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Did you know that just 3 baby beetroot equal one portion of your 5-a-day?!
It is thought that beetroot originated in West Asia and parts of the Mediterranean. When first cultivated during Roman Times the root was actually carrot shaped, the round shape we know and love today wasn't developed until the 16th century.
Long gone are the days of eating only pickled beetroot, nowadays, more people are choosing to enjoy the sweet delicate flavours of fresh beets.
One final point, don't panic if beetroot has a slightly pink effect when you visit the loo, it's just the red pigment of beetroot passing harmlessly through the digestive system!
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The Broad Bean is one of many Bean varieties native to North Africa and South West Asia. The Broad Bean has one of the longest histories of any cultivated crop. Along with Lentils, Peas, and Chickpeas it is believed that the Broad Bean became part of the Mediterranean and Western European diet around the year 6000 BC.
A broad bean requires around 6ml of water per day to grow at an optimal rate! It is characterised by its larger size compared with other beans.
Finally a From My Farm Broad Bean can provide you with some great nutrients as they're a good source of protein and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins A, B1 and B2
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Broccoli is actually a member of the cabbage family and the word Broccoli comes from the Italian word brocco meaning branch or arm. The more common cousin of Purple Sprouting, broccoli as we know it today actually evolved from Purple Sprouting. It is thought to have developed into the vegetable we know and love today in Roman times from its close relative, the wild cabbage. Its name certainly would suggest a Mediterranean origin!!! The Broccoli was then brought to the UK and America in the early 19th century; however, it took over a century before it became as popular as it is now.
Nutritionally, broccoli is naturally very high in Vitamin C as well as soluble fibre. There is also a compound within Broccoli that can work wonders with the immune system, helping to boost anti-viral and anti-bacterial capabilities.
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The carrot is a member of the parsley family along with celery, parsnips, fennel, dill and coriander. Carrots have been grown in England since the 15th Century, although the ancestry of the carrot can be traced back to Afganistan when they were originally white or purple.
The characteristic bright orange colour of modern carrots comes from β-carotene, which is turned into vitamin A by our bodies. Vitamin A is essential for healthy eyesight - so it's true what they say: carrots can help you see in the dark!!!
It has been estimated that every member of the UK population will consume 10,866 carrots on average in their lifetime.
The longest carrot ever recorded in the UK was in 1996, it measured a staggering 5.14 meters long.
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Earliest records for cultivated cabbage date back as far as AD 77!!! Although modern cultivated cabbage groups are thought to have originated in Germany and have undergone cross-breeding in the late 1900s.
Green cabbage is arguably the most popular of all the cabbage varieties. With its crisp texture and wonderful bright green leave the green cabbage is a real chef's favourite. Packed full of moisture this cabbage is often deceptively heavy for its size.
Green cabbage can be enjoyed in many ways, boiled, steamed or stir fried. It lends itself to being left as a side dish or shredded and stir fried in butter with a couple of twists of black pepper.
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When the new season's potatoes are ready you can be sure summer is here! It might not have felt like it this year with the gloomy May we have had but the sunny weather is on its way!
New potatoes are harvested early, when the plants are still growing, this means that the tubers (technical word for potato!) are still young and have 'fluffy' skin which rubs of easily. Once the plants get older and wilt the skins start to 'set' to protect the tuber - this is the skin you will find on standard potatoes. Because all potato plants in the UK stop growing in the autumn this marks the end of the new potato season. Once the end of summer/autumn comes around you will start to find new season baking varieties are ready and 'set skin' salads such as Charlotte, which tend to be waxier than fluffy new varieties.
What is better than freshly dug new potatoes, cooked with a sprig of mint and served with butter melted over the top? Goes with every meal from barbeques to salads or with your meat and two veg! Wonderful....As they are so young and fresh proper fluffy skinned new potatoes melt in your mouth.
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The Pea is the most common member of the Legume family and interestingly is classed as a fruit even though in cooking terms Peas are very much treated as a vegetable. The optimum temperature for getting peas to maturity is 13-18˚C and this process usually takes 60 days from planting to harvesting.
Culinary uses of the pea can be traced back to medieval times in Europe where it made up a large part of a staple diet. From My Farm peas are kept in their pods to keep them as sweet and tender as possible so that when you eat them they are in the best condition they can be.
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Product range may vary between stores.