For many years, I’ve seen the plantains sitting on the produce shelf. Finally, last week, I bought two of them just to squash my curiosity. Known as “cooking bananas,” plantains, according to puritan.com, are a close relative of the banana but are longer, have thicker skins and are mostly eaten cooked instead of raw.

Their skin ranges in color from green and yellow to brownish black, while their flesh varies from cream to salmon-colored. While green, the plantains are considered a starch and when ripe and brownish black, it is considered a fruit. They were also once hailed for their believed medicinal qualities, boiled by the South American Indians who then drank the liquid as a cold remedy.

Available year-round, plantains can be fried, boiled, mashed, stuffed, used for stuffing, baked, pickled and grilled. The green ones are very hard and have little banana flavor and no sweetness.

They are usually used the same way you would use a potato, boiled or fried or added to soups and stews. Yellow-ripe plantains are more tender but are used in the same ways and will have a creamier texture. The black-ripe ones can be prepared in these same ways but have a sweeter flavor and a banana aroma.

Ripen plantains in a loosely closed paper bag at room temperature for six to eight days, until firm like a banana but not hard. Don’t refrigerate them unless they are at just the right ripeness, because the chill will stop the ripening process.

Peel the black-ripe plantain as you would a banana and less ripe ones will need to be cut loose from the peel. When peeling plantains, moisten your hands with water and rub them with salt to prevent the juices from sticking to your skin. Peeled plantains can be held in water in the fridge for several days.

To bake plantains, rinse and dry them, allowing one fruit per person. Trim off the ends and cut a lengthwise slit in the fruit. Set the plantains slit-side up on a foil-lined pan and bake in a 375 degree oven about 40 minutes. Serve whole, topped with butter, lime juice, pineapple, brown sugar or nuts. Or, to fry them in the oven, peel and cut the plantains into thin slices and arrange on a nonstick baking sheet. Lightly spray both sides with oil and bake at 400 degrees until crisp. Serve with salt. For boiling, peel and cut each plantain into two or three pieces, boil until tender and serve as a side dish.

Everything I had heard and read about plantains said to simply fry them and then sprinkle with salt, so that’s what I did. I tried one bite and didn’t like it at all so I gave it another chance. Same conclusion. If someone knows a better way to fix plantains, please let me know and I’ll give them a third try. I think I just need to block out the banana expectation I had when trying them because I wasn’t satisfied with the taste being so different.

I ate at two new places this week and can report that I loved them both. First was Fender’s on Range Line, formerly Whiskey Creek, and it’s the first of many visits to come. Appetizers of spinach artichoke dip or chicken wings gets everything off to a good start. Then, there’s the fried chicken and ribs. It would be difficult to pick my favorite. Sides of green beans and corn as well as broccoli or spinach salad are wonderful, but it’s the mashed potatoes and gravy that had me at hello! Toss in a cheesy garlic biscuit and I’m full to the brim. But try to save room for dessert. Be sure to share dinner with someone else so one can order the peanut butter pie and one can order the bread pudding and you can share.

Friday night, the Saferites and Finleys tried Route Zero 3 in Carthage. As usual, the buffet called me back several times and I was happy to answer the call. Everything was so fresh and the choices so varied, I had to try a little of everything. Don’t forget to grab a hot roll and save room for dessert of cobbler and ice cream. I’m sorry I hadn’t visited them earlier, but now I have them on my repeat list.

I received some great soup recipes this week. I had time to try one and am sharing that recipe today. Ralph Ferguson from Joplin sent a recipe his niece from Illinois had sent him several years ago. He finds it quite tasty and filling and I agree. It reminds me of a soup my friend Nancy Handsy used to make years ago but with a chicken flavor twist. And I love the addition of the mushrooms. You can also use frozen broccoli or broccoli and cauliflower mix instead of the California mix, but I liked that blend. I cut the vegetable a little smaller but it was a quick soup to put together and the directions call for serving in bread bowls. Perfect!

For your main dish this week, try the kielbasa skillet with rotini from “Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes.” It’s just spicy enough for me. Omit the ground red pepper if you wish. This recipe gives you a little variety in your meal planning. And we have another cookie recipe, this time from my friend Julie Anderson of Carthage. I used regular peanut butter for the base and chunky for the topping and didn’t add the extra peanuts. Absolutely delicious!

Have a great week and happy eating!

Kelly’s cheese soup