Try These 5 Unique Vegetables

After more than a year spent in some form of lockdown, it’s fair to say that our repertoire of recipes is beginning to run a little thin. If you’re starting to grow tired of cooking the same meals with the same old ingredients, you’re definitely not alone!

We at The Artisan Food Company believe that the provenance and quality of your ingredients can make all the difference to a dish, whether you’re cooking an old family favourite or trying something a little outside your comfort zone. Working with a range of the UK’s most acclaimed artisan producers and independent farmers, our ingredients are guaranteed to be full of flavour and of the highest possible quality, allowing you to create simple yet tasty dishes from the comfort of your home.

This selection of vegetables is composed of little-known and somewhat unusual ingredients, each renowned for their unique shape and colour, and for their unbeatable taste. Add a twist to your cooking with these 5 unique vegetables.

1. Golden Beetroot

A far cry from the typical deep-purple colouring for which beetroots are so famous, the golden beetroot is native to the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines of Europe and North Africa. Although this vegetable dates back to ancient times, it was originally discarded in favour of its more colourful counterpart. Enjoy as part of a fresh, summertime salad, or use in a beef stew.

2. Purple Chantenay Carrots

These vivid purple carrots are rare and seasonal, closely related to parsnips and celery. Slightly smaller in size than normal carrots, purple Chantenay carrots have an earthy, sweet flavour, growing tender when cooked. Enjoy roasted, or as part of a salad.

3. Courgette Flowers

Enjoyed particularly in the Veneto region of Italy, where they are deep-fried and eaten alongside an evening aperitivo, courgette flowers are the edible flower of the courgette bush. Whilst these are most typically used as Italian ‘cicchetti’, courgette flowers can also be stuffed with herbs and cheese and then fried, or can be used as an ingredient in a creamy risotto dish.

4. Peeled Black Garlic

A type of aged, caramelised garlic which has taken on a dark brown colour, black garlic is most typically used in Asian cooking. Boasting a bittersweet taste, this ingredient has quickly become popular around the world, adding a sweet yet vinegary tang to any dish.

5. Rainbow Chard

Swiss chard – named ‘rainbow chard’ when the stalks are brightly-coloured – is related to the beet, and boasts large, tender leaves and crisp, crunchy stalks. The most common way to enjoy rainbow chard is by sautéing it with garlic and lemon, and serving as a side-dish to accompany a white fish recipe.