Summer vegetables – from the field to the table!
Vegetables are a varied and diverse group, in shapes, colours, flavours, etc.
They are very rich in essential nutrients. Many of them are at their best in the summer: tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, peppers, courgette, aubergine, lettuce… Right now they are at their maximum flavor, texture, colour and all at a very affordable price – ideal to enjoy!
Why are vegetables so interesting?
In summer, the markets are filled with colour and now that the weather is hot, the culinary possiblities are endless:
- Gazpacho
- Salmorejo
- Salads
Vegetables are our main source of vitamins, minerals and fibre, which are essential for our body.
While they all have many and various types of vitamins and minerals, we’re going to look at a few. Red peppers and tomatoes stand out for their vitamin C content, and vitamin A along with carrots.
Lettuce and leafy greens like spinach are rich in vitamin B. Cucumber, courgette and aubergine are rich in potassium. Remember, the more varied your diet is, the richer in nutrients it is! This is why you should vary it as much as you can.
How often should we eat vegetables?
It is recommended to eat at least two servings of vegetables a day, with one serving being about 200 or 250 grams of this food group.
Additionally, one of the two servings should be raw, a salad or gazpacho. This is because when you cook vegetables, especially by boiling, because the temperature may cause the vegetables to lose some of the vitamins and minerals they contain.
Cooking methods
The recommended cooking methods to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients for this food group are:
- Steaming
- Baking
- Grilling
- Sautéeing baked in paper
These are all dry cooking methods, as boiling causes many minerals pass into the cooking water, which also makes it useful.
A perfect summer dish is grilled or barbecued vegetables such as aubergine, courgette, peppers, asparagus…with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and slices of Jamón Ibérico Argal…mmmmm!