Artichoke is one of the popular winter months edible flower bud of Mediterranean origin. Known as "Ankinara" in Greek, its use as a vegetable is well known to the ancient Greeks and Romans who advocated it for its medicinal and health benefiting qualities. Botanically, it belongs within the thistle family (Asteraceae), in the genus: Cynara. Scientific name: Cyanara scolymus.
Globe artichoke grows up to 1.5-2 m tall, with arching, deeply lobed, silvery-green leaves about 0.5 m long. If left alone, beautiful light pink, or purple flowers develop forming a large head from the edible buds. The bud is composed of compactly arranged triangular scales in a whorl-fashion around a central "choke."
Juicy, sweet, and renowned for its concentration of vitamin C, oranges make the perfect snack and add a special tang to many recipes; it is no wonder that they are one of the most popular fruits in the world. Oranges are generally available from winter through summer with seasonal variations depending on the variety.
Lemons, scientifically known asCitrus limon, are more commonly known as the fruit that evokes images of sunshine and the sweet smiles of children standing roadside at their homemade lemonade stands.
Although lemons and limes may not be what you would choose for an afternoon snack, we consider them as powerhouses when we want to bring out the flavor of other foods. Lemons are oval in shape and feature a yellow, texturized outer peel. Like other citrus fruits, their inner flesh is encased in eight to ten segments.
Wonderfully delicious peaches are low in calories (100 g just provide 39 calories), and contain no saturated fats. Nonetheless, they are packed with numerous health promoting compounds, minerals, and vitamins.
The peach plant is described as a small, deciduous tree that grows upto 25 to 30 feet tall, and widely grown inside the United States, Europe, and China for its juicy fruits. There are several cultivars of peach grown all over the world which differ in their color, size and growing characteristics based upon their regions of origin.
Cabbage has a round shape and is composed of superimposed leaf layers. It is a member of the food family traditionally known as cruciferous vegetables and is related to kale, broccoli, collards and Brussels sprouts. All cruciferous vegetables provide integrated nourishment across a wide variety of nutritional categories and provide broad support across a wide variety of body systems as well.