Including cucumbers as a part of your regular diet can help improve your health by providing a number of nutrients often deficient in a North American diet. Cucumbers contain vitamins K, C & B vitamins as well as manganese, copper, potassium and several polyphenol that may help to reduce your risk of developing serious disease.…
While not exactly a vegetable, ginger is a widely underused yet widely available root with endless culinary applications. Ginger ale, beer & wine, ginger tea, pickled ginger (for sushi!), gingerbread cookies, candied ginger and simply as a spice in smoothies, curries, stirfries or other cooking are some of the most common places we see this…
While often thought of as a “bad vegetable” or and excuse for one, these starchy tubers do have their merits. Potatoes are chock full of fibre and vitamin C, though if the skins are removed the fibre content drops to nil and if they are well cooked the vitamin C is virtually all destroyed. I’m…
The term ‘summer squash’ is a sort of catch-all phrase for a number of different squashes that are in abundance this time of year. While larger squashes such as pumpkins and winter squashes such as butternut are ready later in the year, summer squashes are smaller and softer than their hard shelled cousins. Zucchini is…
Bok Choy is known as ‘Bok Choi’, ’Pak Choi’, ‘Pak Choy’ or simply ‘Chinese Cabbage’, as well as a selection of other less common terms are used to reference this Asian vegetable. The name translates literally into “white vegetable” although if harvested prematurely the stalks will be a pale green colour. There is also a…
While fennel is technically a herb, the bulb of the plant is often used as a highly flavourful and aromatic vegetable tasting similarly to black licorice. While the seed can be used ground or whole as a spice, the feathery leaves of the upper part of the plant are similar in appearance to dill and have a wide variety of culinary uses.
While Parsley is actually an herb rather than a vegetable and often thought of as a garnish rather than an ingredient, incorporating it into your diet has many health benefits. Parsley is a great source of vitamin A & C (which are both antioxidants!) as well as folic acid (vitamin B9) and vitamin K.
While avocados are available to us in the grocery store year-round as a result of mexico’s ideal growing climate, the cold weather that has hit the US and south of their border this year is suggesting a 10% increase in avocado prices.
This cruciferous veggie has finally joined the likes of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts in the NCIM spotlight! Kale is a nutrient packed superfood very high in beta carotene, vitamins C & K and is rich in calcium.
So often overlooked as a vegetable and yet is a pantry staple and often the base for many dishes. This hardy veggie is harvested is the fall and stores well through the winter months making it a great way to add vitamin C to ones diet.
