Vegetable Facts

Refers to any herbacious plant that can be partial

ly or wholly eaten.
Portions we eat include leaves, stems, roots, tub
ers, seeds & flowers.
Vegetables contain more starch and less sugar th
an fruits. That is why veggies tend to be savory, not
sweet.
Unlike fruits, vegetables are most often eaten coo
ked, not raw.
 9 Categories

1. Cabbages
2. Fruit-Vegetables
3. Gourds & Squashes
4. Greens
5. Mushrooms & Truffles
6. Onions
7. Pods & Seeds
8. Roots & Tubers
9. Stalks
 Types Include:
Bok Choy
Brassica or cabbage family, use Broccoli
d for their heads, flowers or lea
ves.
Brussels Sprouts
Quick growing, cool-weather cr Cauliflower
Head Cabbages
ops.
Inexpensive & easy to prepare.
Kale
Kohlrabi
Savoy
 Bok Choy: Also pok choy, white stemmed v
ariety of southern Chinese Cabbage.
Description: Tightly packed leaves are dark
green, with long white ribs attached at a bul
bous stem. Stalks are crisp and mild with a f
lavor similar to romaine lettuce.
Uses: most often stir fried or used in soups.
Select: choose bright white stalks and dark
green leaves, avoid brown, moist spots.
Available: All year round

Broccoli: a type of flower, has a thick centr

Bok Choy al stalk with grayish leaves topped with mor
e heads of green florets.
Uses: Can be eaten raw or steamed, micro
waved or sauted and served warm or cold.
Benefit from blanching. Stems are used for
slow-cooked for soups. Leaves are not use
d.
Select: Choose firm stalks with compact clu
Broccoli sters of tightly closed dark green florets. Av
oid stalks w/ yellowish flowers. Available all
year round.
 Brussels Sprouts: cultivated around 170
0. Numerous small heads arranged in r
ows along a thick stalk. Similar to baby
cabbage.
Uses: steamed, roasted, sauted & blan
ched. Nutty flavor pairs well with game,
ham, duck or rich meats.
Select: 1 in diameter. Should
be bright green & free of blemishes.
Season: September February

Cauliflower: king of the cabbage family.

Each stalk produces one flower or head
surrounded by large green leaves.
Brussels sprouts Uses: Steamed, grilled, gratin & sauteed

Select: Firm compact heads. Any attach

ed leaves should be bright green and cr
isp. A yellow color or spreading florets i
ndicate that the vegetable is overly mat
ure.

Season: Available all year round. Best fr

om fall through spring.
Cauliflower
 Head Cabbages: has been a staple of
northern European cuisine for centurie
s. Has a large head with tightly packed
pale green leaves. Flat & coned shape
s = avail.
Uses: eaten raw or in soups & stews;
braised, steamed or stir-fried. Leaves c
an be steamed until soft, then wrappe
d around a filling of seasoned meat.
Select: heads w/o dried cores.
Season: Available all year.

Kale: has a large ruffled, curly or bum

py leaves. Its rather bitter flavor goes
well with rich meats such as game, po
rk or ham.
Green & Red Cabbage
Uses: Boiled, stuffed or used in soups

Select: choose leaves that are crisp, w/

grayish-green color.

Season: Available all year round. Peak

season during the winter months.

Facts: Ornamental or flowering kale, so

metimes marketed as savoy & edible
Kale .
 Botanists classify avocados, eggplants,
peppers & tomatoes as fruits b/c they
develop from the ovary of flowering pl
ants & contain more seeds.
Chefs prepare like vegetables.
Step 1: Cut the avocado in
lengthwise. Separate the 2
halves with a twisting motio
n

Step 2: Insert a chef knife int

o the pit and twist & remov
e.

Step 3: Scoop out the flesh

with a large spoon
 Eggplants are filled w/ cells that cont
ain water & are surrounded by tiny ai
r pockets.
Heat will squeeze the air out of the p
ockets.
If the eggplant has not been salted, o
il is free to seep into these pockets &
eggplant becomes soggy when fried.
When the eggplant is sprinkled w/ sal
t, it draws the water out of the cells.
The cells collapse, which makes the p
ockets collapse. As a result no air can
seep into the tiny pockets during the
frying process.
Salt slices over paper towel and let th
e water continue to drain for 30 minu
tes. Can grill, saut, bake or fry
 Members of the capsic
um family.
Chile peppers get their
heat from capsaicin, w
hich is found in the se
eds & placental ribs.
Smaller, hotter it is
Demonstrate Julienne,
peppers & de-rib hots
Can be baked or saut
ed
 Step 1: Roast the pep
per over an open fla
me until completely c
harred.
Step 2: Place the pep
per in a plastic bag or
in a bowl covered in
plastic to sweat for a
few min., then remov
e the skin w/ your pa
ring knife by scraping
the skin & seeds.
1: With a paring knife, mark
an x on the bottom of th
e tomato just deep enoug
h to penetrate the skin.
2: Blanch the tomato in boili
ng water for 20 sec; refre
sh the ice water.
3: Using a paring knife, cut
out the core and peel the
tomato.
4: cut the tomato in horiz
ontally and spoon out the
seeds & juice.
5: Chop or dice the tomato
as desired for the recipe.
 The gourd family includes
750 species; found in warm
regions worldwide.
Large root systems, w/ quic
k growing trailing vines & l
arge leaves.
Flowers are often attractive
and edible.
Squashes are classified by
winter or summer. Filled w
/ many seeds. Eaten raw,
dipped in batter and deep-
fried or filled w/ cheese or
meat & baked.
 Chayote: known as the merliton or veg
etable pear, staple throughout central A
merica.
Description: Light green skin and paler
green flesh. Single white edible seed i
n the center. Starchy and very bland us
ually combined w/ flavorful ingredients.
Uses: eaten raw, flavor and texture ben
efit from roasting, steaming, sauting o
r grilling.
Select: have a well colored skin w/ few
ridges. Avoid soft spots or bruises.
Season: late fall and winter

Cucumbers: 2 categories; pickling & sli

Chayote cing. Both are not interchangeable. Pi
ckling = bitter
Uses: eaten raw, in salads or mixed w/
yogurt and dill mint & great w/ spicy d
ishes b/c of refreshing quality.
Select: choose firm but not hard. Avoi
d limp or yellowed or have soft spots.

Season: Available all year round, peak s

Cucumbers eason = April through October.
 Butternut Squash

Banana Squash
Winter Squashes: include acorn, banan
a, butternut, Hubbard, pumpkin & spag
hetti
Description: They have hard skins and
seeds, neither of which are generally ea
ten. Flesh is removed before or after c
ooking, tends to be sweeter and more
strongly flavored than the summer squ
ash.

Uses: rarely eaten raw, baked, roasting,

steaming, sauting or pureed for soups
or fillings.
Acorn Squash
Season: October through March
 Yellow Squash

Summer Squashes: includes patty pan,

Zucchini yellow crookneck and zucchini varieties.
Description: They have soft edible skin
s.

Uses: can be eaten raw, suitable for gril

ling, steaming, sauting or baking.
Season: Available all year round. Peak
season is April through September.

Patty pan Squash

 Refers to a variety of Have an extremely high
water content, which me
leafy green vegetable ans cooking causes drast
s that may be served ic shrinkage.
raw, but are rarely co Rule allow 8 oz (250g) p
er portion before cookin
oked. g.
Greens have been lo Choose tender greens wi
th a good color and no l
ng used in India, Asia impness. Avoid dry or y
& the Mediterranean ellow leaves.
& important part of r Available all year. Best i
n November through Ju
egional cuisine in So ne.
uthern United States
 Sorrel

Mustard greens Spinach Swiss chard

Mushrooms & Truffles
Mushrooms
Lgst. Cultivated mushroom is the p
ortabella, which are an overgrown c
rimini
Wild mushrooms are gathered and
sold by specialty purveyors. They a
re spread around the world throug
h air currents, the same item may b
e found in several areas
Mushrooms are cultivated or gathe
red from the wild have a stronger e
arthy or nutty flavor than cultivate
d, and should be cooked before eat
ing.
Available fresh, canned or dried. M
ushrooms are composed of up to 8
0% water, dried products are often
the most economical, even though
they cost $100 s per pound. Rehy
drate for 10-20 min.
Should be dusted and rinsed for dir
Truffles
Tubers that grow near the roots of
oak or beech trees.
Cultivated only to the extent that o
ak groves are planted to encourage
truffle growth.
2 varieties, Prigord (black) and Pie
dmontese (white).
Fresh truffles are gathered in the fa
ll and are rarely marketed outside t
heir locale.
White ones have strong aroma and
flavor. Only need a little bit to garn
ish soups, sauces and pasta.
Black truffles are often used as a g
arnish or to flavor pates, terrines or
egg dishes.
Truffles can cost several 100s $ per
/lb., most kitchens purchase canned
, dried or processed.
 Mushrooms are members of a broad category of plants known as fungi.
(Fungi have no seeds, stems or flowers; they produce through spores).

They have a stalk w/ an umbrella-like top. Although not a vegetable, mu

shrooms are used in the same manner as vegetables.
Black Trumpet

Portabella Morels

Oyster
Truffles
Shitake
Porcini
Porcini
Procedure for Soaking Dried Bea
ns
1. Pick through the dried beans and remove any grit,
pebbels or debris.
2. Place the beans in a bowl and cover with cold wate
r; remove any skins or other items that float to the
surface.
3. Drain the beans in a colander, then rinse under col
d running water.
4. Return the beans to a bowl and cover with fresh co
ld water. Allow 3 cups H2O for each cup of beans.
5. Soak the beans in the cold water for the time speci
fied in the recipe, usually several hours or overnigh
t. Drain through a colander, discarding the water
1. Rinse & pick through the beans
2. Place the beans in a saucepan and add
enough cool water to cover them by 2
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 min.
4. Remove from the heat, cover and soak f
or 1 hour.
5. Drain and discard the soaking liquid. Pr
oceed with the recipe.
 Most veggies are more than 80% water; the remai
ning portions contain carbohydrates (primarily star
ches) and small amounts of protein & fat.
Lack of protein makes them low in calories
Good source of vitamins and minerals.
Be careful during preparation to preserve their nut
ritional content. Once peeled or cut, vegetables lo
se nutrients to the air to any liquid they are allowe
d to soak.
Vitamins are concentrated under the skin, so peel
thinly, if at all.
 USDA voluntary grading s
ystem for fresh vegetable
s traded
System is based on appea
rance, condition and othe
r factors affecting waste
or eating quality
4 Grades = in descending
order of quality
U.S. Extra Fancy
U.S. Fancy
U.S. Fancy #1
U.S. # 1