Vege with a seasonal edge (+recipes)

Summertime - and where would we be without crisp salads to complement our barbecued meats and cold cuts? And roasted veges to round out celebratory dinners?
KUMARA:
The versatile kumara is excellent hot or cold. Roasted, baked or boiled and mashed, it is an ideal accompaniment for festive meats. However, it also provides a base for some innovative salads.
Combine steamed and cubed kumara with chopped black olives, freshly ground black pepper, capers and cherry tomatoes and toss in a balsamic dressing. Or give kumara an Asian slant with avocado and pickled pink ginger - see the recipe below.

BROAD BEANS:

Many people have a love/hate relationship with broad beans - also known as fava beans. When they are very young and the size of a small fingernail, both the pod and the bean can be cooked and eaten. However, once the beans mature, they must be removed from their pods. The skins of the cooked beans then need to be slipped off for the best colour, flavour and enjoyment.
Broad beans can be tossed into salads, pureed for dips or reheated in a little orange juice and grated orange rind for serving with festive fare.
CABBAGE:
I often think of cabbage as a winter vegetable but having just produced two firm, crisp, flavoursome specimens from my garden, I have been experimenting with summer salads. Thinly shred the cabbage with a finely serrated bread knife that has a flexible blade. Push this against the cabbage to produce the thinnest of shreds. Good combos with cabbage are crisp bacon and diced apple or pineapple and red pepper. Cabbage can also be used in Vietnamese fresh spring rolls and as a base for gado gado.
HISTORY:
Maori brought kumara to this country more than 1000 years ago. The original kumara was small. However, in the 1850s a large American variety was introduced. Now we have the red-skinned and creamy-fleshed kumara plus gold- and orange-fleshed varieties.
The word coleslaw is derived from the Dutch "koolsla", which means cabbage salad. Over the years cabbage has been used to cure acne - freshly prepared cabbage juice is applied, to cure headaches - cabbage leaves are applied to the forehead and nape of the neck and left on overnight; and to relieve the sting from insect bites - crushed cabbage leaves are rubbed over the area.
Broad beans were first cultivated in the Bronze Age (3300-1200BC). They fast became a delicacy in Ancient Egypt, Africa, India, China and Latin America. Broad or fava beans were said to have been included in the original 12th night cake - the cake to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas.
RECIPES

KUMARA, AVOCADO & GINGER SALAD
Ginger  dressing:
1 tsp grated root ginger
1/4 cup lime or lemon juice
1/2 cup Thai-style sweet chilli sauce
Salad:
500g golden or orange kumara
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 each: avocados, spring onions
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Lebanese cucumber, cubed
1/2 cup each: coriander, basil leaves
4 tbsp pickled pink ginger
Whisk the dressing ingredients together and store in the refrigerator for up to two days, if necessary.
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Peel the kumara and cut into 2cm cubes. Place in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with the oil and seasonings. Toss to coat.  Roast for 15 minutes, or until tender. Cool.
Halve, stone, peel and slice the avocados. Slice the spring onions. Combine with the cold kumara, tomatoes and half the coriander, basil and ginger in a large salad bowl.
Top with the remaining herbs and ginger. Drizzle with a little dressing before serving. The remainder can be served on the side. Serves 6-8.

SUPER SLAW
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp each: cider vinegar, mayonnaise, diced shallots, chopped  chives
1 tbsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups finely shredded cabbage
6 radishes, diced
Whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar, mayonnaise, shallots, chives, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Add the cabbage and radishes and toss. Serves 4-6.
MINTED BROAD BEAN DIP
300g shelled broad beans
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 - 3/4 cup cream or plain yoghurt
Boil the beans until tender. Drain and run under cold water to preserve the colour. Remove the skins from the beans (young broad beans will not need to be skinned).
Blend the beans, mint, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth. Season.
Add enough cream or yoghurt to make a dip consistency.
Great served with a selection of crisp vegetables such as carrot and cucumber batons, celery, peppers and radishes. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
INDIAN-SPICED TOMATOES & CABBAGE
2 tbsp rice bran oil
2 tsp each: mustard seeds, cumin seeds
1/2 tsp each: sugar, ground turmeric, chilli paste
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
6 large tomatoes
Squeeze lime juice
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Stir in the seeds, sugar, turmeric, chilli paste, onion and garlic. Stir over medium-low heat until the onion is softened. Add the cabbage and stir-fry for one minute.
Quarter the tomatoes. Add to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are softened. Drizzle with the lime juice.
Great served with a dollop of plain yoghurt and sprinkled with chopped coriander. Serves 6.
MANGO & KUMARA BAKE
500g kumara
425g can sliced mango, drained
1 roasted red pepper (from a jar), drained and diced
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
25g butter
Peel, quarter and boil the kumara until just tender. Slice into a greased baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Coarsely chop the mango and spoon over the kumara together with the red pepper. Sprinkle with the lemon juice, brown sugar and nuts. Dot with the butter. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Serves 6.
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