Green and Other Vegetables

LONG LIVE MARKET GARDENS!

Green vegetables: Leaf vegetables that are eaten raw or cooked. It is the green part of the vegetable. According to the Spanish Codex Alimentarius, with this term we differentiate “a group of vegetables in which the edible part is made up of their green organs”.

Other vegetables: Vegetables produced in market gardens. They must be differentiated from tree-borne produce, known as fruits. According to the Spanish Codex Alimentarius, this term “designates any herbaceous vegetable that can be used as food, be it raw or cooked”.

LETTUCE

A herbaceous plant belonging to the Daisy family, with a branched stem from about four to six decimetres high, large, radical leaves that are soft and veined, egg-shaped, whole or serrated, flowers on many heads with yellow petals, and a dry, grey, compressed fruit with a single seed.

The most common varieties are:

Iceberg Lettuce: Round in shape with large, tightly packed, crunchy leaves. Green on the outside getting whiter as they approach the stem. They have a cabbage-like appearance.
Romaine or Cos Lettuce: It is a variety with a long, broad, upright stem. It has dark green leaves which are loosely grouped around the stem without forming a true heart.
Mini Cos Lettuce: A cos lettuce but smaller in size.

COURGETTE or ZUCCHINI

The courgette belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, which produce large fruits protected by a firm skin. Cucumbers are another very popular member of this family. They are characterised by their elongated shape; however, they can also be round. They are usually somewhat bitter flavoured, but with a faint sweet note.

AUBERGINE or EGGPLANT

The aubergine belongs to the Solanaceae family. It is a flavoursome, fleshy vegetable. It can be round or elongated in shape, depending on the variety. It has a mild flavour with a slightly bitter touch.

CAULIFLOWER

The cauliflower is an herbaceous plant belonging to the Brassicaceae, Cruciferae or Mustard family. It is a plant with a straight stalk, large leaves with a thick mesh of central veins, which enwrap a large, white, fleshy, globe-shaped inflorescence. It features a mild, slightly sweet flavour.

PEPPER

Peppers are the hollow fruit of an herbaceous plant of the same name. They belong to the Solanaceae family, and more specifically to the Capsicum genus. The Solanaceae family comprises around 75 genera and some 2,300 plant species that produce toxic alkaloids, including deadly nightshade, mandrake and henbane. There are very few edible Solanaceae species. Those that are include peppers, tomatoes and aubergines, all very important food products.

BROCCOLI

Broccoli an herbaceous plant belonging to the Cruciferae family. This plant has an abundance of green fleshy florets arranged in a tree-like manner, the branches of which grow out of a thick stalk, which is not edible. The large mass of florets is surrounded by leaves. It is very similar to its close relative, the cauliflower, but it is green in colour. It is crop from cool climates; therefore it does not thrive during hot summers.