Flower Vegetables Flowers are the plant’s blooms. Artichokes and cauliflower are two common flower vegetables. The best quality flower vegetables are crisp and firm (Figure 15.7). Look for closed flower clusters on broccoli. Yellow buds mean broccoli is old and strongly flavored. Fruit Vegetables As you learned, fruits are the plant’s seed envelope. Fruit vegetables contain the plant’s seeds just like other types of fruit. In fact, fruit vegetables really are fruits. Because they are not as sweet as drupes, pomes, and other fruits, they are commonly referred to as fruit vegetables. Avocados and plantains are considered a fruit when combined with sweet ingredients. However, they are categorized as a vegetable when they are part of savory dishes, such as guacamole dip and sautéed plantains. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplant are also examples of fruit vegetables. The freshest fruit vegetables are firm and heavy. They have no spots, wrinkles, or bruises (Figure 15.8). Flower Vegetables Flower Vegetables Flower vegetables grow above the soil. Artichoke Broccoflower Broccoli Cauliflower Left to right, top to bottom: Binh Thanh Bui/Shutterstock.com Simon Bratt/Shutterstock.com Nik Merkulov/Shutterstock.com Egor Rodynchenko/Shutterstock.com Cauliflower vector: Kalinin Ilya/Shutterstock.com Figure 15.7 Crisp, firm flower vegetables are the best quality. Fruit Vegetables Fruit Vegetables Fruit vegetables grow above the soil. Cucumber Eggplant Okra Peppers Summer Squash Tomatillo Tomato Winter Squash Left to right, top to bottom: Anna Sedneva/Shutterstock.com bergamont/Shutterstock.com Elena Schweitzer/Shutterstock.com Bozena Fulawka/Shutterstock.com Elena Schweitzer/Shutterstock.com Binh Thanh Bui/Shutterstock.com Tim UR/Shutterstock.com Hong Vo/Shutterstock.com Tomato vector: Dreamcreation/Shutterstock.com Figure 15.8 Fruit vegetables contain the seeds of the plant. Note the many tiny seeds inside these fruit vegetables. Adventures in Food and Nutrition Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 358