Tag: vegetable preparation
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Blanch
Blanching is to briefly and partially cook food, usually vegetables or fruit, in boiling liquid, usually water but oil is sometimes used. The technique is useful for preparing vegetables for the freezer. In which case, once the food has been briefly cooked it’s usual to arrest the cooking process by plunging the fruit or vegetable…
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Brussels sprouts
What are they? Brussels sprouts are like miniature cabbages which grow in multiple rows on a thick central stalk. The sprout is obviously a brassica, but it’s anybody’s guess when somebody mutated it from its original cabbage. I believe sprouts originated in Belgium, where they were sold in markets as early as the 13th century…
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Broccoli
What is it? Broccoli is a brassica, part of the cabbage family, as is it’s close relative the cauliflower. There are three types of broccoli: Calabrese This is the one with the thick stem and big clustery heads (pictured above). Calabrese is named after the Italian region it originates from, Calabria. It’s the most commonly…
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Bhaji
A bhaji, sometimes called ‘bhajia’, is an Indian snack. It’s a vegetable fritter. For example, you could have cauliflower bhajis, aubergine bhajis or, the most common in British Indian cuisine, onion bhajis. The word ‘bhaji’ is Hindi for ‘vegetable’. It’s easy to make by slicing the vegetables and coating them in a batter of gram…
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Asparagus
Asparagus, a herbaceous perennial plant, is generally considered to be a luxury vegetable. Quite simply, it’s expensive to buy because it’s expensive to cultivate. A newly planted asparagus plant takes three years to produce spears that are good enough to sell. Then it will only produce spears for a further three years. Therefore, a typical asparagus…
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Guacamole
Guacamole is an avocado-based dip or salad. It was first created by the Aztecs in what is now Mexico. As well as its use in modern Mexican cuisine, it’s widely eaten throughout the UK, North America and Australia and other countries. Israel, where avocados are widely grown, has its own version called ‘salat avocado’. Traditionally…
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Beetroot
What is it? Beetroot is the taproot portion of the beet plant, often known as simply the beet. The leaves are also edible, often called beet greens. British beetroot is usually available from July to January, but some may linger on until February or March. Choose firm beetroot with fresh (unwilted) stalks. What to…
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Pak choi and bok choi
Pak choi and bok choi are types of Chinese cabbage and sometimes referred to simply as ‘Chinese cabbage’. People often seem to be confused by whether to say “pak” or “bok”. Are they the same? In terms of texture and flavour, they are pretty much the same. But according to British celebrity greengrocer Gregg Wallace,…
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Globe artichoke
What is it? It’s the bud of a large member of the thistle family. The heart and the tender ends of the leaves are edible. (The Jerusalem artichoke is unrelated.) What to do with it Watch the video above for an excellent tutorial about cooking and eating an artichoke. If you’re looking for a recipe see…