Firm, heavy head with fresh outer leaves and good colouring.
Cover, refrigerate unwashed for up to two weeks.
Remove outer wilted leaves. Rinse. Cut head in half lengthwise and remove core. Cut into wedges or shred. Boil, microwave, steam or stir-fry.
Firm, heavy head with fresh outer leaves and good colouring.
Cover, refrigerate unwashed for up to one week.
Remove outer wilted leaves. Rinse. Cut head in half lengthwise and remove core. Cut into wedges or shred. Boil, microwave, steam or stir fry.
Firm, clean, bright orange carrots that are well shaped. If tops are attached, they should be bright green, fresh looking.
Remove green leafy tops. Cover, refrigerate unwashed young carrots for up to two weeks. Mature carrots keep 3 to 4 weeks.
Trim root and stem ends. Rinse. Scrub or peel. Leave whole, shred or cut into coins or sticks.
Firm, blemish-free tubers.
Store unpeeled in a cool, dark, dry place for up to 1 week. Peeled yucca root can be stored in water in the refrigerator - it will last for 1 month if you change the water every two days- or wrapped tightly and frozen for several months.
Cassava can easily replace potatoes in soups and stews.
Heavy, firm, creamy white heads with compact florets.
Cover, refrigerate unwashed for up to one week.
Rinse. Remove outer leaves and core. Leave whole or cut into florets or slices.
Celeriac with fresh celery aroma, fairly clean and firm to the touch. Smaller ones are more tender and less woody.
Trim off stalks and refrigerate unwashed, covered for up to a week.
Peel, dice, slice or grate. Use in soup, stews or substitute for potatoes. Serve raw in salads. Flavour combines celery and potato.
Crisp, rigid green stalks with fresh leaves. Avoid limp or rubbery stalks.
Cover, refrigerate unwashed for up to two weeks.
Separate stalks and rinse thoroughly. Trim leaves (reserve for soups), remove bottom end and any brown spots. Dice, slice or cut into sticks.
Firm, pear shaped unblemished chayotes. Skin colour varies from cream to apple green. Crisp pale flesh with apple/cucumber flavour.
Refrigerate unwashed, covered for up to one week.
Wash and cut in halves or quarters. Steam, bake, boil, fry or eat raw. Cooked seed is edible. Use in soups, salads and main dishes.
*Chayote is actually a fruit, but it is consumed as a veggie.
A tightly furled, crisp specimen which has a fresh look about it. Avoid curly endive with spots of slime or extreme discoloration, which indicate that the greens were not handled well.
They are more enjoyable when combined with other vegetables. Its strong taste enhances spring mixes or salads of greens and can also be used to garnish cheese platters or smoked fish. Eat it braised, raw, sautéed or stewed.
Remove outer wilted leaves. Rinse. Cut head in half lengthwise and remove core. Cut into wedges or shred. Boil, microwave, steam or stir-fry.
Bunches with dark green leaves with no yellowing.
Refrigerate collard greens in a plastic bag for up to 5 days.
Rinse well. Cut the leaves and discard the stems. Tear into bite size pieces or shred for salads or sandwiches.
Cobs with fresh looking green husks and moist stems. Kernels should be juicy when pierced.
Wrap unhusked ears with damp paper towel. Cover, refrigerate for up to two days.
Remove husks and silk, rinse. To remove kernels, slice lengthwise along cob.
Firm and heavy squash. The skin should be even coloured and slightly shiny.
Store unwashed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Rinse. Cut squash in half. Remove seeds and stringy fibre. Cut into serving sizes before cooking.
Firm, well shaped bright green cucumbers. Avoid soft, over mature or yellowing ones.
Refrigerate unwashed for up to one week.
Rinse. Peel skin if desired. To remove seeds, halve lengthwise and scoop out.
