Sweat
Sweat Pronounce it: sw-ett To cook food, generally vegetables, over a low heat, using a small amount of fat (vegan butter is often used, or a half-half mix of vegan butter and olive oil). This…
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Saffron
Saffron Pronounce it: sah-fron The stigma of a type of crocus, saffron threads have a pungent and distinctive aroma and flavour – slightly bitter, a little musty, and with a suggestion of something floral. It’s…
Spring greens
Spring greens Pronounce it: sp-ring gr-eens Spring greens are the first cabbages of the year. They have fresh, loose heads without the hard heart of other cabbages. Availability Spring greens are at their peak from…
Sourdough
Sourdough Pronounce it: sow–er-doh Sourdough is a method of leavening bread, based on uncooked bread dough (known as ‘mother dough’ or ‘sourdough starter’) that has soured and been populated by natural air-borne yeasts. It’s likely to…
Spring onion
Spring onion Pronounce it: sp-ring un-yun Also known as scallions or green onions, spring onions are in fact very young onions, harvested before the bulb has had a chance to swell. Both the long, slender…
Sage
Sage Pronounce it: sa-age Popular in both Italian and British cookery, sage has long, grey-green leaves with a slightly furry surface. Its aroma is pungent and it has a strong, slightly minty, musky taste. Traditionally,…
Swiss chard
Swiss chard Pronounce it: swiss shard Also known as plain chard, Swiss chard has large, fleshy, tender, deep green leaves and thick, crisp stalks. Although they’re unrelated, chard is similar to spinach, but with a stronger, more…
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut Pronounce it: sow-er-krowt A diet staple of Germany and much of Central Europe, this is finely sliced cabbage subjected to lactic-acid fermentation. The process begins by adding salt to prepared cabbage; this draws liquid…
Sweetcorn
Sweetcorn Pronounce it: sw-eet corn Also known as corn on the cob, sweetcorn is composed of rows of tightly packed golden yellow kernels, growing along a tough central core. When ripe, the kernels are sweet…
Sweet potato
Sweet potato Pronounce it: sweet po-tate-toe Sweet potatoes have a creamy texture and a sweet-spicy flavour that makes them ideal for savoury dishes. There are two types, one with bright orange flesh, the other with…