VEGETABLES

WHAT IS A VEGETABLE?  Edible part of a plant

 PODS & SEEDS (LEGUMES)  FLOWER  CERTAIN FRUITS  LEAVES  STEM  ROOT  TUBER  BULB  FUNGI CLASSIFICATION

SEEDS OF THE PLANT  BROADBEANS  PEAS  CORN PODS & SEEDS (LEGUMES)

VEGETABLES WITH EDIBLE BUD-LIKE FLOWERS  BROCCOLI  CAULIFLOWER FLOWERS

CLASSIFIED AS A FRUIT BUT USED AS A VEGETABLE  TOMATO  EGGPLANT  SWEET PEPPERS  AVOCADO  CUCUMBER  COURGETTE  SQUASH VEGETABLE FRUIT

PLANTS GROWN ESPECIALLY FOR THEIR EDIBLE LEAVES  CABBAGE  LETTUCE  SPINACH  BRUSSEL SPROUTS LEAVES

PLANT STEMS THAT ARE HIGH IN CELLULOSE  ASPARAGUS  CELERY  GLOBE ARTICHOKE  FENNEL STEMS

EDIBLE PART OF THE PLANT IS FORMED UNDER THE GROUND  CARROTS  BEETROOT  TURNIP  PARSNIP ROOT

UNDERGROUND STEM WHICH CARRIES NUTRIENTS FROM THE ROOTS TO THE PLANT  POTATO  SWEET POTATO  YAM TUBER

LEAF BASES SWOLLEN WITH WATER AND CARBOHYDRATES STORED FOR NEXT YEAR’S GROWTH  ONIONS  GARLIC  LEEK  SPRINGONION BULB

NOT TRUE VEGETABLE BUT AN EDIBLE FUNGUS  MUSHROOMS  TRUFFLES FUNGI

FORMS OF PURCHASE  FRESH  FROZEN  CANNED

 USED QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR QUALITY AND NUTRIONAL VALUE  WEIGHT  UNIT  PUNNETS - 125g, 250g, 500g, DELICATE  POCKETS – HARDY VEGETABLES  CASE/CRATE – BRUISE EASILY  BUNCHES  PILLOW PACKS FRESH

 NO DEFROSTING  MORE EXPENSIVE  NO WASTAGE  500g TO CATERING SIZES FROZEN

 MORE VARIETY  DIFFERENT SIZES  TEXTURE, FLAVOUR AND QUALITY MAY BE AFFECTED CANNED

SPRING(SEPT, OCT, NOV) ARTICHOKES (GLOBE) ASPARAGUS AUBERGINES BABY MARROWS BEANS BEETROOT BROAD BEANS BROCCOLI BRUSSEL SPROUTS CABBAGE CARROTS CAULIFLOWER CELERY CUCUMBER GARLIC LEEKS LETTUCE MAIZE/CORN ON THE COB MUSHROOMS NEW POTATOES ONIONS PARSLEY PARSNIPS PEAS POTATOES PUMPKIN RADISHES RED ONIONS RHUBARB SPINACH SPRING ONION SWEET POTATOES TURNIPS WATERBLOMMETJIES WATERCRESS

SUMMER (DEC, JAN, FEB) ARTICHOKES (GLOBE) ASPARAGUS AUBERGINES BABY MARROWS BEETROOT BUTTERNUT CABBAGE CARROTS CELERY CHILLIES CHIVES CUCUMBER GARLIC GREEN BEANS LETTUCE MAIZE/CORN ON THE COB MANGE TOUT MAROG MUSHROOMS OKRA ONIONS PARSLEY PATTY PANS POTATOES PUMPKIN RADISHES RED ONIONS RHUBARB SPINACH SPRING ONIONS SWEET PEPPERS SWEET POTATOES TURNIPS

AUTUMN (MAR, APR, MAY) ARTICHOKES (JERUSALEM AUBERGINES AVOCADO’S BABY MARROWS BEETROOT BROAD BEANS BROCCOLI BRUSSEL SPROUTS BUTTER BEANS CABBAGE CARROTS CAULIFLOWER CELERY CHIVES CUCUMBER GARLIC GEM SQASH GREEN BEANS HORSERADISH HUBBARD SQUASH LEEKS LETTUCE MEALIES MUSHROOMS ONIONS PARSLEY PARSNIPS PEAS POTATOES PUMPKIN RADISHES SPINACH SWEET PEPPERS SWEET POTATOES TURNIPS

WINTER (JUN, JUL, AUG) ASPARAGUS ARTICHOKES (JERUSALEM) BEETROOT BROAD BEANS BROCCOLI BRUSSEL SPROUTS CABBAGE CARROTS CAULIFLOWER CELERY CELERIAC CHIVES CUCUMBER FENNEL GARLIC HORSERADISH LEEKS LETTUCE MUSHROOMS NEW POTATOES ONIONS PARSLEY PARSNIPS PEAS PEPPERS POTATOES PUMPKIN RADISHES RHUBARB SPINACH SPRING ONION SWEET POTATOES SWISS CHARD TURNIPS WATERCRESS

 HIGHLY PERISHABLE  BUY SEASONAL – PRICE REASONABLE - BEST QUALITY  PLEASANT RIPE SMELL, NO STRANGE MUSTY ODOURS  GOOD EVEN COLOUR, SHAPE, APPEARANCE  NO BLEMISHES OR BROWN SPOTS  CRISP & FIRM TO TOUCH  NO SIGNS OF WILTING, SPROUTING OR SEEDING  NO BRUISING, CUTS OR DAMAGE  NO SIGNS OF INSECT DAMAGE OR DISEASE  COMPACT AND CRISP  CLEAN, ALTHOUGH SOME WILL HAVE SOIL QUALITY POINTS

 MAINLY SERVED AS AN ACCOMPANIMENT TO A MAIN MEAL OR AS A SALAD  PORTION SIZE DEPENDS ON  MENU  FORM OF THE VEGETABLE  GENERAL GUIDELINE:  125ML CUT UP (SIDE DISH)  250ML CUT UP (MAIN DISH) QUANTITY

ROOTS, BULBS, TUBERS  SHRIVEL ONCE HARVESTED  EXPOSED TO SUNLIGHT THEY SPROUT  COOL, DRY PLACE  ON RACKS – AIR CIRCULATION  STAY FRESH 5-6 DAYS STEMS, LEAVES, FLOWERS, FRUIT, SEEDS  USE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE  WRAP LOOSELY IN NEWSPAPER, POLYTHENE OR IN A COVERED BOWL TO PREVENT WILTING  VEGETABLE DRAW IN REFRIGERATOR SUITABLE STORAGE

 SEPARATE ANY BLEMISHED PRODUCTS  UNRIPE TOMATOES MAY BE LEFT AT ROOM TEMPERATURE TO RIPEN THEN REFRIGERATE  GREEN TOPS OF VEGETABLES SHOULD BE TRIMMED 2CM FROM THE TOP  GREEN PEAS LEFT IN POD UNTIL READY TO USE  CANNED AND DEHYDRATED VEGETABLES STORED IN A DRY, WELL VENTILATED AREA  FROZEN VEGETABLES -18˚C

 UNWANTED LEAVES, STEMS AND ROOTS DISCARDED  GENERAL RULES TO RETAIN NUTRITIVE VALUE:  USE SHARP KNIVES  ONLY PEEL WHEN NECESSARY, PEEL MINIMUM AMOUNT  MOST OF THE NUTRIENTS ARE IN OR JUST UNDER THE SKIN  PREPARE AS CLOSE TO COOKING TIME AS POSSIBLE  NEVER SOAK VEGETABLES IN COLD WATER – NUTRIENTS DISSOLVE IN WATER  USE CLEAN VEGETABLE SINK  DO NOT HANDLE THE VEGETABLES ROUGHLY  VEGETABLES NEED TO BE WASHED AS THEY COULD CONTAIN PESTICIDES, SOIL, MOULD PREPARATION METHODS

WASHING remove soil from vegetables PEELING remove the inedible outer skin of vegetables SKINNING/BLANCH same as peeling, but the term is used when referring to tomatoes SHELLING remove the hard outer shell so that the seeds of the vegetable may be used e.g. peas/broad beans

CHOPPING cutting or dicing vegetables into uniform pieces SHREDDING cutting into long narrow strips e.g. lettuce, cabbage SLICING cutting vegetable into uniform slices, often circular e.g. tomato, onion, beetroot

TRIMMIMG remove any parts of the vegetable which are not eaten e.g. broccoli stem, root of spring onion GRATING using the serrated edge of a grater to produce fine shreds CUTTING various types of cutting techniques used to prepare vegetables

 MACÉDOINE – 5MM SIDES  BATONS – RECTANGLE 2X2X15MM  JARDINÉRE – COLLECTIVE TERM BATONS  PAYSANNE – TRIANGLE, CIRCLE, SQUARE 10MM SIDES/DIAMETE  JULIENNE – FINE STRIPS O,5X0,5X30MM  BRUNOISE – 3MM DICE  PRINTANIERE – BARREL/TURNED  CHIFFONNADE – THIN STRANDS/SHREDS  VICHY – 3MM SLICES  MIRE-POIX – ROUGH CUT CLASSICAL VEGETABLE CUTS

POTATO CUTS

VEGETABLE CUTS

 NUTRITIONAL VALUE EASILY DESTROYED IF STORED, PREPARED OR COOKED INCORRECTLY  DO NOT OVER COOK VEGETABLES:  HOLD COLOUR  SHAPE  LOOK APPETISING  KEEP NUTRITIONAL VALUE  COOKING TIME VARIES ACCORDING TO TYPE OF VEGETABLE, MOISTURE CONTENT AND STRUCTURE  TIME AND TEMPERATURE IMPORTANT, NEVER COOK UNDER EXTREME HEAT AS IT WILL CAUSE THEM TO BURN OR SPOIL  PROPERLY COOKED VEGETABLES SHOULD REMAIN SLIGHTLY CRISP  OVER COOKED VEGETABLES BECOME MUSHY, LOOSING TEXTURE, COLOUR AND TASTE COOKING METHODS

COOKING GUIDELINES  CUT INTO UNIFORM SHAPES ABD SIZES TO PROMOTE EVEN COOKING  COOK IN A SHORT A TIME AS POSSIBLE TO PRESERVE TEXTURE, COLOUR, NUTRIENTS  VEGETABLES SHOUL BE COOKED AS CLOSELY TO SERVING TIME AS POSSIBLE  VEGETABLES CAN BE BLANCHED AHEAD OF TIME AND REFRESH IN COLD WATER – RE-HEAT WHEN NECESSARY  PREPARING AN ASSORTMENT OF VEGETABLES, EACH TYPE SHOULD BE COOKED SEPERATELY AND COMBINED AFTERWARDS COOKING METHODS

ROASTING  SUITABLE FOR MANY VEGETABLES  ENSURE EVEN COOKINGM CUT INTO EVEN SIZES  SEASON BEFORE ROASTING  ARRANGE IN ROASTING PAN  BASTE WITH OIL/FAT  ROAST 180˚C, BASTE DURING COOKING GRILLING  INTENSE HEAT  VEGETABLE WITH HIGH WATER CONTENT  TOMATOES, MUSHROOMS, BRINJALS, PEPPERS  CHECK REGULARLY TO PREVENT BURNING AND DRYING OUT  BASTE WITH OIL/FAT  PLACE UNDER GRILL  TURN VEGETABLES OFTEN, BASTING EACH TIME

STIR-FRYING  QUICK METHOD  ENSURE COLOUR AND CRISPNESS ARE RETAINED  CARROTS, CELERY, BROCCOLI, BEANS  PLACE PAN ON HIGH HEAT  WHEN PAN IS HOT, ADD SMALL AMOUNT OF OIL/CLARIFIED BUTTER  ADD VEGETABLES AND TOSS BRAISING  SLOWER COOKING METHOD  USED FOR VEGETABLES WITH TOUGH FIBRES  CARROTS, ONIONS, CELERY, CABBAGE  LIGHTLY SAUTÉ IN SMALL AMOUNT OF OIL, CLARIFIED BUTTER  ADD LIQUID SUCH AS STOCK, WINE OR WATER  BRAISE (STOVE TOP OR OVEN) WITH A LID ON

DEEP-FRYING  IMMERSE IN HOT LIQUID  OFTEN BATTERED OR CRUMBED TO SEAL IN MOISTURE  BRINJAL, ONION RINGS, CAULIFLOWER  PRE-HEAT OIL 165˚-175˚C  COAT VEGETABLES IF NECESSARY  USE FRYIONG BASKET TO LOWER VEGETABLES  WHEN GOLDEN BROWN, REMOVE AND DRAIN BAKING  VEGETABLES WITH EDIBLE SKIN  SKIN LEFT ON DURING BAKING, PROTECTS VEGETABLE FROM DRYING HEAT  POTATOES, ONIONS, PUMPKIN, TOMATOES  LIGHTLY GREASE BAKING DISH ABD PLACE VEGETABLES INTO IT  BAKE AT 180˚C UNTIL COOKED, MAKE SURE VEGETABLES DO NOT BECOME MUSHY