Several companies make products that make it easy to create infused water.

• Bodum’s Ceylon Tea Pitcher is an acrylic pitcher with a filter that was originally designed to brew tea. We prefer to use it to infuse water with the flavor from sliced cucumbers, grapefruit, lemons, limes, melon, oranges, whole strawberries and other fruits, plus mint leaves or other herbs. Price: $19.35 for the 50-ounce size, $25.51 for the jumbo 102-ounce size. We use it in THE NIBBLE kitchen; the slim shape and smaller size option lets us fit it into our packed refrigerator.
• The central column in Prodyne’s Fruit Infusion Pitcher turns the fruit into a lovely attraction. The 92-ounce capacity provides plenty of infused water. Price: $23.94.
• Jokari makes the Healthly Steps Water Infuser, a large plastic infusing ball that fits inside almost any pitcher to keep the fruit contained. Price: $6.00.

Infuse your own water with fresh fruit. This
Prodyne infusing pitcher makes fruit the
focal point.

By the way, if you like sweetened infused water, just add your sweetener of choice.

All flavors except Original have a zesty
topping that is attractive as well as flavorful.
Photo courtesy TribeHummus.com.

Serve a variety of crudités (raw vegetables) with new Tribe Origins hummus and tell them to dip away! One winner will get to taste the entire line of Tribe Origins hummus.

Following extensive consumer taste tests, Tribe created the new Tribe Origins line to be extra-creamy and smooth. The flavors include Classic, Spicy Red Pepper, Tomato & Veggie and Zesty Spice & Garlic Hummus. We loved them all.

Three of the four flavors feature a generous serving of toppings, making Tribe Origins attractive for entertaining. This vegan food is also a great source of fiber, protein and iron.

The line is certified kosher by OU.

Retail value: Approximately $20.00

• To Enter This Gourmet Giveaway: Go to the box at the bottom of our Gourmet Salsas, Dips & Spreads Section and click to enter your email address for the prize drawing.
• You’re Automatically A Winner: Visit TribeHummus.com to print a $1.00 coupon. 

Packaging is everything, the saying goes. Whether it’s an everyday dinner salad or a special occasion, the same ingredients that look flat on a plate or in a bowl sparkle in glass.

• Use small cuts. Cut ingredients into smaller pieces that fit into a rocks glass. Thin-sliced vegetables not only fit into the glass better; they look elegant. Cherry and grape tomatoes can be cut in half.
• Vary the greens. Add mystique with something different. Vary the standard iceberg and romaine lettuces with baby arugula, baby spinach, curly leaf lettuce and whatever else you can find.
• Add an herb. In addition to a pinch of salt and some fresh-ground pepper, snip some fresh herbs into the mix. Any herb will do. If you don’t have fresh herbs, try oregano, rosemary or thyme from the pantry. (Basil and parsley, two of our fresh favorites, don’t have as much panache as some other herbs when dried.)
• Add a surprise ingredient. Beans, beets, cheese, corn kernels, fennel, slivers of fresh or dried fruit, nut halves, olives and pickles are just a few items that add different flavors, textures and colors.

Curly leaf lettuce, radishes, kirby cucumbers
and quail eggs get a dual garnish of chives
and dill. Photo © Sarsmis | Fotolia.

• Use a vinaigrette. Heavy dressings don’t work here. Keep the sparkle going with this simple recipe: three tablespoons of heart-healthy olive oil or avocado oil to one tablespoon of vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice or verjus taste right on fresh greens. Add a pinch of prepared or dry mustard or some hot sauce, or flavored oil or vinegar, to change it up.

And what if your family loves the mini salads so much they want more? Pass the salad bowl and tongs!

Find more salad recipes in our Gourmet Vegetables Section. And post your favorite salad tips.

A clingstone peach. Photo courtesy
Washington State Fruit Commission.

• Aroma: The peach should smell sweet and perfumey.
• Appearance: The skin should be bruise-free and covered with an even, downy fuzz
• Handle With Care: Peaches are a very delicate fruit. Even if they feel hard, place them on top of all the other groceries in the bag to protect them from blemishes.To speed up the ripening of peaches, use the apple/banana trick in the avocado post below.

  Read the history of peaches: They originated in China.

• Find more of our favorite fruits in our Gourmet Fruits Section.
• Want to cook with peaches? Use the search box at the top of the page (to the right of the red bar) to search for “peach recipe.” You’ll find everything from peach salsa to peach muffins.

To speed ripening, place the avocado(s) in a lightly-closed paper bag with two or three apples or bananas. The ethylene gas naturally released by apples and bananas will speed the ripening of other fruits.

How often have you squeezed an avocado to determine if it’s ripe?

Here’s another option: Try to dislodge the stem nub with your fingernail. If it loosens easily, the avocado is ready to eat.

• If you’re using the avocado for a salad or as garnish, you’ll want it just ripe enough to keep its form when sliced or cubed.
• If you’re making guacamole, avocado dip, sauce or other soft food, you can let it ripen for another day or two.
• If you have too many ripe avocados, stick them in the fridge.

Photo courtesy California Department of Education.