Fresh Veg

Cucumber, Cucumis sativus, is a warm season, vining, annual plant in the family Cucurbitaceae grown for its edible cucumber fruit. Wonderful in just about anything that needs a cooling crunchy effect

Labour-intensive to grow, asparagus are the young shoots of a cultivated lily plant. They’re considered to be one of the delicacies of the vegetable world, with a price tag to match, and have a distinct, intense savoury flavour. Sprue is the term for young, very slender asparagus. While French asparagus is purple, the British and American varieties are green. In contrast, Spanish, and much Dutch asparagus, is white because it’s grown beneath the soil and cut just as the tips emerge. All types pack a nutritious punch, with high levels of vitamins A and C, potassium, iron and calcium.

This vegetable is not truly an artichoke, but a variety of sunflower with a lumpy, brown-skinned tuber that often resembles a ginger root. Contrary to what the name implies, this vegetable has nothing to do with Jerusalem, but is derived instead from the Italian word for sunflower, girasole. Its white flesh is nutty, sweet and crunchy, and is a good source of iron. Jerusalem artichokes are also known as sunchokes. Can be crisped with rosemary and garlic, are wonderful in a truffle soup and delicious alongside lemon roast guinea fowl

That quintessential Spanish snack where, within mostly mild, aromatic peppers you may find one or two very hot ones. Toss in olive oil & salt and serve immediately

A russet potato is a type of potato that is large, with dark brown skin and dry, white flesh. Best suited to baking, mashing or French fries/ chips/ wedges.

The root of a member of the mustard family, radishes have a peppery flavour and a crisp, crunchy texture. Among the most popular varieties are the small, cherry-sized common variety which has a red skin and white flesh (the French Breakfast radish is a variation on this type, and has an elongated shape with a deep pink skin that fades to white at the roots). You can also find black radishes, popular in eastern Europe, which are more strongly flavoured, as well as large white mooli or diakon radishes, which are shaped like carrots. They are popular in Asian cookery and have a very mild flavour. Radishes are rich is folic acid and potassium and are a good source of vitamin B6, magnesium, riboflavin, and calcium. Radish tops too are edible and offer many culinary possibilities.

Miniature cucumbers are just a few inches long at maturity, and most are only an inch or so wide. Some cultivars have smooth skin while others have skin that’s pimpled and spined.

Courgettes (or Zucchini in the U.S.) are a type of summer squash. It can be prepared using a variety of cooking techniques, including steamed, boiled, grilled, stuffed and baked, barbecued and fried, they are also great for soufflés and even cakes. They are low in saturated fat, and very low in cholesterol and sodium. They are also a good source of thiamine, Niacin and Pantothenic Acid, and a very good source of Dietary Fibre, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper and Manganese.

The carrot, with its distinctive bright orange colour, is one of the most versatile root vegetables around – a result of its sweet flavour, which means it can be used raw or cooked, in sweet or savoury dishes. That old wive’s tale about carrots helping you see in the dark isn’t entirely off-target; they’re very high in beta-carotene, which is an important nutrient for maintaining healthy eyes.

Fine beans are the unripe, young fruit and protective pods of various cultivars of the common bean.

Also known as bok choy or Chinese celery cabbage, pak choi is a leafy vegetable that is delicious added to stir fries. This member of the cabbage family has a number of different names, including pak choi, bok choy, horse’s ear, Chinese celery cabbage and white mustard cabbage. Its structure looks like a squat celery, with either white or very pale green short, chunky stalks and glossy, deep green leaves. The texture of both leaves and stalks is crisp, and the flavour is somewhere between mild cabbage and spinach. If very young it can be eaten raw in salads, but is best when briefly cooked.

Tenderstem Broccoli – totally packed with nutrients, is easy to prepare and has a nice mild flavor. Since many other of the healthiest green vegetables have strong bitter flavors (such as kale, chard and spinach), broccoli’s milder flavor gives it a serious advantage.

New potatoes have thin, wispy skins and a crisp, waxy texture. They are young potatoes and unlike their fully grown counterparts, they keep their shape once cooked and cut. They are also sweeter because their sugar has not yet converted into starch, and are therefore particularly suited to salads.

Leeks are a truly versatile vegetable. They have a milder, sweeter flavour than onions and a smooth texture similar to asparagus. Leeks are a good source of vitamins A, C and K. They also contain minerals such as iron and manganese.

Smoked garlic cloves are used to stuff roast chicken, enhance gravy and mayonnaise, mash into butter to make finger-licking garlic bread, or use to crown steaks and Portobello mushrooms for delicious vegetarian garlic recipes.

A pointed cabbage has a milder flavour and tender texture than other cabbages. Can be eaten raw in many fresh tasty salads, steamed, stir fried or pickled.

Like Marmite, fennel is something that you either love or hate. Its strong aniseed flavour leaves no room for the middle ground. From the same family as the herb and seed of the same name, it’s also known as Florence fennel, finocchio, or sweet fennel, is very popular in Italian cookery, and has a bulb-like shape that looks a little like a heavy-bottomed celery. When eaten raw, the texture is crisp and the flavour is quite assertive. Cooked, it’s softer and more mellow.

The cherry tomato is a type of small round tomato believed to be an intermediate genetic admixture between wild currant-type tomatoes and domesticated garden tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes range in size from a thumbtip up to the size of a golf ball, and can range from spherical to slightly oblong in shape.

Yellow peppers can be used much like red or orange peppers. They are similarly sweet but have a milder taste. They roast up beautifully and keep their lovely yellow hue when cooked.

Portobello Mushrooms are richly flavoured, meaty, with a large, flat, dark brown cap that grows up to 5 inches in diameter when mature.

Baby spinach has small, delicate leaves that wilt quickly when cooked, and has a much milder taste that mature spinach. For this reason it is best used in salads or as a side garnish

A member of the cabbage family, kale comes in two forms: kale, which has smooth leaves, and curly kale, which has crinkly leaves. Curly kale is the most common of the two. Instead of forming a head, the leaves grow in a loose rosette at the top of a stem. Strong flavoured, packed with nutrients, it is best boiled or steamed

Broccoli – full of nutrients, easy to prepare and an excellent source of iron

The fact that the parsnip is a member of the carrot family comes as no surprise – it looks just like one, aside from its creamy white colour. It has an earthy but sweet flavour and is great used in hearty winter roasts, soups and stews.

Carrots are a good source of several vitamins and minerals, especially biotin, potassium, and vitamins A (from beta carotene), K1 (phylloquinone), and B6.

Aubergines are an excellent source of dietary fibre. They are also a good source of vitamins B1 and B6 and potassium. In addition it is high in the minerals copper, magnesium and manganese.

Not be confused with green lemon, these bright green citrus fruits add plenty of zesty flavour to cooking and cocktails. The same shape, but smaller than lemons, with a bright green, fairly smooth skin, limes are a highly aromatic fruit. Limes are an important ingredient in Mexican, Indian, Latin American and South-East Asian cookery, which can make or break the authenticity of a dish. Three main types are available: Tahitian, which is the largest, with the most acidic flavour; Mexican, slightly smaller, very aromatic, and with a particularly bright green skin; and Key lime, which have a paler skin, a high juice content and a strong flavour. Like lemons, limes are high in vitamin C.

The distinctive red clay soil of Cyprus is perfect for growing potatoes and yields this versatile, thin-skinned potato. It’s popular for its good, earthy flavour. Cyprus potatoes are ideal for boiling and baking, and they also make very good chips.

The courgette is a variety of cucurbit, which means it’s from the same family as cucumber, squash and melon. It’s one of the most popular vegetables in the squash family, being extremely versatile, tender and easy to cook. Just don’t boil them! They have a deep green skin with firm pale flesh and are also known as zucchini.

White courgette has a similar flavour to green zucchini but its mottled pale-green skin is thinner and more delicate. It tastes great with basil, eggplant, fish, parsley, tomatoes, garlic, lemons, lamb and onions.

Romanesco, also known as broccoflower or Roman cauliflower, is a chartreuse, unique-looking vegetable prized for its appearance and mild flavor. It is sometimes assumed to be a hybrid between broccoli and cauliflower but is botanically different (although related).