VEGGIE PERFECT
the surface of the carrot. Also, use the edges of the pad
or the tip of a paring knife to remove dirt deposits where
the green stems grow out of the carrot. Once each carrot
has been cleaned, submerge it in ice water or wrap it in
a wet paper towel. If you use the paper towel method,
place a group of the wrapped carrots in a Ziploc bag
until you are ready for the carrots.
If you want to use tomatoes in a dish for photography
and do not want to show the skin on the tomato, ratherthan using canned cooked tomatoes, better visual results
can be achieved by skinning the tomato yourself.
Th ere’s a quick way to remove the skin while keeping
the outer fl esh of the tomato intact. Place water in a
large pot until it is deep enough to submerge the toma-
toes you have purchased. Bring the water to a boil.
Insert a long-handled fork into the tomato at an angle
of about 45º near the stem of the tomato. Th e angle
will help ensure the tomato does not fall off the fork
during the following process. Holding the tomato on
the fork, completely submerge the tomato in the simmer-
ing water for about 10 seconds. Remove the tomato
from the simmering water and immediately plunge it
into a bowl of ice water. Remove the tomato from the
ice water and remove the fork from the tomato. Grasp
the tomato skin and pull it away from the fl esh of the
tomato. If the skin does not readily separate from the
tomato, it may be necessary to repeat the process of
submerging the tomato in the simmering water for an
additional 10 seconds and then back into the ice water.
Use this process for all of the tomatoes you intend to
peel. With a sharp knife, cut each tomato in half or
quarters. Use a spoon to remove the juicy seed areas in
the interior of each tomato since they are not a desirable
element for photography. Reserve the thick fl esh from
the outside of the tomato and cut it to the size required
for your shot.