Ripe Market

Ripe Market happening every Friday morning till the afternoon at Zabeel park. Last week I went to pick some vegetables and fruits for my new low fat healthy diet, accompanied by my dear friend and famous photographer Dany Eid who take the pictures I will be sharing with you.  

As chef and food stylist picking the right ingredient is the number one step in my recipes success or in creating the perfect food shoot. 

Here are some tips if your picking vegetables or fruits for a food shooting:

1- Buy whatever you need 1 day before the shooting specially the herbs you need everything to look vivid

2- Pick the one with nice color, shape, smooth texture and the tip is more or less perfect this are things you can't correct, you can only dress it up not create

3- Make sure there is no black dots they are impossible to remove and in post production it takes like for ever the photographer will hate you. 

4- Pick your hero and keep it safe aside. 

5- Don't wash the vegetable you are using for shooting just wipe with a towel and put in a zip bag 

As a chef a key thing to me when I pick fruits and vegetable is the smell, every fruits and vegetable has a very distinguish smell it is a great indication that they taste good and they are fresh, this in addition of couple of other tips:

1- Eggplants; it is best to pick the small firm ones with smooth skin they tend to be sweeter and have less seeds specially if they are little heavy the their size. keep in room temperature for 2 days max 

2- Zucchini or Courgette; They come in 2 color green or yellow no matter the color it need to vibrant, also pick the medium to small ones the big ones have more seeds and less flavour. 

3- Tomatoes: they need to have smooth skin vibrant red color pick the firm ones for your salad and to use it in prepare tomato sauce or in cooking pick the semi firm ones they give more juice. keep in refrigerator.