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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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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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One of many vegetables in the Brassica species, cauliflower is a real British favourite and finds itself on the plates of many families all over Britain, especially on Sundays.
Whether eaten cooked, raw or pickled, cauliflower is a highly nutritious vegetable. Low in fat and high in fibre, cauliflower can make a fantastic component of a healthy diet and certainly contributes to your 5 a day!!! As well as high in fibre, cauliflower contains very high levels of folate, water and vitamin C. Cauliflower is a great culinary substitute for potato as it is very low in carbohydrate.
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A cherry tomato is a smaller garden variety of tomato. Cherry tomatoes range in size from a thumb tip up to the size of a golf ball, and can range from being spherical to slightly oblong in shape. The more oblong ones often share characteristics with plum tomatoes, and are known as grape tomatoes. The cherry tomato is regarded as a botanical variety of the cultivated tomato, Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme. It was widely cultivated in Central America when the Conquistadores arrived and is thought to be the ancestor of all cultivated tomatoes.
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Ever wondered what can make a chilli pepper so hot?! It's Capsaicin, oil within the chilli plant that makes it fiery. There is even an official scale for the heat of a chilli called the Scoville scale, developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912.
From My Farm Jalapeno Chillies are between 5,000-10,000 on the scale, whereas a sweet pepper would only score 0! To put it into context, a Jalapeno chilli is a medium rated chilli. The Anaheim is much milder and some would say much more versatile.
For great ways to use this fantastic new From My Farm product don't forget to check out the recipes page on this website.
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The origins of the Courgette are not as well known as with other vegetables however, it is thought that the Courgette was not widely available in Europe before the 20th Century. The Courgette is related to the Squash and is basically a ‘Baby' Squash. The Squash was introduced to Europe from the Americas, where it is known as a Zucchini, during the time of Christopher Columbus and his crusades.
Finally believe it or not, the Courgette is related to the Water Melon! As well as the cucumber, gherkin and squash.
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A favourite in salads, the cucumber hails from India, but first records of cultivation in England can be traced to the 14th Century. A cucumber is the fruit of the cucumis sativus plant. After being raised to the seedling stage, From My Farm cucumbers are planted in mid-December. From this point it then takes 6 weeks for the plants to produce fruit that can be harvested, the plants will then go on to produce fruit for 12 weeks. At this stage they are replaced with the second crop, planted in mid-April and harvested until mid-July. The final crop is then planted and harvesting can continue until the end of the season around mid-October.
Don't forget to check out the From My Farm recipes page for great ways to use our cucumbers.
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The mushroom is neither vitamin, mineral, animal or vegetable, it is in fact a fungus; a whole different species in itself!
According to Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics left behind nearly 5,000 years ago eating mushrooms paved a path to immortality. It was not only the Egyptians who believed that a mushroom had super-human powers, in Roman times mushrooms were referred to as Cibus Deorum, translating to food of the gods.
Wild mushrooms have been picked for thousands of years but the first country to cultivate the mushroom was France. In some accounts it states that Louis XIV set aside special caves just outside Paris specifically for their cultivation.
Nutritionally mushrooms are low in fat, sodium and calories. Mushrooms are a great natural source of antioxidants, which can protect your DNA from damage. Mushrooms also contain high levels of B vitamins, iron and potassium.
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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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First cultivated around 6,000 years ago in Peru, it was the Spanish who 'found' the potato whilst searching for gold in Peru. They excitedly returned to present their new exotic vegetable to royalty in 1536.
The carlingford is another second early variety of potato (potatoes are split into 3 varieties: earlies (new), second earlies and main crop). The carlingford has a white skin with white flesh and a firm texture. It is a great variety to cook and use whole as it retains its shape upon cooking.
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In countries other than the UK, USA and Canada the pepper is known as the Capsicum. Produced in a similar way to the From My Farm cucumber, seedlings are bought in from breeders. They are planted in January and first harvest starts in April all the way through until November.
Varieties of From My Farm Peppers are as follows:
Red - Cupra
Green - Prego
Yellow - Fiesta
Orange - Orange Glory.
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Plums are a member of the Rose family and their closest relation is the Cherry. Other members of the family include the Nectarine, Peach, Apricot and Sloe. It is a native fruit of China and made its way to Europe courtesy of the Greeks. However plums did not get to northern Europe until the Romans brought them here. So it's fairly safe to say that it was a long journey from China to our shores.
There are many varieties of Plum ranging from the tart to the sweet. It is likely that your From My Farm plum variety will change during the season so keep your eye on the pack for the exact variety. One thing you can always guarantee though is that it will always have been grown in your region. Also, the traditional Christmas prune is actually a dried plum!!!
Great news for the health conscious amongst you, Plums are packed with nutrients including Vitamins A and C, Potassium and Fibre.
Don't forget to click here for the latest plum recipe.
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Earliest records for cultivated cabbage date back as far as AD 77!!! Although the modern cultivated groups are thought to have originated in Germany and have undergone cross-breeding in the late twentieth century to produce this tender and sweet pointed form. Pointed cabbage is popular with both customers and growers alike as it cooks quickly and has a very short stem meaning wastage is minimal.
Regarded amongst people in the know as a very good source of Vitamin C, pointed cabbage is a very versatile vegetable that is great as a side dish or as an integral part of a hearty British meal.
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The word Broccoli comes from the Italian word brocco meaning branch or arm. Purple sprouting, as it most commonly known, is the original form of broccoli. Compared with it's more common cousin it has long stems and small purple flower heads.
Purple Sprouting Broccoli was first cultivated by the Romans; however, it has only been widely grown in the UK for the last 30 years. It is now becoming a favourite winter vegetable due to its amazing versatility.
As a cruciferous plant (same family as the cabbage, closely related to the cauliflower) purple sprouting offers some fantastic nutritional benefits. Broccoli is low in calories and is one of the most nutrient-dense foods. It's an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K, folic acid, and fibre. It's also a good source of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and the vitamins B6 and E. Broccoli also contains the carotenoid lutein, glucosinolates, and phytochemicals that are considered by some scientists to have anticancer effects.
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Spring Greens are another member of the Brassica family; their closest relation is Curly Kale. Unlike most Brassicas, Spring Greens do not form a head, just large green leaves.
They are also an excellent source of Vitamin and Folic Acid.
As with all Brassicas, freshness is the key to their great flavour. All From My Farm Spring Greens are grown in your region, reducing the time they take to get to store, making them packed with goodness.
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A member of the rose family, along with close cousin the raspberry, the strawberry is the only fruit to have its seeds on the outside. In fact, the average strawberry has a whopping 200 seeds.
First cultivated by the Romans as far back as 200BC, they also have the title of one of the first packaged foods as in the 16th century strawberries were sold in cones made from straw.
This English summer staple is low calorie and fat, high in vitamin C, fibre, folic acid and potassium. Did you know that 8 strawberries contain more vitamin C than 1 orange? That's more than 140% of your RDA of vitamin C.
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Sweetcorn is a variety of maize with a high naturally occuring sugar level, giving the characteristic sweet flavour. It is a good source of starchy carbohydrate and contains some essential vitamins too.
Sweetcorn, it is thought, was first grown by Native American tribes, and was a component of the diet of the Inca's, Aztecs and South American Indians.
Sweetcorn tastes absolutely fantastic boiled, steamed or roasted. Or why not finish off on the barbeque for that chargrilled flavour, something you can really get your teeth stuck into on a beautiful summer's day!
For this season, From My Farm sweetcorn will be supplied simply with a tag and the husks still on so that they are at the peak of their freshness by the time you get them home.
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First cultivated around 6,000 years ago in Peru, it was the Spanish who 'found' the potato whilst searching for gold. They excitedly returned to present their new exotic vegetable to royalty in 1536.
The potato is recognised as one of the most important agricultural crops in the world, taking fourth place close behind maize, wheat and rice. Potatoes have been a staple part of the British diet ever since they were introduced in the 16th Century and are so versatile they can be enjoyed in some way with every meal.
Next time you use British potatoes at your meal time why not try them with their skins still on, as by eating spuds in their jackets you are taking advantage of the best bit, as the most vitamin C can be found just underneath the skin.
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Product range may vary between stores.