JOPLIN, Mo. — We have talked about peeling asparagus. But, what about peeling other fruits and vegetables?

As far as tomatoes go, when I slice tomatoes, I always peel them first. I’m not sure why other than the fact that my mother used to peel them, too, and that’s how I’m used to eating them.

I take a knife and sort of pull and cut off the thin skin. An easy way to get this done without wasting any of the meat is to remove the core, cut a small X on the other end of the tomato, blanche it in boiling water for about 30 seconds then let the tomato cool a bit. Voila Ð the skin comes right off.

You can keep a peeled and sliced tomato refrigerated for about 8 hours before it starts to get mushy and not as nice to eat, so don’t fix them too far in advance. If you are using the tomatoes for cooking, it’s always a good idea to peel them.

When it comes to zucchini, I never peel it when I saute it with a little onion, which is how I enjoy it almost everyday. But, I, like a lot of people, have been confused as to whether or not the zucchini should be peeled before I use it when making a cake or bread.

The basic rule: If the skin is tough, peel it and if not, don’t. Leaving the skin on makes the most of the vitamins it contains.

Speaking of nutrients in the skin, common belief has been that the skin or peel of fruits and vegetables contain a huge amount of vitamins and other things good for us. Some “experts” are currently questioning that thinking, saying the peel is just protection for the nutrient-rich contents. I don’t know for sure but will still try to eat the peel when possible.

And how about cucumbers? If you are using store-bought cucumbers, they Ð like apples ÐÊhave possibly been waxed, so they should be peeled. If garden fresh, there’s some compounds in the skin that have been shown to lower cholesterol, so leave on the peel if possible.

A good rule to follow if purchasing fruits and vegetables from the store that are not organically grown is to peel or thoroughly wash them before eating. With those out of your own garden, you know what you are getting so it’s probably just a matter of personal preference whether you peel or don’t peel.

Thanks to our wonderful neighbors, Ruth and Ed Sneed, we have enjoyed some delicious tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers this year. Also, thank you to Nadeene Stewart who sent me home last week with two great yellow tomatoes.

I eat at least two or three tomato sandwiches a day, enjoying this short window of time we get to enjoy these yummy, little garden wonders.

One more thanks goes to my favorite McAlister’s server, Belinda, for the watermelon she brought to me so we could have a real watermelon seed spitting contest. Not only did the seeds work great, the melon was the best so far this year.

I like to try new places to eat but sometimes those not-so-new places are great to revisit again and again. My friend Lori Langerot and I thought the soup and salad at Olive Garden sounded good. That day, there were four different soups from which to choose.

I can tell you from personal tasting that they were all four delicious. And, I still had room for salad.

My Atlas story this week involves our conversation about eagles. He said the best eagle is the American eagle. My husband, Chris, told him he thought that was the only eagle. Atlas assured us there were lots of different eagles and there’s even one that likes to eat sushi.

We couldn’t argue because Atlas immediately changed the subject, saying that, by the way, he really needs a big army tank like the one we saw at the National Guard Armory so he could battle any wolves he might encounter. We probably don’t tell him “no” as often as we should, but to this one we had to say it: No army tank.

Today we get two recipes from one of my favorite cookbooks, “Best of the Best from Indiana.”

Mary E.’s grape salad is a cool taste treat that is the perfect accompaniment for your next cookout or the Crock-Pot barbecued beef. This beef smells so good while it’s cooking, you will be counting the minutes until it’s ready. If you have extra grapes after fixing the salad, do what Teresa Joslen does: Stick them in the freezer for a healthy popsicle-like treat that kids young and old will love.

I love the zucchini spice cake recipe from “The Cake Mix Doctor,” by Anne Bryn. It’s extra moist and can be topped with cream cheese or caramel frosting, or just eaten plain. I always peel the zucchini for this recipe.

Have a fabulous week and happy eating.

 

Mary E.’s grape salad

1 (No. 2) can pineapple chunks, drain well, reserve juice

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons flour

Pinch of salt

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1 cup whole seedless green grapes

Lemon juice, optional

Combine reserved juice, sugar, egg, flour and salt in saucepan. Cook fast, stirring constantly, until thick. Cool. Fold in pineapple chunks, marshmallows, and grapes. Refrigerate overnight. If salad lacks “zing” add a little lemon juice. Serves 8.

 

Crock-Pot barbecued beef

1 (3- to 4-pound) roast

1 (24-ounce) bottle ketchup

1/3 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/4 cup brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Chili powder to taste

Trim all fat from roast; pat dry and place in slow cooker. Mix all other ingredients and pour over roast. Cook on low for 10 to 12 hours. Shred with 2 forks.

 

Zucchini spice cake

1 plain yellow cake mix

1 small package vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and generously mist bundt pan with vegetable spray then dust with flour. Set pan aside.

Place all ingredients except zucchini in large mixing bowl. Blend on low for one minute then on medium for 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in grated zucchini. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out top. Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until light brown and cake springs back when lightly pressed with your finger. Cool on rack for 20 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely.

Address correspondence to Cheryle Finley, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, Mo. 64802.