Fresh Garlic Scape Bunch

What is it?

In late June at the Farmer’s Market you might find some fascinating hard green stocks with a closed flower at the end … they are garlic scapes that you can eat! They are the flower bud of the garlic plant and are removed to encourages growth of the bulb.

Where does it grow?

You will find that garlic is grown worldwide.

How to eat it?

Depending on the variety the stems you might or might not be able to eat.  In the variety pictured above, the stems are extremely hard and would not be good for eating.

The most edible part is the flower bud, which is exposed once the “petals” are peeled back.  The florets can be cut off and used just like minced garlic.  They are less potent than a bulb of garlic, so you will need to use more than the more amount in a recipe.

Selection & Storage:

Garlic scapes can stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or on the counter for a few days.

Garlic Uses

• Garlic Bread – Toast bread with a thin layer of olive oil spread on it.  Once it is toasted spread the garlic scape florets on it. You can enjoy immediately!
• Flower Bouquets – Garlic scapes add a visually pleasing element to a bouquet of flowers.  They are unique and are a great conversation starter.

WHAT IS IT?

Potatoes are a member of the nightshade family.  The potato is a perennial plant, but we usually harvest it as an annual to eat the fibrous tuber roots. There are over four thousand varieties, ranging from purple to yellow and starch to waxy.  Here is a breakdown of the different types of potatoes:

• Mealy Potatoes (High Starch, Low Moisture): These are most common to Americans.  The most common varieties is the Russset.  These make for great mashed potatoes and french fries due to their low moisture content.
• Medium-Starch Potatoes: These are the best all-around potatoes. They hold their shape well, have moderate moisture and starch.  They include most purple and yellow-fleshed potatoes such as the Yukon Gold and Purple Viking.
• Waxy Potatoes (Low Starch, High Moisture): These are the best choice for soups, chowders, and salads because of their high moisture content, they cannot take on much more. They also caramelize great when roasting due to their higher sugar content.  This is a newer type of potato and include most fingerling and red-skinned varieties.

WHERE DOES IT GROW?

Potatoes are grown in the ground.  They are considered the root of the plant. Potatoes originally came from the Andean region of South America and brought over to Europe.  They were introduced to the United States in 1719 by Irish immigrants. Today potatoes are grown throughout the US and are the 4th most important crop.

HOW TO EAT IT?

Potatoes should always be cooked before eating.  They are extremely versatile.  They can be boiled, simmered, steamed, baked, roasted, sautéed, grilled, deep-fried, or microwaved. Most of the nutrients are in the skin, so it is best to use them unpeeled if possible.  If you do peel them, the flesh will turn brown due to the oxygen, so drop them in a bowl of water.

SELECTION & STORAGE:

Select firm potatoes with no sprouts or blemishes.  Potatoes should be stores in a cool, dark place, with good air circulation.  Do not refrigerate or keep them in plastic bags as this leads to softening and sprouting.  If potatoes are stored at 50 degrees they will keep for 2-3 months.

FUN FACT:

When peeling potatoes, any area of green should be peeled completely away, as these patches contain solanine, a naturally occurring poisonous alkaloid that intensifies with light exposure.

RECIPES

• Breakfast Potatoes

What is it?

Parsnips are very similar to the carrots, except they are white and slightly sweeter.  They are best harvested after the first frost in the fall, when their starches turn to sugars. Parsnips are always sold without their green tops, as they can cause a skin rash due to their toxic sap.

Where does it grow?

Parsnips were originally grown wild in Europe and western Asia. They were a staple food for the lower class.

How to eat it?

They can be eaten just like a carrot.  Wash, peel, and then enjoy either raw or cooked.  Do not eat the toxic green tops or stem.

Selection & Storage:

Select a parsnip that has its greens removed and that does not have new growth.  It should be firm and slightly heavy for its size. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Recipes

• Coming soon.

What is it?

Jicama is a large dense root vegetable that is hard and heavy. It is generally round in shape, although like the above picture above it can also have a unique form. The outside is a pale tan color where as the inside is white. Jicama has a moist, crunchy texture.  It is slightly sweet and nutty.  Jicama is also known as a yam bean, Mexican potato, or potato bean. All parts of the Jicama plant are poisonous except for the root.

Where does it grow?

It grows wildly in Mexico and Central American and was consumed by the Mayan and Aztec tribes.

How to eat it?

Jicama can be eaten raw or cooked, once the skin is removed.  To help preserve the white flesh color, sprinkle with an acid such as lemon, lime, or vinegar.

Selection & Storage:

Jicama can be stored in a cool dark place or in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.  It prefers to have air circulate around it, so keep it uncovered.  However, if it has been cut, wrap the cut portion in plastic wrap for up to 1 week.

Recipes

• Crudités (raw veggie platter)

What is it?

Ginger is the root of the ginger plant. It is classified as a rhizome, which is unique because if it is separated into pieces, each piece will be able to produce a new plant (known as vegetative reproduction). Although ginger is most commonly used as a spice, it is, however considered a vegetable.

Where does it grow?

Today China and India are the top producers of ginger root. It is also available from Hawaii from December through early Spring. To harvest ginger the entire plant must be pulled up, just like a carrot.

How to eat it?

Young ginger can be used with the skin on, however more mature ginger should have the tough skin peeled.

This unusual shappy veggie is widely known and commonly minced for use as a spice to flavour or spice up meals worldwide. Many asian and european chefs will include ginger in their dishes. Often used in juices, desserts and bodycare products.

This delicious herbaceous perennial can grow annual pseudostems about one meter tall bearing narrow leaf blades.

It is very high in potassium, but the small quantities used in meals limits its nutritional value.

Nutritional Facts:

Ginger provides you with 1% in Vitamin C, and 1% in Magnesium while being rich in potassium.

When purchasing ginger root at the grocery store, it is perfectly acceptable to break off a small portion for purchase. You are not required to purchase the entire root.

Selection & Storage:

Ginger is best stored wrapped in a paper towel, placed in an unsealed plastic bag and then stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.

Recipes

• Coming soon

What is it?

Carrots are considered a biennial plant in the umbellifer family and they are part of the root family, more specifically the taproot. The carrots can be found in a wide variety of colors, such as orange, yellow, white, and purple.

Where does it grow?

Carrots are grown in the ground.  They are considered the root of the plant. The leafy greens that grown above ground can be eaten as well as the beet itself.

Today, carrots are grown around the world, but it is said that they originated from Afghanistan and were originally only purple in color.

How to eat carrots?

Carrots may or may not be peeled before eating. They can also be eaten  steamed, cooked in water or raw.

How to Select & Storage Carrots?

Carrots are considered a winter vegetable, although you can find them all year round.

To store carrots remove their greens, so they don’t continue pulling out the nutrients from the root.  The greens can be stored separately for use later up to a few days. Carrots on the other hand, will store in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.

Fun Fact:

Carrots contain high amounts of vitamin A, which is why they are known for improving eyesight. But also deliver a great source of vitamin K and vitamin B6.

Science has shown that when eaten raw our bodies only absorb 10% of the nutrient, but when cooked we absorb about 29%.

Note: Steaming carrots is a much better and healthier option as it keeps all the nutrients your body needs.

Recipes

• Coming soon

Root vegetables have been staple items in kitchens over the years due to their low cost, nutritious value, accessibility and they store well.  There is a large world of root vegetables to explore beyond the carrot, potato, onion, and beet.  Though they might not be the most attractive item in the grocery store they are worth bringing to the kitchen table.  I love these underground treasures because they are hearty and can be used in place of carbohydrate such as pasta and rice. My favorite way to eat root veggies is by roasting them!

When shopping for root vegetables look for ones that are heavy for their size and are firm.  Do not buy if they are shriveled, bruised, or have any tender spots.  They are best stored in a cool, dark area. They usually last for around two weeks. They are considered a winter vegetable, though you can usually find them in the grocery store year round.

Roots are best described as vegetables that have fleshy edible underground parts. If we let them grow they would provide nourishment to the plant in order for the plant to survive.  Root vegetables can also be thought of as storage organs enlarged to hold energy in the form of carbohydrates. There are three main types of roots: true roots (which include taproots and tuberous roots), modified plant stems (which include rhizomes, corms, and stem tubers), and bulbs.

TAPROOTS

We are most familiar with these as they are the main part of the plant that absorbs nutrients and moisture as it grows vertically downward. Examples of taproots include:

• Beet
• Carrot
• Radish

TUBEROUS ROOTS

These are enlarged modified lateral roots that function as storage organs. Examples of tuberous roots include:

• Earthnut
• Sweet potato
• Yuca

RHIZOMES

Also known as creeping rootstocks. It is a fleshy horizontal plant stem that spreads below the soil surface and forms leaves above and thin roots below. If a rhizome is separated into pieces, each piece would be able to produce a new plant, which is known as vegetable reproduction. Examples of rhizomes include:

• Ginger
• Ginseng
• Wasabi

CORMS

Is a short, swollen underground or underwater plant stem whose inner structure is made up of solid tissue. Corms differ from bulbs in that they have a solid interior, where bulbs are made up of individual layers. Examples of corms include:

• Arrowhead
• Taro
• Water Chestnut

STEM TUBERS

This is a swollen underground storage organ that forms from a thickened rhizome.  The top and/or sides of the tuber produce shoots that grow into stems and leaves, while the underside produces roots. Tubers are known for storing large amounts of starch. Examples of stem tubers include:

• Jerusalem Artichoke
• Potato
• Yam

BULBS

A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves that function as food storage organs during dormancy. Examples of bulbs include:

• Fennel
• Garlic
• Onion

What is it?

Plantains can best be described as a large green banana. Inside the fruit is a pale yellow color and the texture is more firm than a banana. Unlike, a banana, plantains are only suitable to eat when cooked.  They are not sweet like bananas, but instead have a bland vegetable taste.

Where does it grow?

Plantains are native to India, but can be found in most tropical climates.  They are most popular in the Caribbean and are a staple ingredient in African and Cuban food.

How to eat it?

Plantains are typically used more as a vegetable than a fruit.  They should be cooked before consuming.

There’s several common methods of cooking the plantain and these are:

• frying,
• boiling,
• grilling,
• steamed
• or baked.

Recipes

You can try cooking them in Tostones recipe

What is it?

Fennel is a vegetable with 3 main edible parts: bulb, foliage, and seed.  The bulb is white and to me it is the best part of the plant when cooked (see recipe below).  The green foliage of the fennel resembles celery and dill.  Typically the fennel you find in the stores will not have the seeds attached, as they are sold separately for a high price.

Where does it grow?

Fennel is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean, according to Wikipedia.

How to eat it?

The bulb of the fennel is best when cooked by roasting, braising, or sautéing it.  The leafy green part of the fennel is often used to make stock or sliced thinly and added to salads.

Recipes

• Roasted Parmesan Fennel Recipe