Carrots. None in the shops equal fresh garden ones, and the jet-spray washed ones are awful. Gardeners should plant ‘Early Nantes’. In the shops watch for the very first English ones for flavour, also the Dutch and French ones are very fine. Otherwise you can improve them by bringing out the flavour with a final sauté in butter to caramelize the sugar content.
Cauliflower. Buy them with plenty of leaf protecting the white part, and they will keep several days. The white must be hard and not discoloured. Cauliflower can be mashed and creamed, or puréed, with beaten egg, and steamed like a custard pudding. It can be fried or poached in stock. It can be served hot with a cheese sauce or fried almonds or chopped hard egg yolk as a garnish. It can be allowed to cool, and dressed with vinaigrette or deep-fried in batter. Or use it raw in salads.
Celeriac. Is a rough-looking root of a certain celery plant. Peel it, then treat the inside like a potato—cook it in salted water, drain, then roll it in butter.
Celery. Go for the large size with fresh-looking greenery still attached. If you can choose, buy the soil-encrusted ones. Wash well just before using it. Braise it in the oven with a little butter (well-fitting lid on casserole). The heart can be removed and gently fried. The extreme leaves are left in a warm place to dry, then used as a flavouring for soups and stews. Add pieces of celery to a stew five minutes before serving to get a crunchy fresh taste. Dip it into fondue or any cheese sauce, or spread cream cheese into hollow side for canapés.
Corn on the Cob. Choose large plump ears with even-sized kernels. Each kernel should be very juicy inside. Corn should be stripped of its outer leaf and put into fast-boiling, unsalted water for 10-20 minutes. Serve with plenty of melted butter, and a large napkin for wiping the mouth.
Cherries. Many varieties, when the season hits us. Napoleon is one fine example (piebald yellow and red), but unless you are sure of your knowledge, or your greengrocer, choose the darkest varieties for eating. Morello is a piquant cherry for cooking in pies or compotes.
Chicory (French: endive). Is like a small white artillery shell. It needs no washing and can be served raw, or braised (with stock or butter), but be sure that the tips of the leaf are yellow, not green. You will note that in England endive is a curly-leaved salad vegetable, which in U.S.A. is called escarole, and in France, chicorée. So sort that lot out.
Chillies. Are tiny red or green pods. They are very, very hot. Use them to flavour vinegar by leaving a couple in the bottle, or use them with discretion in a curry recipe. Note that long cooking lessens the strength somewhat. Unused chillies can be left to dry to a crisp, then stored in a jar. Warning: don’t wipe your eyes after handling them.
Clementines. Are a type of tangerine without seeds. The Italian ones are the best. They are never very cheap.
Courgettes. Tiny marrows. Buy them only less than five inches long, cook gently without peeling until they are tender. Serve with butter.
Courgettes with Walnuts. Fry the tiny marrows in oil for five minutes (with a little onion if you wish). Add a little wine and water and a squeeze of lemon juice. Cook for ten minutes, then add walnuts.
Cranberries. In the late autumn they are widely available. Serve cooked unsweetened cranberries with game or poultry.
Cucumbers. Rough-skinned outdoor ones are richer in flavour, although sometimes a little bitter. Go for long slim ones. Colour doesn’t matter except that yellowness is not good. Always cut them into chunks, and, unless you hate it, leave the skin on, for this makes them more digestible. Serve them lightly and very slowly cooked in butter, or raw; either way sour cream makes a great dressing.
Custard Apples. Large green fruit with creamy flesh. Eat it as it is. It is good with sugar and cream.
Endive (French: chicorée). It has a mild bitterness. In France it is often served cooked. Neither way is it very interesting to me, but use it as a salad vegetable, or braise it in stock or butter if you want to give it a whirl.
Fennel. Looks like potbellied celery, tastes like liquorice. Slice it or leave it whole, braise it or leave it raw.
Figs. Fresh figs make a pleasant end to a meal. Only the soft red inside is eaten. Sometimes cream is served with them, but a good one will stand alone.
Dried Figs. Ugh.
French Beans. Stringless, tender and flavourful. Cook them whole with butter. Gardeners should try ‘The Prince’.
Globe Artichokes. Avoid ones with any trace of purple flower.
Gooseberries. Go for Sussex-grown ones. Some varieties are very sour, but are excellent for jams and jellies.
Grapes. Endless varieties from countless countries. Unless you are an expert, go for the dark ones (same for cherries). Colmar is a type of grape grown in many places. The English Colmar is a superb dessert grape. Belgian and South African Colmar are almost as good. Small seedless grapes from various Mediterranean countries are a treat, unless you enjoy chewing the pips, and eating them, too, as they do in most grape-growing areas.
Grapefruit. Keep well. Buy heavy ones, they will be juiciest.
Green Beans. Must snap when broken and should be moist inside. Fry some chopped bacon and a diced red pepper (don’t use the seeds). When cooked, add vinegar and sugar in about equal quantities. Some cooks add mustard or pepper sauce to this recipe. When sugar has dissolved, pour this over cooked beans. Mix well. Serve. (Wax beans are the yellow ones.)
Greengages. A member of the plum family. Unless you know someone who grows them you will be best advised to buy French ones. South African are quite good.
Green Peppers (Capsicums, Pimentoes or Sweet Peppers). Are a large firm vegetable, sometimes red, according to how long they are left to grow. Remove all the seeds, which are very peppery; the flesh can be eaten raw. In the Middle East they favour their green peppers scorched. In England they are generally stuffed with meat and rice, and cooked in a moderate oven. A simple way, however, is to quarter them, remove seeds, brush with oil and bake for 15 minutes at Regulo 4 (350° F.).
Japanese Artichokes are small twisted ones. Treat just like Jerusalem artichokes.
Jerusalem Artichokes are strange relatives of the sunflower, and have a delicate earthy taste. They are tricky to peel, so go for the smoothest ones. Boil or steam them until tender (30 minutes?), then peel them, roll in butter, serve. Another popular way is to sieve the skins away from purée after cooking, using the purée for soup, or adding cream and butter before serving as a vegetable. They can be eaten raw.
Kale. A rather tough cabbage-type vegetable with a taste resembling the spinach family. Gardeners should try ‘Asparagus Kale’.
Leeks. Suspect any that are too carefully manicured. Small, even-sized ones are better in flavour than the very large ones. Leeks are superb braised in butter or stock. Serve them with a sauce (e.g. cheese), or make a leek-and-potato soup with a dash of cream. This latter is very good served chilled.
Lemons. Bad skins do not always indicate bad fruit, but the skin is a valuable item in kitchen and bar.
Lettuce. Buy fresh, sprightly ones that haven’t been standing in water to revive them. Don’t buy ones that already have the outer leaves removed, they are probably ancient. Ask for a ‘Webbs Wonder’, which is an especially crisp variety. Imported lettuces are just as good as home-grown, providing they are fresh. Gardeners might like ‘Webbs Wonder’, too.
Limes. These are less common than lemons. The juice is exquisite—iced