Through the eyes of Paula...
If you ever want to try eating more healthily, consider the following five unique and uncommon vegetables. They might inspire you to incorporate more healthy vegetables into your diet, and inspire you to create new dishes.
1. Sunchoke: Also known as Jerusalem artichokes, they are actually not artichokes at all, but rather are the tuber of a species of sunflower. These root vegetables can be a tasty starch substitute for potatoes. Sunchokes are good sources of thiamin, phosphorus, and potassium. They are also very good sources of iron.
2. Jicama: This is a wonderfully juicy, sweet, and nutty tuber with a distinct crunch. It is most commonly enjoyed raw, but you can cook jicama, too. Its white flesh stays crisp when cooked briefly. The taste is mild, and can be thought of as a savory apple. Jicama is high in carbohydrates in the form of dietary fiber, and is very low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. It is also a good source of potassium and Vitamin C.
3. Fiddleheads: These are a traditional vegetable dish throughout the northeast United States region. These are occasionally served boiled, in a salad or with mayonnaise or butter. One reason they're so rare outside of their native regions is that they are not cultivated — only harvested from the wild — and so are only found locally and seasonally. Foraging for fiddleheads is also for experts only: Much like with mushrooms, not all ferns are edible and some are poisonous. They are packed with nutrients and acclaimed for their succulent flavour. Fiddleheads are full of omega-3 fatty acids and fibre, and contain twice the antioxidant quality of blueberries.
4. Romanesco: This mesmerizing vegetable is actually an exotic variant of the cauliflower. Romanesco is an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber, and carotenoids. It is also known as the Roman cauliflower.
5. Kohlrabi: A relative of wild cabbage, this unique-looking vegetable has been hailed as one of the 150 healthiest foods on Earth. It is most commonly consumed in India, and is a staple in the Kashmiri diet. Fry up the root for some kohlrabi fries, toss the leaves in a salad, or chomp on the crisp, juicy stems for a low-calorie snack.
