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Does Britain have a quitessential national vegetable?
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:42 pm
by Stephen
Re: Does Britain have a quitessential national vegetable?
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 5:36 pm
by John
I think that it would have to be the pea. The delicate little green things that we eat today are mere upstarts. Peas were widely grown in medieval times and probably well before then and dried to provide a staple food for the winter. They were widely grown long before that other upstart, a grey mashy thing called the potato, made it to our shores.
John
Re: Does Britain have a quitessential national vegetable?
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 5:46 pm
by Primrose
Not sure I know the answer to that one. If it had to be the mainstay vegetable it would be difficult to do without, it would probably be the potato. But if I hate to name one vegetable without which any major form of cooking would be made intolerable, I guess it would have to be the onion - in our house anyway.
Re: Does Britain have a quitessential national vegetable?
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 9:47 pm
by Ian in Cumbria
I know they were grown in Belgium (hence Brussels), apparently introduced by the Romans, but I have never, ever, seen sprouts served anywhere other than Britain. I'm sure someone will know different......
Regards
Ian
Re: Does Britain have a quitessential national vegetable?
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:04 am
by alan refail
Ian in Cumbria wrote:I know they were grown in Belgium (hence Brussels), apparently introduced by the Romans, but I have never, ever, seen sprouts served anywhere other than Britain. I'm sure someone will know different......
Regards
Ian
Choux de Bruxelles à la moutarde à l'anciennehttp://www.linternaute.com/femmes/cuisi ... enne.shtml
Re: Does Britain have a quitessential national vegetable?
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:51 pm
by The Mouse
alan refail wrote:Ian in Cumbria wrote:I know they were grown in Belgium (hence Brussels), apparently introduced by the Romans, but I have never, ever, seen sprouts served anywhere other than Britain. I'm sure someone will know different......
Regards
Ian
Choux de Bruxelles à la moutarde à l'anciennehttp://www.linternaute.com/femmes/cuisi ... enne.shtml
That recipe sounds quite nice - if I ever get tired of plain lightly-boiled sprouts, I might give it a go!
Re: Does Britain have a quitessential national vegetable?
Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:57 am
by alan refail
...and now from Italy...
Cavolini di bruxelles al gorgonzolaAnother 39 sprout recipes here - including one with pork and nettles
http://www.cucinare.meglio.it/cavolini_ ... elles.html
Re: Does Britain have a quitessential national vegetable?
Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:01 am
by Ian in Cumbria
I know there are lots of international recipes for sprouts but my point remains
Despite travels around Europe, South America, Indian sub-continent and a tiny bit of North America I have never seen sprouts offered either in a restaurant or someone's home. (That's the cue to start internet searches of restaurant menus in Rangoon, Paris, Rio ........). Keep the recipes coming though, I'm always on the lookout for something interesting to do with the things!
Regards
Ian