Vegetarian
If one could possibly sum up the vegetable & fruit family its good health!!!!
Below are some tid bits of which when and where the earliest acknowledgement of some vegetables may have occurred.
Asparagus 2000 years ago around the Mediterranean region
Broccoli 16th Century from Italy
Cabbage family: 18th Century
Cauliflower: 15th Century from Europe
Onions 3500 BC from Asia
Potato(es) 4500 years ago from Peru
Tomatoes 700 AD South Americans
Vegetables
Cooking vegetables definitely varies from size to size, density,
quality, age and freshness for root vegetables such as potatoes, yams
& so forth it is totally understandable and to say that they take
longer to cook than broccoli, spinach and other lighter vegetables.
In a professional kitchen different cuts of vegetables are used
and are cut according to their use, so perhaps if they are preparing
minestrone soup (from scratch) they would use more different shapes and
smaller cuts of vegetables such as paysanne.
There is no doubt about it; the different cuts & variation of
vegetable sizes do add emphasis on flair and the ability of a chef/cook
which truly enhance the appearance. Cuts are as follow:
Brunoise (small dice ½”)
Cut vegetables in to convenient sized lengths
Cut in to ½” slices then ½” strips then ½” squares
Jardinière (batons)
Cut vegetables in to ¾” lengths
Cut in to ¼” slices then cut in to equal sized batons
Julienne (strips)
Cut vegetables in to 1½” long
Cut in to slices then thin equal strips
Macedoine (smaller dice ¼”dice)
Cut vegetables in to convenient sized lengths
Cut in to ¼” slices then ¼” strips then ¼” squares
Mirepoix
Roughly cut vegetables
Paysanne (cut thinly at all times)
½” Triangles
½” Squares
½” Rounds
½” Rough sided rounds