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Unusual vegetables

Author David
Posted On 15th February 2013

artichokes

As the British palate becomes increasingly sophisticated, rarer fruits and vegetables are becoming common sights in the larger supermarkets.

Celebrity chefs may be perfectly confident dealing with some of these bulbous objects but some can be daunting to a first timer.

Here’s how to deal with some of the less common vegetables:

Whole artichokes

Break off the stalk so the base is flat with the leaves.

Remove any dry or discoloured leaves and rinse the artichoke in cold water.

Add one teaspoon of lemon juice to a large pan of cold water, place the artichokes in the pan and weigh them down with a heavy bowl to make sure they remain submerged.

After 40-45 minutes’ boiling time, check the artichokes: the outer leaves can be easily pulled off once cooked.

Okra

To cook whole, simply boil after removing any wispy, black hairs on the pods.

Trim the tops and bottoms of the pods, taking care not to split the shafts.

Okras can also be split to access the gelatinous material inside the shaft.

This is popular to thicken up stews. Prepare as whole okra and then cut in half lengthways.

Squash

To steam, roast or bake, peel the tough skin carefully using a sharp, swivel-handled peeler or chef’s knife.

Halve the squash and use a spoon to remove the fibrous interior and seeds before cutting the remaining flesh into large chunks.

Squash can also be cooked with the skin on.

Wash the squash well then cut into halves or quarters and, again using a spoon, scoop out the messy fibres and seeds inside before cooking.

Halved squash is great stuffed.

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