Quiz: Are You a Vegetable Expert?

Are you a vegetable expert? Do you know your Queensland Blue from your Elephant Garlic? When to plant rhubarb and when to prune autumn raspberries? Try taking our quiz ‐ just for fun ‐ and test your vegetable growing and cooking knowledge.

Growing Vegetables

Do you know what to plant where, and how much space to give it? Do you find that allotment holders come to you for advice? Do you know how to fend off common pests? Take off your gardening gloves and put down that trowel ‐ this part of the quiz tests your growing expertise… (Answers are at the bottom, but no peeping until the end!)

1: What would you use to feed garlic?

A: Nitrogen

B: Manure

C:Potash

2: How far apart should you plant courgettes?

A: 30cm

B: 60cm

C:90cm

3: When does cauliflower most need watering?

A: At seedling stage

B: When it starts to mature

C:Both

4: What is the main aid to pollination for beans?

A: Wind

B: Bees

C:Birds

5: What pest is French Marigold said to deter?

A: Whitefly

B: Greenfly

C:Aphids

6: Which of these takes the longest time to mature?

A: Curly Kale

B: Brussels Sprouts

C:Shallots

7: What family does the cultivar Elephant Garlic belong to?

A: Onion/p>

B: Garlic

C:Leek

8: Which part of the Salsify plant can be eaten?

A: Roots and flowers

B: Petals

C:Root only

9: For rotation purposes, which group does the Turnip belong to?

A: Brassicas

B: Solanaceae (Potatoes)

C:Umbelliferae (Roots)

10: The Three Sisters combination features which three plants?

A: Sweetcorn, tomatoes and squash

B: Sweetcorn, beans and squash

C:Tomatoes, beans and courgettes

Cooking with Vegetables

Are you an expert when it comes to cooking your crops? Take the Veg Expert challenge!

11: What type of fruit is an Anaheim?

A: An orange

B: A squash

C:A chilli

12: Can you eat broad bean pods?

A: Yes, at any time

B: Yes, when young

C:Not at any time

13: How should you freeze potatoes?

A: Parboiled

B: Fully cooked

C:Raw

14: Which of these should NOT be frozen raw?

A: Courgettes

B: Chilli Peppers

C:Blueberries

15: What vegetable is used to make Imam Byaldi?

A: Potato

B: Aubergine

C:Pumpkin

16: Which of these cooking methods should NOT be used for sweet potatoes?

A: Barbecuing

B: Boiling

C:Stir‐frying

17: Which allotment vegetable is traditionally used to make a sweet jam?

A: Courgette

B: Broad Bean

C:Pumpkin

18: What is the key ingredient in classic Borscht?

A: Radish

B: Lettuce

C:Beetroot

19: What are the key ingredients of Aloo Saag?

A: Potatoes and cheese

B: Potatoes and tomatoes

C:Potatoes and spinach

20: Queensland Blue is a variety of which allotment favourite?

A: Potato

B: Squash

C:French Beans

Answers

1: C – potash; wood fire ash is a good source.

2: C – for best yield.

3:C – cauliflower needs water at both stages.

4: B – bees are the main pollinators.

5: A – French Marigolds are useful in the greenhouse for this reason.

6: B – Brussels Sprouts take 30‐36 weeks to mature.

7: C – Elephant Garlic is technically a type of leek.

8: A – you can eat the roots, young shoots and flowers of salsify.

9: A – Turnip is a Brassica.

10: B – the Three Sisters (from central America) features Sweetcorn, beans to climb up the corn, and squash to provide shade at the base of the plants. It will also work with courgettes.

11: C – the Anaheim is a hot chilli pepper.

12: B – broad bean pods become too tough to eat when they’re mature.

13: A – potatoes are best frozen parboiled. If frozen fully cooked, they are liable to disintegrate on thawing.

14: A – courgettes do not freeze well raw and should be cooked, preferably in a stew, before being frozen.

15: B – Imam Byaldi is a famous aubergine dish. Its title means ‘The Imam Fainted’ (from joy).

16: B – sweet potatoes tend to disintegrate if boiled. They can be stir‐fried in small pieces until tender.

17:A – although pumpkin is a chutney favourite, traditionally, courgette is used to make a sweet jam.

18: C – Borscht is a traditional Russian beetroot soup.

19: C – Aloo Gobi is a dry Indian dish of potatoes (aloo) and spinach (saag).

20: B – Queensland Blue is a greyish squash favoured by Sarah Raven.

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