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Vegetables
broccoli, A member of the cabbage & cauliflower family, broccoli is a green vegetable with clusters of green flowers. It should have no sign of yellow and the leaves and stems should show no signs of ageing. Broccoli originated in the Mediterranean and Asia Minor and cultivated in Italy in the 16th century. In China, it is prepared sweet and sour. Its name comes from the Italian word brocco, meaning branch or arm, and broccolo, meaning cabbage sprout.
Brussel sprouts, resemble tiny cabbages. They should be bright green,
fresh, firm and compact. Young sprouts have a superior flavour. The bigger they
are, the coarser the texture and flavour. They are best when found after the
first frost. Now, mainly cultivated in northern Europe, the Belgians believe
that Brussel sprouts were imported into their country from Italy by the Roman
legions. Brussel sprouts are part of a traditional English Christmas dinner.
Green cabbage, should have a firm head with crisp, shiny leaves. The outer leaves should be strongly coloured and not limp. The outer leaves should not be yellow in colour. Cabbage should have a dense heart and crisp shiny leaves. All varieties of cultivated cabbage are derived from wild cabbage. In Europe, cabbage has been known for over 4000 years and was first used for medicinal purposes. Later, it was used as a basis for soup.
Carrots, a root vegetable deep orange in colour. They should be medium sized, firm, smooth and well formed. It is thought the wild carrot originated in Afghanistan and was small, tough and pale-fleshed. The carrot's orange colour dates from the middle 19th century. In Holland, about the 14th century, fashionable women wore the carrot's green leaves as hair decorations.
Parsnip, Grown for its white or yellowish, sweet tasting root, the parsnip is similar in shape to the carrot. It is small to medium sized with a crisp body and smooth surface. Parsnips were widely grown by the Greeks and enjoyed in the Middle Ages.
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Cauliflower,
The head of the cauliflower is surrounded by crisp, bluish-green leaves. The
head should be firm, compact and creamy white with florets pressed tightly
together. The cauliflower originally came from Cyprus. It is thought to have
been used since the 6th century B.C. and grown in Turkey and Egypt since 400
B.C.
The
swede is a root vegetable with a yellow flesh and a pale yellow skin. It should
be firm, clean and heavy for its size. Also called the rutabaga, the swede
originated in Scandinavia and is a hybrid of the cabbage and turnip. It
traditionally accompanies haggis in Scotland. 
The
pea pods are a bright green colour. If the pods are over firm and overfull, the
peas are too mature. Dry pods with brown to black skin are indicative of old
peas. Peas have been cultivated as a vegetable since ancient times. The wild pea
originated in the Near Eat, middle Asia and in Africa. It was domesticated in
the Middle East.
French
Beans are also known by a variety of names such as kidney beans, flageolets and
haricot beans - these names refer to the beans when left to mature fully. Simple
to grow, delicious tasting and very nutritious.
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