Category: Featured Produce
When you need a smaller alternative to a big winter squash, sweet dumpling squash is the answer. About the size of an extra large apple, this single-serving squash usually weighs under one pound apiece and is shaped like a miniature pumpkin due to the scalloped lobes that form the rind. The skin is often white with mottled yellow, orange, and/or green markings. Inside, the flesh is smooth, tender, and sweet, with a bright orange color. Like all winter squash, it’s a great source of vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, and fiber. (more…)
If you ever see a salad green referred to as “rocket,” it’s simply another name for arugula, or roquette in French. Yet another brassicaceae along with kale and cauliflower, its delightfully pungent leaves have been cultivated in the Mediterranean since time was recorded. As such, arugula is a perennial favorite in Italian cooking. (more…)
Eggplant is a member of the Solanaceae, or “nightshade,” family of vegetables, which also includes tomatoes, sweet peppers, and potatoes. As you already noticed, they come in a variety of shapes and colors. While the varieties exhibit slightly different tastes and textures, generally eggplants have a pleasantly bitter taste and spongy texture. (more…)
Onions are part of the allium family of vegetables and herbs, which also includes chives, garlic, scallions, and leeks. Allium vegetables have been cultivated for centuries for their characteristic, pungent flavors and for their medicinal properties – these vegetables have been linked to a lower risk of certain cancers, including stomach and colorectal. A nutrient-dense food, onions are low in calories and high in beneficial nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. (more…)
Hakurei turnips are a Japanese salad turnip. They are sweet and much softer than a regular turnip, and rarely need to be peeled; just wash and trim the root ends. The leaves are also edible but should be eaten within 1-2 days. Wrapped tightly in plastic, the turnips can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (more…)
Garden, or English peas, are your standard “pea in a pod.” They have more nutrients and calories than snow or sugar snap peas and are a bit more work as they need to be shelled. Garden peas are sweet and succulent for three to four days after they are picked, but turn mushy and starchy very quickly after harvesting. So use them fast! (more…)
Sugar snap peas, unlike last week’s garden peas, have edible pods that are filled with plump sweet peas. Use them quickly as they lose their flavor and structure when stored. They can be eaten raw, but are best when cooked, requiring little time: steam sugar snaps for about 4 minutes.
Sugar snap peas are a member of the legume family and are a good source of folate, vitamins A and C, and zinc.
Radicchio, along with Belgian and curly endive, frisée, and escarole, are members of the leafy chicory family. Radicchio is characterized by variegated purplish-red leaves that can be a touch bitter and spicy, which is why it is generally used as a component, rather than the main ingredient, in most salads. (more…)
Romanesco cauliflower is a member of the Brassica family, which includes cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and kale. This unique cauliflower originated and was first identified in the 16th century in Italy. Sometimes called Romanesco broccoli, it looks nothing like broccoli and its flavor is much milder and sweeter than either broccoli or cauliflower. (more…)
In the south, it’s available year-round, but for the rest of us, summer is a great time to take advantage of fresh okra. While it looks like a ridged pepper, okra belongs to the same family as hibiscus and cotton, and likely came to the U.S. from Africa more than three centuries ago. (more…)
