Give your veg the edge with these techniques

Get creative with mash combos

Mashed potatoes are so last century. Try combinations like mashed cauliflower and roast garlic; butternut, sage and garlic or parsnips with crème fraîche and chives. Add truffle or chilli oil to taste. Or make a dip with a difference: mash 6–8 cooked, puréed beetroot with the zest of 1 orange, the juice of 2 oranges and 3 T almond butter. Season to taste.

Massage your greens

Rub kale leaves with olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar (or anything other acidic ingredient), and a pinch of salt until wilted. This makes kale easier to digest. Toss with walnuts, mango and goat’s cheese and serve as a salad or side dish.

Braai a whole pumpkin

Wrap a pumpkin in wax paper and tin foil and place in to medium smouldering coals. Roast for 1½ hours, or until soft. Remove from the coals and cool slightly. Unwrap and serve with salsa verde and thick plain yoghurt. Season to taste.

Sear cucumber (it’s a thing, really)

Halve cucumbers lengthways, then cut into thirds. Char the cut sides in a hot, dry pan. Squeeze over lime juice and sprinkle with sea salt. Delicious eaten with fish cakes! Searing and blackening other veg like peppers, baby marrows or brinjals gives them a wonderful smoky flavour.

Spiralise your veg

Give cucumber, carrots, potatoes, celeriac and baby marrows a twist! Make Asian-inspired salads with raw cucumber and carrot spirals, or twirl spiralised potato or celeriac around a greased rolling pin to make crispy circles for a showstopping garnish.

Ready to try these new ways with your favourite veg? Stock up on fresh produce from Woolies – farmed with tomorrow in mind (using water, fertiliser and pesticides responsibly) through Woolies’ Farming for the Future programme.