Red Onion
Small onions with red to deep red coloured skin. Flesh is white with red rings. Also called Spanish or salad onions. Will not store as long as brown onions. Very sweet – can be eaten raw. Not all red onions…
Spring Onion
A member of the onion family. Basically an immature onion. Long slender dark green stalks. Small white bulb at base. Fine cream/white roots at the base. The spring onion is believed to have originated in the Far East. Chives and…
Sprout
Sprouts are germinated seeds 3-4cm in length. During the sprouting process, the seed absorbs moisture, swells, bursts the seed coat and begins to grow a shoot. Seeds are germinated upon rinsing, then they are placed in a dark, humid environment,…
Swede
Root vegetables. Closely related to each other. Large spherical tubers 10-20cm in diameter. Turnips and swedes are cool climate vegetables. They are resistant to mild frosts and are grown from seed in moderately deep, well drained fertile soil. Seeds are…
Taro
Root or tuber crop. Tall growing plant 1m in height. Resembles elephant’s ear plant. Broad heart shape leaves. A large central corm and a cluster of swollen lateral tubers. Corm and tubers are covered in a fibrous husk. Taro are…
Turnip
Turnip are root vegetables. Closely related to each other. Large spherical tubers 10-20cm in diameter. Turnips and swedes are cool climate vegetables. They are resistant to mild frosts and are grown from seed in moderately deep, well drained fertile soil.…
Water Chestnut
Cultivated for its corm (tuber). A grass-like plant growing to a height of 1.5m. Tuber covered in brown skin with white flesh. Chestnut flavour of sugar cane, sweet corn and coconut. Crisp texture similar to potatoes. 3-5cm in diameter. Wet…
Zucchini Flower
Zucchini plants have either male or female flowers. Both are edible. Both are large, star-shaped golden-yellow flowers with 5 petals. Female flowers are borne at the end of the tiny fruit. Male flowers are slightly smaller and grow on the…
Wombok – Chinese Cabbage
Light green/white leaves. Tightly packed into an elongated head. Similar in flavour to ordinary cabbage although, slightly sweeter. While the green leaves can be slightly peppery, the thick white ribs are sweet and juicy. The inner leaves are particularly tender…
Witlof
Related to the lettuce, endive, artichoke and raddichio. Narrow, elongated bulbous clusters of leaves. 15cm in height. 5cm in diameter. Witlof can be cooked by steaming, boiling or microwaving. Witlof is cultivated in two stages. Firstly, witlof is grown from…
Squash
Flat and circular with scalloped edge. Botanically a fruit. Skin is either pale green or golden yellow depending on variety. Flesh is white and crisp. Small, soft, edible seeds. Squash varieties will not tolerate frosts, therefore winter planting should be…
Shallot – Onion
The name of the shallot derives from the name of the city of Ashkelon (Latin “Ascalon’) in ancient Canaan, in Italian its name is “scalogno”. Unlike onions where each plant normally forms a single bulb, shallots form clusters of offsets,…