minutes before they are completely done.

Immediately after blanching, shock your vegetables by putting them into a bowl filled with ice and cold water. You can either drain the vegetables in a colander and then plunge them into the icy water… or remove the vegetables with tongs and drop them in the cold water. Shocking stops the cooking and keeps the colors bright.

After a few shocking minutes, drain the vegetables thoroughly (you don’t want soggy vegetables, remember?) and set aside until you are ready to finish them. Finishing means you reheat and season them by sautéing, glazing or adding a sauce. I like to keep it simple and drop them in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds and then finish them with a few squeezes of lemon juice and a little bit of salt.

What you wind up with are beautiful, colorful vegetables that don’t droop when you pick them up… slightly crisp and delicious.

I can really tell I’m ready for spring because I’ve already started buying and roasting summer vegetables even though it is way too early to even think that one day it will be warm again (pity party!).

In the winter, I keep my pantry baskets full of hearty root vegetables and tubers. Roasting these staples is quite different from roasting delicate summer squash because the cooking time is much shorter. Less cooking time prevents them from developing that deep woodsy caramelized flavor that makes roasted beets, potatoes and carrots so delicious. I try to make up for that by adding a sprinkling of herbs and garlic. A light drizzle of rich balsamic vinegar added just before serving gives the vegetables a tangy brightness.

Now, if it were only this easy to whip up some warmer weather…

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