GARLIC - VEGETABLE OF THE WEEK

This week's ingredient is the might, flavorful Garlic! The word garlic comes from Old English garleac, meaning "spear leek." Dating back over 6,000 years, it is native to Central Asia and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region as well as a frequent seasoning in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Egyptians worshiped garlic and placed clay models of garlic bulbs in the tomb of Tutankhamen. Garlic was sohighly-prized, it was even used as currency. Folklore holds that garlic repelled vampires, protected against the Evil Eye, and warded off jealous nymphs said to terrorize pregnant women and engaged maidens. And let us not forget to mention the alleged powers of garlic which have been extolled through the ages. Surprisingly, garlic was frowned upon by foodie snobs in the United States until the first quarter of the twentieth century, being found almost exclusively in ethnic dishes in working-class neighborhoods.

CABBAGE - VEGETABLE OF THE WEEK

Hey Lovelies,
Cabbages are as old as centuries yet they continue to make an appearance on our tables every other day for dinner, salads or soups. Most people do not like cabbage but I think it is just in the way that you cook it. There are different types of cabbages, White cabbage, Red cabbage and Savoy cabbage. Cabbages are prepared in many different ways for eating. They can be pickled, fermented for dishes such as sauerkraut, steamed, stewed, sautéed, braised, or eaten raw. Cabbage is a good source of vitamin K, vitamin C and dietary fiber. Contaminated cabbage has been linked to cases of food-borne illness in humans.

SWEET POTATO - VEGETABLE OF THE WEEK

Sweet Potatoes are great vegetables that you can do so much with. You can eat them raw, they make a great snack. You can boil them and eat with tea, fry them up and make Sweet Potato Fries, bake them into pies, bread and even cake. You can add them to salads and even mash them up for a great dip. Being a vegetable, the sweet potato should not be overcooked as it will loose its flavour and nutrients. Many varieties of sweet potatoes are available, but three can usually be found in any local supermarket. The first type is called the Covington sweet potato, which is a favorite for mashing or roasting. This particular variety has rose-colored skin, with very sweet orange flesh. The second one is the O’Henrysweet potato. This one is a little unusual in that it more resembles an Irish potato, with a pale copper-colored skin and white flesh, which tastes sweet and creamy, making it a perfect candidate to be used in soups and stews. Third type we have the Japanese sweet potato, with its prominent red skin and dry white flesh. This type of potato is commonly roasted and used as a side dish or a snack. Sweet potatoes are High in Manganese.

TOMATOES - VEGETABLE OF THE WEEK

How is your week beginning? Today's ingredient is the humble vegetable, the Tomato. Tomatoes contain all four major carotenoids: alpha- and beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene which is thought to have the highest antioxidant activity of all the carotenoids. Tomatoes are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. They contain Vitamin E, C, A, K, B6; Folate, Copper, Magnesium and Phosphorous, Manganese and Potassium. We literally use Tomatoes in most of our foods, especially in Kenya. From making Tomato Soups, frying them up in stews and even making Salads. Tomatoes are always in Season which makes them the simplest ingredient to use and very versatile. You can even enjoy the Tomatoes raw and you will get even more nutrients.Botanically, a Tomato is a fruit, a berry, consisting of the ovary, together with its seeds, of a flowering plant.