Vegatables Back to Vegetable Menu Vegetables are a healthy and essential part of our diet, and people are eating more varieties than ever before. "Eat your fruits and vegetables" is one of the tried and true recommendations for a healthy diet. Research shows that vegetables are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Farmers markets are popping up with local produce harvested in peak season. Supermarkets are exploding with a wide variety, and year-round availability, of old favorites and exciting new vegetables. Vegetables are extremely versatile and the pressure cooker offers several techniques for cooking most vegetables. Steaming is a healthy way of preparing them, because the loss of vitamins is significantly reduced. Steaming also preserves texture and flavor, leaving them brightly colored and tender-crisp. Cooking vegetables in the pressure cooker can be tricky because the timing is very short and many use the cold water release method, so pay close attention to that timer. Over cooking can make vegetables bland and mushy. It is not necessary, or desirable to boil vegetable because this robs us of their vitamin content, and turns vegetables to limp, tasteless blobs. The pressure cooker excels at steaming vegetables. Its fast, preserves nutrients, and it works for either fresh and frozen vegetables. Don't forget to freeze the remaining broth for use in soups and stews. Vegetable Groups Catagory Examples Choose Bulbs garlic, leeks, onions look for even-coloured dry papery skins and no sprouting or dampness or discoloration; leeks and spring onions should have dark-green leaves and fresh-looking roots. Fungi mushrooms choose firm, fresh-looking mushrooms with no musty smell; the stalk end should be moist. Leafy greens broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, kale, spinach choose tight compact heads with no sign of wilting and crisp, fresh-looking leaves with no insect damage Pods and seeds broad beans, French beans, okra, peas, sweetcorn select peas and beans with bright green, firm and plump pods; sweetcorn with tight green husks and plump, shiny kernels tightly packed. Roots and tubers beets, carrots, kohlrabi, parsnips, potatoes, turnips, rutabegas look for firm, heavy roots without any with soft patches or sprouting, discolouration, wilting, or eyes Squashes winter, summer, cucumbers, pumpkins   Stalks and shoots asparagus, celery, artichokes, fennel look for tightly packed, firm heads with no brown patches on the outer layers. Vegetable fruits eggplant, avocado, chillies, peppers, tomatoes firm, smooth, shiny skins and a deep, even colour; avoid any that are pulpy or wrinkled.