11.1 INTRODUCTION
"Eat your fruits and vegetables" is one of the tried and true
recommendations for a healthy diet. Increasing consumption of fruit
and vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of many chronic
diseases.
Any herbaceous plant or plant part which is regularly eaten
as food by humans would normally be considered to be a vegetable.
Vegetables are very often eaten cooked. Some, such as potato, are
never eaten raw, but many such as carrots, bell peppers and celery
are quite commonly eaten either raw or cooked.
Vegetables are brimming and overflowing with fibre, and also
a whole range of vitamins, anti-oxidants, minerals and many other
protective ingredients, and are also low in calories.
Fruits are the matured ovaries of flowers, containing the
seeds for the next generation of plants. Many plants cunningly make
their fruits sweet, the better to attract animals like us to eat them and
disperse the seeds. Fruits are often delicious enough to eat out of
hand, but they can also be made into tarts, compotes, shakes,
juices, preserves, liqueurs, and many other things.
A nut in cuisine is a much less restrictive but vital. Any large,
oily kernel found within a shell and used in food may be regarded as
a nut. Because nuts generally have high oil content, they are a highly
prized food and energy source. A large number of seeds are edible
and used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, or roasted or deep fried in
oil for use as a snack food, or pressed for oil that is used in cookery.
11.2 VEGETABLES
The term "vegetable" generally refers to the succulent edible
part of a plant. The definition is traditional rather than scientific. It is
somewhat arbitrary and subjective, as it is determined by individual
cultural customs of cooking and food preparation.
Mushrooms, though belonging to the biological kingdom
Fungi, are also loosely considered as vegetables. In general,
vegetables are regarded by cooks as being most suitable for savory
or salted dishes, rather than sweet dishes, although there are many
exceptions, such as pumpkin pie, etc.
Vegetables are a catch-all category that includes many of the
edible parts of a plant, like stems, roots, flowers, and leaves. We
don't usually consider the fruits of a plant to be vegetables, except
for fruits that aren't very sweet. Tomatoes, squash, peppers,
eggplants, and beans, for example, are all fruits, but we usually refer
to them as vegetables.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Vegetables, Fruits
and Nuts
151
Nuts, seeds, grains, herbs, and spices are not normally
considered to be vegetables, even though they are all parts of
plants.
11.3 TYPES OF VEGETABLES
The market is flooded with different types of vegetables, each
belonging to a distinctive vegetable group. Availability of vegetables
also differ from season to season, as in what you can find in winter
season, that won't be available during summers in the temperate
countries. However, all types of vegetables may be available
throughout the year in tropic and sub-tropic countries. There are
some vegetables that can be eaten raw in the form of salad like
tomato, cucumber etc. And as it is said, variety is the spice of life; so
savor the taste of the distinctive types of veggies bestowed on us by
nature. Here is a list of different kinds of vegetables:
11.3.1 Root Vegetables
Root vegetables are rich in nutrients, low in fat and calories,
inexpensive and usually available throughout the year. Beyond that,
they have wildly varying characteristics. Radishes are pungent,
carrots sweet, beets earthy. Others, like parsnips, turnips, and
rutabagas, have more subtle flavors. Root vegetables will last
awhile in your pantry, and even longer in your refrigerator.
ROOT VEGETABLES
1 Beetroots
Beets have a distinctive earthy flavor
that's enhanced by roasting, but they
can also be steamed, microwaved, or
boiled. Varieties include the familiar red
beets, golden beets, white beets, and
chioggia, candy cane beets and Baby
beets.
2 Black radish
These large, pungent radishes have
black peels and white interiors, they can
be fashioned into attractive garnishes, or
they can be cooked like turnips. They
can also be served raw.
3 Carrot
Raw or cooked, carrots add sweetness
and color to stews, soups, stir-fries,
slaws, cakes, and crudité platters, plus
they're a great source of carotenoids
(Vitamin A).
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Food Production
and Patisserie - I
152
4 Daikon (pronounced DIE-kon)
Daikon is larger and milder than its
relative, the red radish. The Japanese
like to grate it and serve it with sushi or
sashimi, pickle it, stir-fry it, or slice it into
salads.
5 Radish
With their crisp texture and peppery
flavor, raw radishes are great in salads
and on crudité platters. They can also
be cut into attractive garnishes. Select
firm, fresh-looking radishes and store
them in your refrigerator for no more
than a week.
6 Turnip
Turnips can be roasted, boiled, steamed,
or stir-fried.
7 Rutabaga
(pronounced: roo-tuh-BAY-guh)
Rutabagas look like turnips, only they're
a bit larger and have a yellow
complexion.
8 Salsify (pronunced: SAL-suh-fee)
When cooked, salsify has the taste and
texture of an artichoke heart. There are
two types: white salsify a n d black
salsify. After peeling salsify, put it into
acidulated water right away to prevent it
from turning brown. Canned salsify is a
good substitute for fresh, but it's hard to
find.
9 Lotus root
Slices of the lotus root have a beautiful
pattern. The fresh version is available
sporadically; if not, the canned version is
almost as good. Rinse and drain before
using using the contents in the can.
10 Parsnip
These are like carrots, except that
they're cream-colored and never served
raw. Northern Europeans like to add
them to stews, but they can also be
puréed or served as a side dish.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Vegetables, Fruits
and Nuts
153
11.3.2 Tubers & Corms
Technically, tubers and corms are swollen underground
stems of plants. It is easier to think of them as the "family of potatolike
vegetables." They're used worldwide as a source of
carbohydrates, often taking a back seat to more flavorful and colorful
ingredients.
TUBERS & CORMS
1 Potato
Potatoes can be boiled, baked, fried,
microwaved, steamed, or roasted, with
or without their peels. They're often
paired with butter, sour cream, or oil, but
left to themselves they're quite low in
calories and loaded with nutrients.
2 Sweet potato
Sweet potatoes are quite versatile, but
they're most often baked, candied, or
made into pies. It's best not to boil
them, as they'll lose much of their
flavor. They are usually sweet to taste.
3 Topical yam
These firm, white-fleshed yams are
widely used in tropical countries.
They're somewhat bland and dry, so
they're often served with spicy sauces.
4 Arrowroot
The name arrowroot is more commonly
associated with a thickener that's made
from the plant. A fresh arrowroot tuber
looks like a small onion, only without the
layers. It should be peeled, and then it
can be boiled or stir-fried.
5 Cassava (pronounced kuh-SAH-vuh)
There's both a sweet and a bitter variety
of cassava. The sweet one can be eaten
raw, but the bitter one requires cooking
to destroy the harmful prussic acid it
contains. Cassava is a rich source of
industrial starch and energy rich animal
feed.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Food Production
and Patisserie - I
154
11.3.3 Stalk Vegetables
Edible plants whose stems are consumed like vegetables; the
leaves of some varieties are also edible.
STALK VEGETABLES
1 Asparagus
Asparagus has a wonderfully distinctive
flavor and a meaty texture. It's often
served as a side dish, after being
steamed or briefly boiled. These are
shoots that arise from underground
rhizomes. Two types of asparagus are
available commercially: white or green
asparagus and are expensive.
2 Bamboo shoots
These fresh shoots are boiled first to rid
them of hydrocyanic acid, a toxin that
causes cyanide poisoning. Canned
shoots are safer and more widely
available and used in salad dishes. It is
considered as a delicacy and is
expensive.
3 Celery
Raw celery is flavorful and wonderfully
crunchy, and it's a great vehicle for dips
or fillings like peanut butter or cream
cheese. Celery can also be sautéed and
used to flavor soups, stews, and
sauces. A bunch or stalk of celery
consists of a dozen or so individual ribs,
with the tender innermost ribs called the
celery heart.
4 Chinese celery
This has a stronger flavor than ordinary
celery, and it's often used in stir-fries
and soups.
5 Hearts of palm (palmitos)
These are peeled cabbage palm buds,
and they're terrific in salads or as a
vegetable side dish. Commercially
important source is pejibaye palm of the
Amazon basin. Very expensive. Usually
available in canned form.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Vegetables, Fruits
and Nuts
155
11.3.4 Bulbs
A bulb is an underground vertical shoot that has modified
leaves (or thickened leaf bases) that are used as food storage
organs by a dormant plant.
A bulb's leaf bases generally do not support leaves, but
contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse
conditions. The leaf bases may overlap and surround the center of
the bulb as with the onion. A modified stem forms the base of the
bulb, and plant growth occurs from this basal plate. Roots emerge
from the underside of the base, and new stems and leaves from the
upper side.
BULBS
1 Green onion
These are onions have small bulbs and
long green stalks. They're usually
eaten raw, but can also be grilled or
sautéd.
2 Leek
Leeks look like large green onions, and
they have a more complex onion flavor.
They're often cooked as a vegetable
side dish, or used in soups.
3 Spring onion
Some people use the name spring
onion as a synonym for green onion,
while others use it to refer to a green
onion with a partially formed bulb.
4 Ramps (Wild leek or Tennessee truffle)
These have a strong onion-garlic flavor
which tends to linger on the breath.
Despite their humble Appalachian
origins, ramps tend to be pricey and
are usually found in gourmet produce
markets. They're available from March
to June.
5 Dry Onions
There are two categories of dry onions:
storage onions and sweet onions.
Storage onions are low in water and
high in sulfur, so they store well and
are available year-round. Sweet onions
are usually available just from April to
August.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Food Production
and Patisserie - I
156
6 Boiling onion
These are small versions of yellow,
white, or red onions. They're up to two
inches in diameter, and usually cooked
whole.
7 Shallot
They have a more delicate, garlicky
flavor than other cooking onions, and
are a common ingredient in French
sauces. Many people find them too hot
to eat raw.
8 Sweet onion
These onions are mild and crisp, so
they're the onions of choice for slicing
raw on burgers and sandwiches. They
can be lightly cooked, too, though
they're not as pungent and flavorful as
storage onions. There are several
different varieties, often named after
the region in which they're grown.
9 White Onion
These popular cooking onions are
often called for in Hispanic dishes,
since they have a cleaner, more tangy
flavor than yellow onions.
10 Garlic
Almost every cuisine on our planet has
found an important role for garlic.
Europeans mince it raw and add it to
salad dressings, or sauté it and use it
to flavor their sauces. Asian cooks add
it to to their stir-fries; Indian cooks to
their curries; Hispanic cooks to meats
and vegetables. Americans have lately
taken a fancy to roasting whole bulbs,
and then spreading the garlic like a soft
cheese on bread or crackers.
11 Elephant Garlic
This looks like an overgrown garlic, but
it's more closely related to a leek. It's
much milder than ordinary garlic, so it's
a good choice if you want to impart the
flavor of garlic to a delicately flavored
dish. It's often sold in a mesh stocking
to keep the cloves together.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Vegetables, Fruits
and Nuts
157
11.3.5 Salad Greens
A variety of green leaves are used exclusively for salads.
The salad greens popularly used are discussed below:
SALAD GREENS
1 Lettuce
These are mild salad greens that are
always served fresh, either in salads or
as garnishes. There are four basic
categories: iceberg lettuce, leaf lettuce,
butterhead lettuce, and romaine lettuce,
Lettuce leaves are very crisp and low in
calorie.
2 Lollo rosso
This mild, tender lettuce has ruffled red
edges.
3 Radicchio
(pronounced: rah-DEEK-ee-oh)
With its beautiful coloring and slightly
bitter flavor, radicchio is wonderful when
combined with other salad greens.
4 Red mustard
This has a pungent, peppery flavor that
adds zip to salads.
5 Mizuna (spider mustard)
Mizuna has tender leaves and a
pleasant, peppery flavor.
6 Escarole (Batavian endive)
Escarole has sturdy leaves and a slightly
bitter flavor. Young escarole leaves are
tender enough to add to salads,
otherwise escarole is best cooked as a
side dish or used in soups.
7 Spring salad mix
This is a mix of different young salad
greens. Commercial mixes usually
include arugula, mizuna, tat soi, frisee,
oakleaf, red chard, radicchio, mustard
greens, and radicchio.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Food Production
and Patisserie - I
158
11.3.6 Cooking Greens
Green leaves which are used for cooking are discussed
below:
COOKING GREENS
1 Spinach
Spinach is packed with nutrients, and it's
quite versatile. You can toss it raw into
salads, or cook it briefly to make a side
dish or soup. Of the two main varieties,
smooth leaf spinach or flat leaf spinach
or salad spinach is more delicate and
better suited to salads than curly leaf
spinach. Some spinach are succulent
and are slightly muciagenous.
2 Water spinach (Swamp spinach)
This cooking green is very common in
the Philippines. Some varieties have
purple stems.
3 Mustard greens
There are red and green varieties, and
both have a peppery bite. If the greens
are too pungent they are tammed by
blanching them in salted water.
4 Callaloo
These huge leaves are about a foot and
a half long, and they're a popular
vegetable among Pacific islanders and
some Asians
5 Broccoli raab
This is slightly bitter cooking green. It's
best to just eat the florets and leaves;
the stems are quite bitter.
6 Chrysanthemum leaves
This Asian potherb is used to flavor
salads, soups, sukiyaki and other
dishes. The leaves are usually blanched
briefly to soften them and deepen their
color, but young leaves can be served
raw.
7 Kale
Kale is a kind of cabbage with dark
green, wrinkled leaves. It's prized more
for its hardiness than its flavor or
delicacy.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Vegetables, Fruits
and Nuts
159
11.3.7 Inflorescent Vegetables
Inflorescent vegetables are those vegetables whose flowers
or flower buds of edible plants. Some commonly used inflorescent
vegetables given are below.
INFLORESCENT VEGETABLES
1 Artichoke
Artichokes are the unopened flowers
and stems of a kind of thistle. At the
center is the heart, the choicest portion
of the artichoke, covered by the choke, a
hairy pad that should be peeled off and
discarded. Their peak season is early
summer.
2 Banana blossom
These are popular in Southeast Asia and
India, where they're boiled in water or
coconut milk, then eaten like artichokes.
3 Broccoflower
This is a green variety of cauliflower.
4 Broccoli (pronounced: BRAHK-uh-lee)
Broccoli is tasty, good for health and
easy to cook. The florets can be
steamed or boiled and served as a side
dish, or served raw on a crudité platter,
or stir-fried. The stems are good, too,
but you should peel them first and cook
them a little longer.
5 Broccoli Romanesco
This is similar to broccoli, but its florets
resemble pine cones. It's especially
good raw.
6 Cauliflower
Cauliflower florets often wind up in
soups, or as a side dish smothered with
a cheese sauce, or served raw on a
crudité platter. Select heads that are
heavy for their size. When cauliflower
pieces are placed in hot water, all the
worms present in the head will come out.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Food Production
and Patisserie - I
160
11.3.8 Cabbages
The many varieties of cabbage can be widely dissimilar, but
most have a short, broad stem and leaves or flowers that form a
compact head. The most common cabbages are green and red
cabbage, collards, kohlrabi, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower,
and kale. They're loaded with vitamin C, fiber, and possibly cancerfighting
compounds to boot.
CABBAGES
1 Green cabbage
Cabbage is quite versatile. You can cut
it into chunks, boil it, and serve it with
corned beef or other fatty meats. You
can also use cooked leaves as wrappers
for meat fillings, or shred raw ones for
cole slaw. Select heavy heads of
cabbage that have shiny leaves.
2 Napa cabbage (michihli)
Like bok choy, napa cabbage is a
common ingredient in Asian stir-fries. It
can also be used as a milder and more
delicate alternative to green cabbage in
slaws and other recipes.
3 Red cabbage
Red cabbage tastes just like green
cabbage, so your choice between them
depends largely on which color you
prefer. One problem with red cabbage,
though, is that the color tends to bleed
and discolor surrounding foods.
4 Savoy Cabbage
Savoy cabbage is like ordinary cabbage,
but with a milder flavor. It can often be
used in place of green cabbage, and
your dish will probably be the better for
it.
5 Brussels sprouts
These look like small cabbages, and
they're most often boiled or steamed and
served as a side dish. They have a
rather strong flavor, so it's best not to
pair them with anything that's delicately
flavored.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Vegetables, Fruits
and Nuts
161
11.3.9 Ginger and Other Rhizomes
Rhizomes are knobby underground stems that have pungent
and flavorful flesh. Ginger is the most familiar example, other
rhizomes include turmeric, galangal, lesser galangal, and
fingerroot.
RHIZOMES
1 Ginger root
With its sweet yet pungent flavor, ginger
has become a mainstay of many of the
world's cuisines. European cooks like to
use dried, ground ginger (called sukku in
Tamil) to flavor gingerbread and other
baked goods. Asian and Indian cooks
prefer their ginger fresh, and they use it
in spicy sauces and stir-fries.
2 Turmeric (yellow ginger)
Turmeric has a pungent flavor, but it's
more widely known for it's brilliant yellow
color. You can find fresh roots in
Southeast Asian and Indian markets, but
dried ground turmeric is far more
commonly used. It is also said to have
anti-septic properties.
3 Galangal
It is similar to ginger. It's sold fresh,
frozen, dried, or powdered, but use the
dried or powdered versions only in a
pinch.
4 Fingerroot
This ginger relative is popular in
Thailand. It resembles long fingers
jutting from a hand.
11.3.10 Fruit Vegetables
We don't usually consider the fruits of a plant to be
vegetables, except for fruits that aren't very sweet. Tomatoes,
squash, peppers, eggplants, and beans, for example, are all fruits,
but we usually refer to them as vegetables.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Food Production
and Patisserie - I
162
FRUIT VEGETABLES
1 Tomato
With their rich flavor and mild acidity,
tomatoes have worked their way into
thousands of recipes. Summertime is
the the best season for tomatoes; those
sold at other times of the year are often
bland.
3 Eggplants (brinjal or patlican)
This is a spongy, mild-tasting vegetable
that's meaty yet low in calories. It's
never eaten raw, but it can be baked,
grilled, or sautéed. The best eggplants
are firm and shiny eggplants with
unbroken skin. Eggplants have fewer
seeds, which are less bitter.
4 Winter squash
They come in many sizes and shapes,
but all have hard outer rinds that
surround sweet, often orange flesh.
They're usually baked or steamed, and
then sometimes puréed. Select squash
that are heavy for their size. Varieties of
winter squash are Pumpkin, spaghetti
squash, sweet dumpling squash, etc.
6 Asian squash (bitter guard)
This bitter vegetable is believed to have
medicinal properties and is widely used
throughout Asia. Varieties are bitter
melon, balsam pear, Chinese okra, silk
squash, silk melon fuzzy melon, hairy
melon, hairy cucumber, Indian bitter
melon, winter melon, etc.
7 Cucumber (cuke)
These gourd relatives are crisp, cool,
and juicy. A slicing cucumber is usually
served raw in salads, sandwiches,
drinks, sushi, and hors d'oeuvres to add
crunch
8 Fresh chile peppers
Fresh chile peppers include ancho chile,
poblano pepper (fresh), banana chile,
bird cherry pepper, Thai chili, California
green chile, California red chile,
Anaheim chile, caloro and caribe.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Vegetables, Fruits
and Nuts
163
11.3.11 Other Vegetables
OTHER VEGETABLES
1 Mushrooms
Markets stock a variety of cultivated
mushrooms, but many people prefer wild
mushrooms, which are often more
flavorful. Dried mushrooms are often
excellent substitutes for fresh
2 Sprouts
Sprouts are newly germinated peas and
beans. There are many varieties,
ranging from mild and crunchy mung
bean sprouts to spicy and delicate radish
sprouts. Raw sprouts are great in
salads and sandwiches, and the sturdier
varieties can also be stir-fried briefly.
"Eat your fruits and vegetables" is one of the tried and true
recommendations for a healthy diet. Increasing consumption of fruit
and vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of many chronic
diseases.
Any herbaceous plant or plant part which is regularly eaten
as food by humans would normally be considered to be a vegetable.
Vegetables are very often eaten cooked. Some, such as potato, are
never eaten raw, but many such as carrots, bell peppers and celery
are quite commonly eaten either raw or cooked.
Vegetables are brimming and overflowing with fibre, and also
a whole range of vitamins, anti-oxidants, minerals and many other
protective ingredients, and are also low in calories.
Fruits are the matured ovaries of flowers, containing the
seeds for the next generation of plants. Many plants cunningly make
their fruits sweet, the better to attract animals like us to eat them and
disperse the seeds. Fruits are often delicious enough to eat out of
hand, but they can also be made into tarts, compotes, shakes,
juices, preserves, liqueurs, and many other things.
A nut in cuisine is a much less restrictive but vital. Any large,
oily kernel found within a shell and used in food may be regarded as
a nut. Because nuts generally have high oil content, they are a highly
prized food and energy source. A large number of seeds are edible
and used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, or roasted or deep fried in
oil for use as a snack food, or pressed for oil that is used in cookery.
11.2 VEGETABLES
The term "vegetable" generally refers to the succulent edible
part of a plant. The definition is traditional rather than scientific. It is
somewhat arbitrary and subjective, as it is determined by individual
cultural customs of cooking and food preparation.
Mushrooms, though belonging to the biological kingdom
Fungi, are also loosely considered as vegetables. In general,
vegetables are regarded by cooks as being most suitable for savory
or salted dishes, rather than sweet dishes, although there are many
exceptions, such as pumpkin pie, etc.
Vegetables are a catch-all category that includes many of the
edible parts of a plant, like stems, roots, flowers, and leaves. We
don't usually consider the fruits of a plant to be vegetables, except
for fruits that aren't very sweet. Tomatoes, squash, peppers,
eggplants, and beans, for example, are all fruits, but we usually refer
to them as vegetables.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Vegetables, Fruits
and Nuts
151
Nuts, seeds, grains, herbs, and spices are not normally
considered to be vegetables, even though they are all parts of
plants.
11.3 TYPES OF VEGETABLES
The market is flooded with different types of vegetables, each
belonging to a distinctive vegetable group. Availability of vegetables
also differ from season to season, as in what you can find in winter
season, that won't be available during summers in the temperate
countries. However, all types of vegetables may be available
throughout the year in tropic and sub-tropic countries. There are
some vegetables that can be eaten raw in the form of salad like
tomato, cucumber etc. And as it is said, variety is the spice of life; so
savor the taste of the distinctive types of veggies bestowed on us by
nature. Here is a list of different kinds of vegetables:
11.3.1 Root Vegetables
Root vegetables are rich in nutrients, low in fat and calories,
inexpensive and usually available throughout the year. Beyond that,
they have wildly varying characteristics. Radishes are pungent,
carrots sweet, beets earthy. Others, like parsnips, turnips, and
rutabagas, have more subtle flavors. Root vegetables will last
awhile in your pantry, and even longer in your refrigerator.
ROOT VEGETABLES
1 Beetroots
Beets have a distinctive earthy flavor
that's enhanced by roasting, but they
can also be steamed, microwaved, or
boiled. Varieties include the familiar red
beets, golden beets, white beets, and
chioggia, candy cane beets and Baby
beets.
2 Black radish
These large, pungent radishes have
black peels and white interiors, they can
be fashioned into attractive garnishes, or
they can be cooked like turnips. They
can also be served raw.
3 Carrot
Raw or cooked, carrots add sweetness
and color to stews, soups, stir-fries,
slaws, cakes, and crudité platters, plus
they're a great source of carotenoids
(Vitamin A).
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Food Production
and Patisserie - I
152
4 Daikon (pronounced DIE-kon)
Daikon is larger and milder than its
relative, the red radish. The Japanese
like to grate it and serve it with sushi or
sashimi, pickle it, stir-fry it, or slice it into
salads.
5 Radish
With their crisp texture and peppery
flavor, raw radishes are great in salads
and on crudité platters. They can also
be cut into attractive garnishes. Select
firm, fresh-looking radishes and store
them in your refrigerator for no more
than a week.
6 Turnip
Turnips can be roasted, boiled, steamed,
or stir-fried.
7 Rutabaga
(pronounced: roo-tuh-BAY-guh)
Rutabagas look like turnips, only they're
a bit larger and have a yellow
complexion.
8 Salsify (pronunced: SAL-suh-fee)
When cooked, salsify has the taste and
texture of an artichoke heart. There are
two types: white salsify a n d black
salsify. After peeling salsify, put it into
acidulated water right away to prevent it
from turning brown. Canned salsify is a
good substitute for fresh, but it's hard to
find.
9 Lotus root
Slices of the lotus root have a beautiful
pattern. The fresh version is available
sporadically; if not, the canned version is
almost as good. Rinse and drain before
using using the contents in the can.
10 Parsnip
These are like carrots, except that
they're cream-colored and never served
raw. Northern Europeans like to add
them to stews, but they can also be
puréed or served as a side dish.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Vegetables, Fruits
and Nuts
153
11.3.2 Tubers & Corms
Technically, tubers and corms are swollen underground
stems of plants. It is easier to think of them as the "family of potatolike
vegetables." They're used worldwide as a source of
carbohydrates, often taking a back seat to more flavorful and colorful
ingredients.
TUBERS & CORMS
1 Potato
Potatoes can be boiled, baked, fried,
microwaved, steamed, or roasted, with
or without their peels. They're often
paired with butter, sour cream, or oil, but
left to themselves they're quite low in
calories and loaded with nutrients.
2 Sweet potato
Sweet potatoes are quite versatile, but
they're most often baked, candied, or
made into pies. It's best not to boil
them, as they'll lose much of their
flavor. They are usually sweet to taste.
3 Topical yam
These firm, white-fleshed yams are
widely used in tropical countries.
They're somewhat bland and dry, so
they're often served with spicy sauces.
4 Arrowroot
The name arrowroot is more commonly
associated with a thickener that's made
from the plant. A fresh arrowroot tuber
looks like a small onion, only without the
layers. It should be peeled, and then it
can be boiled or stir-fried.
5 Cassava (pronounced kuh-SAH-vuh)
There's both a sweet and a bitter variety
of cassava. The sweet one can be eaten
raw, but the bitter one requires cooking
to destroy the harmful prussic acid it
contains. Cassava is a rich source of
industrial starch and energy rich animal
feed.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Food Production
and Patisserie - I
154
11.3.3 Stalk Vegetables
Edible plants whose stems are consumed like vegetables; the
leaves of some varieties are also edible.
STALK VEGETABLES
1 Asparagus
Asparagus has a wonderfully distinctive
flavor and a meaty texture. It's often
served as a side dish, after being
steamed or briefly boiled. These are
shoots that arise from underground
rhizomes. Two types of asparagus are
available commercially: white or green
asparagus and are expensive.
2 Bamboo shoots
These fresh shoots are boiled first to rid
them of hydrocyanic acid, a toxin that
causes cyanide poisoning. Canned
shoots are safer and more widely
available and used in salad dishes. It is
considered as a delicacy and is
expensive.
3 Celery
Raw celery is flavorful and wonderfully
crunchy, and it's a great vehicle for dips
or fillings like peanut butter or cream
cheese. Celery can also be sautéed and
used to flavor soups, stews, and
sauces. A bunch or stalk of celery
consists of a dozen or so individual ribs,
with the tender innermost ribs called the
celery heart.
4 Chinese celery
This has a stronger flavor than ordinary
celery, and it's often used in stir-fries
and soups.
5 Hearts of palm (palmitos)
These are peeled cabbage palm buds,
and they're terrific in salads or as a
vegetable side dish. Commercially
important source is pejibaye palm of the
Amazon basin. Very expensive. Usually
available in canned form.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Vegetables, Fruits
and Nuts
155
11.3.4 Bulbs
A bulb is an underground vertical shoot that has modified
leaves (or thickened leaf bases) that are used as food storage
organs by a dormant plant.
A bulb's leaf bases generally do not support leaves, but
contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse
conditions. The leaf bases may overlap and surround the center of
the bulb as with the onion. A modified stem forms the base of the
bulb, and plant growth occurs from this basal plate. Roots emerge
from the underside of the base, and new stems and leaves from the
upper side.
BULBS
1 Green onion
These are onions have small bulbs and
long green stalks. They're usually
eaten raw, but can also be grilled or
sautéd.
2 Leek
Leeks look like large green onions, and
they have a more complex onion flavor.
They're often cooked as a vegetable
side dish, or used in soups.
3 Spring onion
Some people use the name spring
onion as a synonym for green onion,
while others use it to refer to a green
onion with a partially formed bulb.
4 Ramps (Wild leek or Tennessee truffle)
These have a strong onion-garlic flavor
which tends to linger on the breath.
Despite their humble Appalachian
origins, ramps tend to be pricey and
are usually found in gourmet produce
markets. They're available from March
to June.
5 Dry Onions
There are two categories of dry onions:
storage onions and sweet onions.
Storage onions are low in water and
high in sulfur, so they store well and
are available year-round. Sweet onions
are usually available just from April to
August.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Food Production
and Patisserie - I
156
6 Boiling onion
These are small versions of yellow,
white, or red onions. They're up to two
inches in diameter, and usually cooked
whole.
7 Shallot
They have a more delicate, garlicky
flavor than other cooking onions, and
are a common ingredient in French
sauces. Many people find them too hot
to eat raw.
8 Sweet onion
These onions are mild and crisp, so
they're the onions of choice for slicing
raw on burgers and sandwiches. They
can be lightly cooked, too, though
they're not as pungent and flavorful as
storage onions. There are several
different varieties, often named after
the region in which they're grown.
9 White Onion
These popular cooking onions are
often called for in Hispanic dishes,
since they have a cleaner, more tangy
flavor than yellow onions.
10 Garlic
Almost every cuisine on our planet has
found an important role for garlic.
Europeans mince it raw and add it to
salad dressings, or sauté it and use it
to flavor their sauces. Asian cooks add
it to to their stir-fries; Indian cooks to
their curries; Hispanic cooks to meats
and vegetables. Americans have lately
taken a fancy to roasting whole bulbs,
and then spreading the garlic like a soft
cheese on bread or crackers.
11 Elephant Garlic
This looks like an overgrown garlic, but
it's more closely related to a leek. It's
much milder than ordinary garlic, so it's
a good choice if you want to impart the
flavor of garlic to a delicately flavored
dish. It's often sold in a mesh stocking
to keep the cloves together.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Vegetables, Fruits
and Nuts
157
11.3.5 Salad Greens
A variety of green leaves are used exclusively for salads.
The salad greens popularly used are discussed below:
SALAD GREENS
1 Lettuce
These are mild salad greens that are
always served fresh, either in salads or
as garnishes. There are four basic
categories: iceberg lettuce, leaf lettuce,
butterhead lettuce, and romaine lettuce,
Lettuce leaves are very crisp and low in
calorie.
2 Lollo rosso
This mild, tender lettuce has ruffled red
edges.
3 Radicchio
(pronounced: rah-DEEK-ee-oh)
With its beautiful coloring and slightly
bitter flavor, radicchio is wonderful when
combined with other salad greens.
4 Red mustard
This has a pungent, peppery flavor that
adds zip to salads.
5 Mizuna (spider mustard)
Mizuna has tender leaves and a
pleasant, peppery flavor.
6 Escarole (Batavian endive)
Escarole has sturdy leaves and a slightly
bitter flavor. Young escarole leaves are
tender enough to add to salads,
otherwise escarole is best cooked as a
side dish or used in soups.
7 Spring salad mix
This is a mix of different young salad
greens. Commercial mixes usually
include arugula, mizuna, tat soi, frisee,
oakleaf, red chard, radicchio, mustard
greens, and radicchio.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Food Production
and Patisserie - I
158
11.3.6 Cooking Greens
Green leaves which are used for cooking are discussed
below:
COOKING GREENS
1 Spinach
Spinach is packed with nutrients, and it's
quite versatile. You can toss it raw into
salads, or cook it briefly to make a side
dish or soup. Of the two main varieties,
smooth leaf spinach or flat leaf spinach
or salad spinach is more delicate and
better suited to salads than curly leaf
spinach. Some spinach are succulent
and are slightly muciagenous.
2 Water spinach (Swamp spinach)
This cooking green is very common in
the Philippines. Some varieties have
purple stems.
3 Mustard greens
There are red and green varieties, and
both have a peppery bite. If the greens
are too pungent they are tammed by
blanching them in salted water.
4 Callaloo
These huge leaves are about a foot and
a half long, and they're a popular
vegetable among Pacific islanders and
some Asians
5 Broccoli raab
This is slightly bitter cooking green. It's
best to just eat the florets and leaves;
the stems are quite bitter.
6 Chrysanthemum leaves
This Asian potherb is used to flavor
salads, soups, sukiyaki and other
dishes. The leaves are usually blanched
briefly to soften them and deepen their
color, but young leaves can be served
raw.
7 Kale
Kale is a kind of cabbage with dark
green, wrinkled leaves. It's prized more
for its hardiness than its flavor or
delicacy.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Vegetables, Fruits
and Nuts
159
11.3.7 Inflorescent Vegetables
Inflorescent vegetables are those vegetables whose flowers
or flower buds of edible plants. Some commonly used inflorescent
vegetables given are below.
INFLORESCENT VEGETABLES
1 Artichoke
Artichokes are the unopened flowers
and stems of a kind of thistle. At the
center is the heart, the choicest portion
of the artichoke, covered by the choke, a
hairy pad that should be peeled off and
discarded. Their peak season is early
summer.
2 Banana blossom
These are popular in Southeast Asia and
India, where they're boiled in water or
coconut milk, then eaten like artichokes.
3 Broccoflower
This is a green variety of cauliflower.
4 Broccoli (pronounced: BRAHK-uh-lee)
Broccoli is tasty, good for health and
easy to cook. The florets can be
steamed or boiled and served as a side
dish, or served raw on a crudité platter,
or stir-fried. The stems are good, too,
but you should peel them first and cook
them a little longer.
5 Broccoli Romanesco
This is similar to broccoli, but its florets
resemble pine cones. It's especially
good raw.
6 Cauliflower
Cauliflower florets often wind up in
soups, or as a side dish smothered with
a cheese sauce, or served raw on a
crudité platter. Select heads that are
heavy for their size. When cauliflower
pieces are placed in hot water, all the
worms present in the head will come out.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Food Production
and Patisserie - I
160
11.3.8 Cabbages
The many varieties of cabbage can be widely dissimilar, but
most have a short, broad stem and leaves or flowers that form a
compact head. The most common cabbages are green and red
cabbage, collards, kohlrabi, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower,
and kale. They're loaded with vitamin C, fiber, and possibly cancerfighting
compounds to boot.
CABBAGES
1 Green cabbage
Cabbage is quite versatile. You can cut
it into chunks, boil it, and serve it with
corned beef or other fatty meats. You
can also use cooked leaves as wrappers
for meat fillings, or shred raw ones for
cole slaw. Select heavy heads of
cabbage that have shiny leaves.
2 Napa cabbage (michihli)
Like bok choy, napa cabbage is a
common ingredient in Asian stir-fries. It
can also be used as a milder and more
delicate alternative to green cabbage in
slaws and other recipes.
3 Red cabbage
Red cabbage tastes just like green
cabbage, so your choice between them
depends largely on which color you
prefer. One problem with red cabbage,
though, is that the color tends to bleed
and discolor surrounding foods.
4 Savoy Cabbage
Savoy cabbage is like ordinary cabbage,
but with a milder flavor. It can often be
used in place of green cabbage, and
your dish will probably be the better for
it.
5 Brussels sprouts
These look like small cabbages, and
they're most often boiled or steamed and
served as a side dish. They have a
rather strong flavor, so it's best not to
pair them with anything that's delicately
flavored.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Vegetables, Fruits
and Nuts
161
11.3.9 Ginger and Other Rhizomes
Rhizomes are knobby underground stems that have pungent
and flavorful flesh. Ginger is the most familiar example, other
rhizomes include turmeric, galangal, lesser galangal, and
fingerroot.
RHIZOMES
1 Ginger root
With its sweet yet pungent flavor, ginger
has become a mainstay of many of the
world's cuisines. European cooks like to
use dried, ground ginger (called sukku in
Tamil) to flavor gingerbread and other
baked goods. Asian and Indian cooks
prefer their ginger fresh, and they use it
in spicy sauces and stir-fries.
2 Turmeric (yellow ginger)
Turmeric has a pungent flavor, but it's
more widely known for it's brilliant yellow
color. You can find fresh roots in
Southeast Asian and Indian markets, but
dried ground turmeric is far more
commonly used. It is also said to have
anti-septic properties.
3 Galangal
It is similar to ginger. It's sold fresh,
frozen, dried, or powdered, but use the
dried or powdered versions only in a
pinch.
4 Fingerroot
This ginger relative is popular in
Thailand. It resembles long fingers
jutting from a hand.
11.3.10 Fruit Vegetables
We don't usually consider the fruits of a plant to be
vegetables, except for fruits that aren't very sweet. Tomatoes,
squash, peppers, eggplants, and beans, for example, are all fruits,
but we usually refer to them as vegetables.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Food Production
and Patisserie - I
162
FRUIT VEGETABLES
1 Tomato
With their rich flavor and mild acidity,
tomatoes have worked their way into
thousands of recipes. Summertime is
the the best season for tomatoes; those
sold at other times of the year are often
bland.
3 Eggplants (brinjal or patlican)
This is a spongy, mild-tasting vegetable
that's meaty yet low in calories. It's
never eaten raw, but it can be baked,
grilled, or sautéed. The best eggplants
are firm and shiny eggplants with
unbroken skin. Eggplants have fewer
seeds, which are less bitter.
4 Winter squash
They come in many sizes and shapes,
but all have hard outer rinds that
surround sweet, often orange flesh.
They're usually baked or steamed, and
then sometimes puréed. Select squash
that are heavy for their size. Varieties of
winter squash are Pumpkin, spaghetti
squash, sweet dumpling squash, etc.
6 Asian squash (bitter guard)
This bitter vegetable is believed to have
medicinal properties and is widely used
throughout Asia. Varieties are bitter
melon, balsam pear, Chinese okra, silk
squash, silk melon fuzzy melon, hairy
melon, hairy cucumber, Indian bitter
melon, winter melon, etc.
7 Cucumber (cuke)
These gourd relatives are crisp, cool,
and juicy. A slicing cucumber is usually
served raw in salads, sandwiches,
drinks, sushi, and hors d'oeuvres to add
crunch
8 Fresh chile peppers
Fresh chile peppers include ancho chile,
poblano pepper (fresh), banana chile,
bird cherry pepper, Thai chili, California
green chile, California red chile,
Anaheim chile, caloro and caribe.
This watermark does not appear in the registered version - http://www.clicktoconvert.com
Vegetables, Fruits
and Nuts
163
11.3.11 Other Vegetables
OTHER VEGETABLES
1 Mushrooms
Markets stock a variety of cultivated
mushrooms, but many people prefer wild
mushrooms, which are often more
flavorful. Dried mushrooms are often
excellent substitutes for fresh
2 Sprouts
Sprouts are newly germinated peas and
beans. There are many varieties,
ranging from mild and crunchy mung
bean sprouts to spicy and delicate radish
sprouts. Raw sprouts are great in
salads and sandwiches, and the sturdier
varieties can also be stir-fried briefly.
