For some lighter fare, today we offer some actual kitchen advice: A collection of recipes and tips for keeping safe during the US Cyclospora outbreak.

Cyclospora is a microscopic troublemaker, typically as a food- or water-born parasite that wreaks havoc on the human digestive system. For a variety of reasons, the US has been enduring a widespread outbreak for the last few weeks, mostly impacting fresh produce like lettuce, berries, and herbs like basil and cilantro. Some popular summer favorites, in fact!

So, what do you do with those questionable raspberries in the fridge? Or the bagged salad you’ve been eyeing suspiciously? TSK is here to help (with thanks to the CDC and other resources):

• Heat: Your best recourse to save potentially contaminated food is cooking it. Once food reaches 158-degrees (F), you can breathe easy and trust that the cyclospora won’t survive a trip through your stove or oven.
• Shopping: Many of us are wary of the produce section of your local market, but there are ways to stay safe when buying new fruits and veggies. Experts suggest buying whole, uncut produce, where the outer layers of a whole head of lettuce can be peeled or thick skins of cucumber or melons can be peeled before eating. In those cases, wash the trimmed produce very well and you can enjoy raw with confidence you’re avoiding the parasite. Or, skip the store and head to your local farmer’s market, where risks will be much lower.
• Restaurants: Cyclospora has been found in restaurant produce, too, so probably best to avoid the shredded lettuce and cilantro on your tacos for now. Instead, enjoy some pickled onion or extra cheese this time around. Foods like guacamole are likely ok, since the thick skins (where the risks are found) have been removed.

This weekend, I plan to try out some creative uses of my favorite fruits and vegetables at risk of bearing this scourge:

•  Raspberries: Since everyone is avoiding high-risk produce, I jumped on a clearance sale of raspberries yesterday and plan to try Kate Taylor’s berry/chia jam.
• Lettuce: The bagged lettuce my husband nearly tossed will be part of tonight’s stir-fry experiment, thanks to the NYT.
• Herbs: Some cilantro-lime rice will definitely make it into this weekend’s line-up. If anyone has store-bought basil they’re worried about, make pesto as you normally would, but be sure to turn up the heat when you toss it with pasta so you’re sure to kill any remnants of the parasite.

Stay safe, everyone, and bon appetit!