8th July: Eat a Vegetable You've Never Heard of Day

Today is eat a vegetable you've never heard of day. Here are 10 suggestions of vegetables you may not have heard of:

Romanesco Broccoli

1. Fiddleheads: The furled fronds of baby ferns. They are only found in New England, and are not cultivated. People in New England eat them a lot in salads. 
2. Yardlongs: Or Chinese long beans. Basically very long, green beans, although despite their name they are only about half a yard long. They are native to south east Asia and perfect for stir fries.
3. Cassava: A root vegetable similar to a potato, except it has more fibre and potassium, but more calories.
4. Zucchini Blossoms: The flower of the courgette plant, which are gold in colour and can be eaten stuffed with Ricotta cheese.
5. Romanesco broccoli: a cousin of the cauliflower, which looks like a fractal pattern. It tastes mild and sweet, and is high in Vitamin C.
6. Okinawan purple sweet potato: Looks like a normal Potato until you cut or peel it and reveal the purple flesh inside. It is found in Asia and Hawaii and is high in vitamin C, folate, Potassium, calcium, phosphorus and antioxidants, and tastes sweet and nutty.
7. Dandelion greens: Apparently Dandelion leaves can be eaten in salads, or boiled. It tastes slightly bitter and is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, calcium, Iron, potassium and manganese.
8. Samphire, also known as salicornia, sea asparagus or sea beans, looks like a cross between Asparagus and cactus. It's crunchy and slightly salty and can be eaten raw or steamed.
9. Oca is a root vegetable from South America, but it is also popular in New Zealand. There are different varieties with varying tastes. A particularly popular variety is the apricot oca, which tastes of Apricots.
10. Nopales: Popular in Mexico, these are a type of cactus - with the spines removed, of course.