Vegetables

Red Oak lettuce is a type of butter lettuce. These lettuces are known for their more compact head and their mellow flavour. Red oak lettuce is more heat tolerant than iceberg lettuce and other crisphead lettuce types.

Red Oak lettuce has a more buttery, crisp texture with a mellow, nutty and sweet flavour. Perfect for those who do not like the more bitter lettuce times. Red oak lettuce is full of antioxidants as well as vitamin A, vitamin C and folate.

Perfect in a salad, its deep red colour adds a splash colour especially with greens, avocado and fruits. It can also be used as a bed for turkey, chicken and tuna or have it in a sandwiches.  The red leaves can also be blanched and used with stuffing such as mushrooms.

Rhubarb stalks have a strong, tart taste with crisp texture similar to Celery. Though mostly used in desserts it is technically known as a vegetable. Only the stalks can be eaten as the leaves are not edible and toxic.

Despite it being too tart to be eaten raw, in the western world in earlier years, it was seen as a cheap treat when dipped in sugar.

Barry’s tips: Cut the stalk into small pieces and stew them to cook it before making pies and pastries, or it can be used to make jam or pickled. Due to their tart flavour sugar is needed in the cooking.

Orange cauliflower though has a milder, sweeter, nuttier taste than its white counterpart, its nutritional value does not vary much.

The orange cauliflower however is abundance in carotenoids (hence its orange pigment) which is converted to vitamin A in the body. The orange pigment is stable with heat application and color remains vibrant during cooking process.

It is also rich in vitamin c and fiber which are vital to healing wounds and boosting the immune system. It also contains high levels of cancer-fighting compounds.

Can be eaten raw or cooked, or prepare into orange clorets rice! Its cheeful orange adds a touch of colour to an otherwise all-green salad.

Green cauliflower has a milder, sweeter, nuttier taste than its white counterpart.

Also known as broccoflower, it is a hybrid of broccoli and cauliflower. The green cauliflower is rich in vitamins and fiber which are vital to healing wounds and boosting the immune system. It also contains high levels of cancer-fighting compounds.

Presence of chlorophyll in green cauliflower means that over-cooking can turn the brilliant-green florets to dull gray-green.

Green cauliflowers can be eaten raw or cooked. Or prepare into green clorets rice!

Cauliflower Romanesco, also known as the pagoda cauliflower in Asia, has its green buds arranged in a spiral manner and stands in stark contrast from its white and purple counterparts.

The cauliflower is rich in Vitamin C and K, dietary fiber, and cancer-fighting carotenoids. It has a nuttier and earthier flavor than its counterparts. Steam or stir fry it with garlic.

A member of the cabbage family, the swede is often confused with the turnip, though they look quite different. It’s also known as yellow turnip, Swedish turnip and Russian turnip and, in America, rutabaga. In Scotland, where it is known as neeps, swede is the traditional accompaniment to haggis on Burns night.

Swedes have a delicate, sweet flavour, a great smooth texture and are very versatile. This healthy vegetable provides many health benefits as it’s a good source of vitamins (A, C), fiber and nutrients.

Boil or steam Swedes. Roasting will take up a much longer time because of its toughness.