How many purple vegetables can you name? My most recent discovery? Purple Cauliflower.

Unlike so many other purple vegetables, say… green beans and bell peppers… the beautiful bright color doesn’t fade when sautéed or blanched. Cook it quickly and you’ll keep the vibrant color and the tender crispness.

All cauliflower is high in fiber and low in calories and, the best natural source of vitamin C next to citrus (bet you didn’t know that!). And, how about this? Cauliflower may also contain a phytonutrient that helps block cancer growth.

Cauliflower is also one of those vegetables that intimidates a lot of people… don’t be one of them!

Break the head into bite-size florets and sauté in a little olive oil, garlic and lemon juice… then spoon on top of cooked gnocchi and sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese.

I’ve never purple cauliflower in the regular supermarket, only in a farmers’ market or specialty food store. If you come across it, Try It!

So, how many purple vegetables did you come up with? Here’s what I’ve got so far:

1. Eggplant
2. Purple potatoes
3. Purple Corn
4. Purple Bell Peppers
5. Purple Carrots
6. Purple Green Beans

What am I missing?

Ever tried to peel a peach with a regular vegetable peeler?

Disaster. Half the peach disappears. Same with tomatoes.

That’s why this little gadget is one of my favorite tools in the kitchen, especially at this time of year when farmers’ market tables are heavy with gorgeously fresh fruits and vegetables.

A Soft Skin Peeler is made exclusively for removing (you guessed it…) the soft skin of delicate fruits and vegetables, without removing all the delicious goodness below the skin.

I use Kuhn Rikon’s Piranha Peeler because the super sharp serrated blades can easily maneuver around the swooping curves of an eggplant.

If you’re still blanching your peaches and tomatoes to remove the skin or using a regular peeler on a tomato, you’ll find this little gadget very appealing.

Sorry…I just had to write that…

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.