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Vegetables

Stand de légumes sur un marché

Outdoor markets brimful of fresh vegetables are one of the glories of France. Increasingly because of climate change French farmers are looking into légumes oubilés—historic ‘forgotten’ vegetables, some of which have recently come back in fashion, including arroche des jardins, cerfeuil tubéreux and crosne du Japon.

Primeurs means both greengrocers and the first vegetables produced each year, the tender young ones everyone craves when they first come on the market.

This section also includes dishes that star vegetables.

ail

garlic

aillet

baby garlic

arroche des jardins

garden orache

artichaut

artichoke

asperge

asparagus

aubergine

or eggplant

aubergines à la Bonifacienne

stuffed aubergines, Bonifacio style

bagna cauda

hot garlic dip

barigoule

mushroom or artichoke dish

betterave

beetroot

blette

chard

Bonnotte de Noirmoutier

the world’s most expensive spud

calebasse

calabash

cardon

cardoon

carrotte

carrot

cébettes

green onion or scallion

céleri

celery

céleri rave

celeriac

cerfeuil tubéreux

turnip-rooted chervil

chicorée

chicory greens or roots

chou

cabbage

chou cavalier

collard greens

chou kale

kale

chou rave

kohlrabi

chou-fleur

cauliflower

choux de Bruxelles

Brussels sprouts

christophine

chayotte

citrouille

pumpkin

cocos de Paimpol

white beans of Brittany

coeurs de palmier

palm hearts

concombre

cucumber

cornichons

gherkins (pickles)

courge

squash

courgette

or zucchini

cresson

watercress

crique ardéchoise

potato galette

crosne du Japon

Chinese artichoke

crudités

raw vegetable starter

échalote

shallot

endive

chicory (witlof) or Belgian endive

épinards

spinach

escalivada

Catalan roast vegetables

Farci Poitevin

vegan ‘charcuterie’

féculents

starchy foods

fenouil

fennel

feuille de chêne

oak leaf lettuce

fèves

broad beans, but other things, too

flageolets

immature white beans

gesse

grass or Indian pea

gombo

okra (lady fingers)

haricots

beans

igname

yam

jardinière de légumes

mixed vegetables

jets de houblon

hops shoots

julienne de légumes

vegetables cut in thin strips

laitue

lettuce

légume

vegetable

lentilles

lentils

mâche

lamb’s lettuce or cornsalad

maïs doux

corn

mesclun

mixed salad greens

navet

turnip

oignon

onion

oignons de Roscoff

pink onions from Brittany

orties

nettles

pak choï

bok choy or pak choy

panais

parsnip

patacons

potatoes cooked under a cloche

patate douce

sweet potato

petits farcis

little stuffed vegetables

petits pois

garden peas

piquillos

Basque sweet red peppers

pissenlit

dandelion

poireau

leek

pois chiche

chickpea (garbanzo beans)

pois gourmands

snow peas

poivron

bell pepper

pommes de terre

potatoes

potiron

pumpkin

pourpier

purslane

pousses

sprouts

radis

radish

raifort

horseradish

ratatouille

summer vegetables

raves salées

choucroute, Franche-Comté style

roquette

rocket or arugala

rutabaga

or swede

salade

salad—or lettuce

salicorne

marsh samphire or glasswort

salsifis

salsify

soja

soy

sucrine

‘little gem’ lettuce

tian

deconstructed ratatouille

tomate

tomato

tomatille

tomatillo

topinambour

Jerusalem artichoke

trébons

special long onions

Text © Dana Facaros

Image by Campus France