SINGAPORE — Remember how your mother had to coax you into eating your veggies? These days, mums around the world have famous allies in that department. Vegetables have earned a reputation for being trendy among gastro fashionistas and chefs alike. Sometimes, all it takes is a Hollywood A-lister such as Blake Lively or Gwyneth Paltrow to come clean about their favourite vegetables to have with a straw to make beetroot and kale, respectively, as fashionable as babies in Birkin bags.

And if you thought nothing says “hip to be healthy” like a Jawbone fitness bracelet, you’re quite right. But that’s not to say fashion can’t also be delectably pragmatic, like drinking Hic’ cold-pressed juices during this year’s Singapore Fashion Week. In fact, why not have your kale and flaunt it too? One of the three new blends Hic’Juice has launched as the event’s official juice is aptly named Kaledashians, which is essentially a modish green melange of kale, apple and cucumber mixed with coconut water.

However, nothing says you’ve arrived more than an inventive five-course menu of exquisitely crafted dishes dedicated to the purity of artisan vegetables at one of Asia’s best restaurants.

“I personally do not follow trends, and believe in using the best seasonal ingredients available,” said JAAN’s chef de cuisine Julien Royer, who added that he has been using varieties such as asparagus, wild asparagus, wild garlic, garden peas and broad beans, “as they are the freshest during the current spring season”.

Still, there are trending vegetables such as micro greens and some root varieties that do well all year round under the deft hands of these top chefs. Like Royer, Corner House’s Jason Tan’s unique love for vegetables surpasses the norm. His “Gastro-Botanica” cuisine is about elevating vegetables to the same prominence as the proteins on the plate, while his new menu also boasts a dish featuring more than 30 different vegetables and more than eight ways to prepare them.

More fruit than vegetable, heirloom tomatoes are also taking on bigger roles at the dinner table. Their varying colour translates to varying flavours, said Fusae Enomoto, a certified fruit and vegetable meister by Tokyo-based Japan Vegetable & Fruit Meister Association. She added that “carrots of different colour and purple turnip are also gaining some attention”. Well, here’s a look at a few more garden varieties enjoying their perennial fifteen minutes.

BEETROOT

This devilishly delish taproot portion of the beet plant might be a staple in some cultures, but it is quickly gaining prominence in more modern and freestyling menus. Many say it owes its fame to the fact that it’s low in fat and high in essential nutrients and powerful antioxidants. But cook it right — slow-cooked to bring out its naturally sweet flavours — and this is also an ideal appetiser when paired with a little feta, some homemade ricotta and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds, like what you can find on Moosehead’s revamped menu. Meanwhile, Corner House’s beetroot tartare — both the red and golden variety — are marinated with a little red wine and sherry vinegar, and pairs well with smoked eel, 24-months Comte, horseradish, walnut and black garlic. Like baby aubergines, turnips and carrots, “juvenile” beetroot is also increasingly popular at restaurants.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE

Okay, so this isn’t really an artichoke but a variety of sunflower, also known as sunchoke. It’s also a tuber plant that wasn’t very popular given its reputation as a staple food during World War II. Today, this “rediscovered” sweet and nutty gem has been steadily earning a seasonal feature at the dinner table, particularly at French outfits, in the form of purees and soups, pairing nicely with another increasingly global veg — horseradish. St Pierre’s Emmanuel Stroobant prefers to serve Jerusalem artichoke raw with either lemon or truffle oil and fresh chopped chives, as the flavour, he explained, is more prevalent when raw. Also, this winter vegetable’s flavours are stronger and sweeter in season.

PERUVIAN CORN

Peruvian ingredients have been steadily garnering much interest, with some becoming quite sought-after. This has a lot to do with the cuisine’s recognition on the world stage the last three to four years, as more Peruvian chefs and restaurants make the world’s best lists. It’s so new, the first time Chef Jason Tan tried it was two months ago at a special event at Ola Concina Del Mar. Tan enjoyed the texture of the extremely large, meaty kernels (that were served in a Peruvian ceviche) so much, he began serving it at his restaurant the following month.

CAULIFLOWER

Yes, this is the next coolest thing to come out of the hip bistronomy movement — helped along by a resurgence of the charcoal grill: The cauliflower steak. A large portion of the veg is roasted whole in a wood-fire oven or charcoal oven, or over a bincho grill. It’s an unassuming vegetable, no doubt, but cooked simply, the cauliflower’s delicate nutty and earthy flavours are a joy. They’re also subtle enough to pair with a wide variety of ingredients, from hazelnuts and dried fruits to more familiar spices such as cumin and coriander. You can also cook it in milk or serve it as a puree. Or have it at Joel Robuchon Restaurant via its pour commencer of imperial caviar with crustacean jelly and “cauliflower smoothness”.