• As people are becoming more conscious of healthy eating, the serving of a variety of correctly cooked, colourful, attractively presented vegetables becomes increasingly important. • This can be achieved in a variety of ways: a small selection of vegetables served on a separate plate to the main course is popular when appropriate, as is the practice of placing dishes of vegetables on the table for customers to help themselves. There are also people who would welcome a small selection of vegetables served as a separate course.
• As fast world-wide transport is now the norm, the more exotic vegetables, which were previously unknown are now available and caterers, should learn how to prepare, cook and serve them. However, these should not replace but, rather, supplement freshly picked and cooked local produce, which will always be popular if correctly cooked, of good colour and attractively presented. • When preparing vegetables they should be cooked as close to service time as possible, or prepared and blanched without over cooking. Over cooked vegetables loose their colour and vitamin and nutrient content.
Vegetables Are Divided Into Different Categories.They Are As Follows: • • • • • • • • • •
ROOT TUBER BULBS STEMS LEGUMES AQUEOUS LEAVES FLOWER HEADS FUNGI VEGETABLE FRUITS
• NLN Vegetable database.
Root Vegetables. • Root vegetables need to be cleaned well to remove soil, which can be a source of contamination. The bacteria Clostridium Perfingens and Bacillus Cereus are present in soil and are very harmful.
Types of Root Vegetables. • Carrots: Available all year round, good source of Vitamin A. • Turnips: Best between May – June. • Swede: Best between October – March. • Parsnips: Best between October – April.
Types of Root Vegetables. • Beetroot: Not usually used as a vegetable, but boiled and pickled and used in salads. • Celeriac: Celery flavoured vegetable looks like a rough skinned turnip. • Radish: This is usually used as a salad item and not served as a hot vegetable. • Salsify: Often called an Oyster Plant, due to its oyster type flavour.
Different Types of Roots. Black Salsify Turnip
Carrot
Parsnip
Different Types of Roots.
Beetroot Celeraic
Swede
Kohlrabi
Different Types of Radish & Cress. Corn Salad Mustard & Cress
Icicle
Scarlet Globe & French Breakfast
Black
Mouli
Types of Tuber Vegetables. • Potatoes:40 different types: Early crop: May – August. Main crop Sept – May. • Jerusalem Artichokes:Used in soups or served in a cream sauce. • Sweet Potatoes: Used in stir-fry dishes, requires prolonged cooking, slightly nutty taste.
Types of Tubers • Yam: Flourish in tropical climates and are similar to sweet potatoes. • Taro & Cassava: Also flourish in the tropics, both taste similar to potatoes. The Taro goes a greyish green colour when cooked. • Jicama: a Tropical tuber popular in Mexican dishes.
Different Types of Potatoes. All Purpose Yellow
New
All Purpose White
Baking Orange Sweet
Salad Potato
Blue Potato
Yellow Sweet
Different Types of Tuber. Taro
Cassava Jerusalem Artichoke
Jicama
Yam
Types of Bulb Vegetables. • Onions: All year round, should have a firm and crisp outer skin. • Spring Onions: Best between May – September, used in salads and Chinese cooking. • Shallots: Best between September – October, classed as best bulb.
Types of Bulb Vegetables. • Leeks: All year round, must be well washed before using. • Chives: Best between May – August, used mainly as a garnish. • Garlic: All year round, best garlic comes from France.
Different Types of Bulbs. Pickling Onion Banana Shallot
Garlic
Shallot
Different Types of Bulbs. Leeks
Spring Onions
Welsh Onions
Tree Onion
Different Types of Bulbs. Red Onion
Spanish Onion
Yellow Onion
Vidalia Onion
Types of Leaf Vegetables. • Cabbage: 4 main types, Green, Red, Chinese & Spring Green. • Curly Kale: Very dark leaf, no heart / core. • Sprouts: Should be small, compact with tight leafs. • Sorrel: Used in salads or cooked like Spinach.
Types of Leaf Vegetables. • Spinach: Deep green leaves, high in Iron. • Chard: Dark green leaf with white coloured stems. • Lettuce: Used in salads, wash thoroughly. • Watercress: High in Iron, store in iced water after picking.
Different Types of Lettuce.
Butterhead
Iceberg
Webb’s
Rocket
Different Types of Lettuce. Curly Endive
Loosehead
Chicory
Mizuna
Different Types of Lettuce. Cos
Escarole
Radicchio
Lollo Rosso
Different Types of Green Leaf. Nettles
Purslane
Sorrel
Dandelion
Different Types of Green Leaf. Spinach
Chinese Greens
Spring Greens
Different Types of Green Leaf. Beet Greens
Curly Kale
Bok Choy
Watercress
Chinese Leaves
Swiss Chard
Different Types of Leaves. Red Cabbage
White Cabbage
Sprouts
Types of Flower Head Vegetables. • Cauliflower: Best between March – December, should have bright white head. • Broccoli: All year round, firm green or purple heads. • Globe Artichoke: Best cooked with piece of Lemon attached to the bottom.
Different Types of Flower Head. Cauliflower
Globe Artichoke
Purple Cauliflower
Purple & Green Broccoli
Types of Stem Vegetables. • Celery: Used in Bouquet Garni, Soups or salads. • Chicory: Used as lettuce. • Fennel: Bulb like with a strong flavour, used in salads. • Asparagus:3 main types with white, green & purple heads.
Types of Stem Vegetables. • Cardoon: A relation of the Globe Artichoke prepare like Celery. • Fennel: Bulb like with a strong flavour, used in salads. • Asparagus:3 main types with white, green & purple heads. • Fiddlehead Fern: A mixed flavour of Asparagus & French Beans.
Different Types of Stem Vegetables. Celery
Cardoon
Fennel Asparagus Fiddlehead Fern
Types of Legumes & Pods. • Broad Bean: Can be used as a salad item, mainly used as a hot vegetable dish. • French Bean: Used as a hot vegetable dish. • Runner Bean: Large ones can be stringy and tough.
Types of Legumes & Pods. • Mange tout: Crisp flat underdeveloped pea. Stir-fried or sautéed. • Peas: Should be firm and crisp, sugar snap peas should be cooked like Mange tout. • Kenya Beans: Similar to French bean but grown in Kenya.
Different Types of Pods & Legumes Sugar Snap
Haricot
Garden Peas in pod
Broad
Different Types of Pods Mange tout
Bobby Bean
Runner Bean
Types of Edible Fungi. • Only purchase Fungi (Mushrooms) from reputable suppliers, do not use fungi that you are unsure of. • Some Fungi are poisonous and great care is needs to be taken to avoid them.
Types of Edible Fungi. • Cep: Flat and brown in colour. • Chanterelle: Also known as Egg mushroom. • Morel: Very expensive, holes all over the mushroom. • Field Mushroom: Very woody looking.
Types of Edible Fungi. • Open: Mostly used in general cooking. • Closed: Mostly used in general cooking. • Truffle: Black or White. • Shiitake: Flat topped.
Different Types of Mushrooms & Fungi. Oyster
Horn of Plenty
Chanterelle
Hedgehog
Fresh Cep
Chestnut
Button
Shaggy Ink Cap
Different Types of Mushrooms & Fungi. Shiitake
Enoki
Black & White Truffle
Horse Fresh Morel
Dried Morel
Parasol
Different Types of Mushrooms & Fungi. Dried Cep (Porcini)
Portobello
Giant Puffball
Dried Cloud Ear
Straw
Types of Vegetable Fruits. • Tomato: Should be ripe and red, Cherry, Beefsteak, Plum. • Avocado: Must be ripe, soak in Lemon juice after preparing. • Aubergine: Egg plant, when prepared sprinkle with salt, removes excess water. • Cucumber: Used in salads, baby cucumbers are called Dills. • Capsicum: Peppers, green, yellow, red, black, white, orange.
Types of Vegetable Fruits. • Courgette: Also known as by their Italian name Zucchini. • Okra: Also known as Ladies fingers. • Baby Sweetcorn: Good source of Vitamin C & B1.(Marrow and Courgette are also known as a fruit). • Marrow: Best cooked by steaming or Par boiling. • Squash: Two types Summer & Winter Squash.
Different Types of Tomatoes. Cherry
Sun Dried
Tomatillo
Different Types of Tomatoes. Beefsteak
Plum
Different Types of Aubergine & Avocado. Aubergine Purple Aubergine
White Aubergine
Hass & Winter Avocado
Different Types of Cucumber. Ridge Cucumber
Cucumber
Different Types of Capsicums (Peppers). Yellow
Green
Red
Different Types of Chillies. Jalapeno
Ancho
Bird
Large Dried
Anaheim
Different Types of Fruit Vegetables. Okra (Ladies Fingers) Baby corn & Corn on the Cob
Pumpkin
Different Types of Winter Squash. Acorn
Butternut
Turban
Hubbard
Different Types of Summer Squash. Pattypan
Chayote
Yellow Straightneck
Types of Aqueous Vegetables. • Courgette: Also known as by their Italian name Zucchini. • Marrow: Best cooked by steaming or Par boiling. • These types of Vegetables are also Fruit Vegetables.
Different Types of Aqueous Vegetables. Spaghetti Marrow Vegetable Marrow
Courgette