For the love of Produce...

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  • Safari_Gal
    Safari_Gal Posts: 888 Member
    purplefizzy wrote: »
    flew9v7c90zd.jpeg

    And the Produce Darling of the day.... watermelon radish!

    Whoa!!! Love!
  • swirlybee
    swirlybee Posts: 497 Member
    purplefizzy wrote: »
    Bitter melon is a winner. Slices and salted, rinsed. Quick par-boil and then roasted with ginger/garlic/soy/sesame. It was still bitter but delish.
    That gives me an idea. The way my mom has always made bitter melon is sort of like a loose omelette concoction with stir fried bitter melon and tomatoes, sauced with miso, mirin, and soy sauce. Since you roasted yours, I would add roasted cherry tomatoes. I bet that would taste fantastic.
    purplefizzy wrote: »
    Opo squash: nice. Crisp and refreshing raw.
    Did you eat it by itself or in a salad? With or without the peel?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,784 Member
    purplefizzy wrote: »

    <snip-a-roo for reply length>

    Mamey was disappointing. I either didn’t let it get properly ripe or it was just a dud. It’s nature, stuff happens.

    <more snipification>

    I lummesome good mamey, but they're rarely available here. When they are available, they aren't always suitably ripe, and it isn't always easy to tell. I've had zero luck with trying to home-ripen under-ripe ones: They just get brown and icky inside. If anyone has any useful insight on ways to let them ripen further, I'd welcome them. When they're at the right stage, it's all creamy-custardy yet firm rich fruity deliciousness.

    Shifting gears:

    Has anyone tried cooking jackfruit seeds? I usually only buy small chunks (live alone), so only have a tiny number of seeds, maybe half a dozen, so haven't bothered. If you've tried it, are they worth it?
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    purplefizzy wrote: »
    flew9v7c90zd.jpeg

    And the Produce Darling of the day.... watermelon radish!

    Omg these are beautiful!!! I buy radishes every week. They are so good both raw and cooked. They are such an underrated veggie. Most people don't even know what they are when I have them in my lunch, haha!
  • swirlybee
    swirlybee Posts: 497 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Has anyone tried cooking jackfruit seeds? I usually only buy small chunks (live alone), so only have a tiny number of seeds, maybe half a dozen, so haven't bothered. If you've tried it, are they worth it?
    It's not that much work to cook them. Boil them in salted water for about 45 minutes (or until soft). Peel the skin off and eat. They taste a bit like chestnuts.

  • purplefizzy
    purplefizzy Posts: 594 Member
    swirlybee wrote: »
    purplefizzy wrote: »
    Opo squash: nice. Crisp and refreshing raw.
    Did you eat it by itself or in a salad? With or without the peel?

    Peeled, diced into about 1/2 inch cubes, and tossed in a mega salad with a fish sauce based dressing and a peanut sauce drizzle :)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,784 Member
    Pretty nice ripe whole pineapple only 88 cents at Kroger the other day. A little messy, but I can deal . . . especially as I love the slightly pithy core, which I only get when I buy them whole. Yum!m4quu5vcyrs9.jpg
  • purplefizzy
    purplefizzy Posts: 594 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Pretty nice ripe whole pineapple only 88 cents at Kroger the other day. A little messy, but I can deal . . . especially as I love the slightly pithy core, which I only get when I buy them whole. Yum!m4quu5vcyrs9.jpg

    I thought I was alone in that!
    I also like the ribs of romaine. My grandma used to trim them out and I ate them as fast as she trimmed them.
  • purplefizzy
    purplefizzy Posts: 594 Member
    af7kxhgiau3q.jpeg

    All-the-produce-things Bowl.

    Cabbage/jicima/chayote slaw on bottom, plus-
    Red bell matchsticks, roughly chopped sweet peas, Avocado, Mint, dill, scallion.
    Tossed in fish sauce-lime-ginger-sesame oil vinaigrette.
    Roasted kabocha on top.
    Peanut sauce (peanut flour, garlic, ginger, soy, sesame oil, lime juice, chile) and herb slurry drizzled to finish (mint, cilantro, red wine vinegar, S/P.)
  • Safari_Gal
    Safari_Gal Posts: 888 Member
    n58goy49fk61.jpeg

    Produce lovers - I couldn’t resist, it is baby Bok Choy 🥬 season! They look like tulip bulbs to me. 🌷
  • purplefizzy
    purplefizzy Posts: 594 Member
    Safari_Gal wrote: »
    n58goy49fk61.jpeg

    Produce lovers - I couldn’t resist, it is baby Bok Choy 🥬 season! They look like tulip bulbs to me. 🌷

    The people who really know my heart romance me with apples and spinach... I think those are every bit as lovely as tulips :)
  • amwestness
    amwestness Posts: 3 Member
    Love this thread! I thought I was eating a good variety of veggies, but I'm realizing I need to up my game! I've never been a huge fan of squash, always tastes a bit bland and watery to me, but I'm inspired to try some different varieties and cooking methods. Keep the recipes coming!
  • purplefizzy
    purplefizzy Posts: 594 Member
    amwestness wrote: »
    Love this thread! I thought I was eating a good variety of veggies, but I'm realizing I need to up my game! I've never been a huge fan of squash, always tastes a bit bland and watery to me, but I'm inspired to try some different varieties and cooking methods. Keep the recipes coming!

    Winter squash is tragic if not done right, because the sugars come out from deep heat and the texture gets both meaty and firm. Depending on the age of the squash, you may need to cook longer to get the texture right.

    I’m a lazy and efficiently-loving hack, so I often par-cook in microwave and the finish in oven, with S/P seasonings and a must of some form of fat (I like coconut oil spray.)



  • JennyRATL
    JennyRATL Posts: 199 Member
    edited April 2019
    I am bookmarking this thread!
    @purplefizzy I need someone like you in my life to cook for me! I am lazy and uninspired. But if I had someone making your dishes for me, I'd try them all! They look so good.
    I don't know why, but I never branch out to try new veggies/veggie recipes, especially if a recipe has other ingredients I'm not familiar with. And we have a phenomenal farmer's market where I live. I just don't like the idea of spending $ on something my family and I won't like. I need to get over this.
    Making excuses, I know.
    But visiting this thread for inspiration! These dishes look absolutely beautiful and yummy.
  • purplefizzy
    purplefizzy Posts: 594 Member
    JennyRATL wrote: »
    I am bookmarking this thread!
    @purplefizzy I need someone like you in my life to cook for me! I am lazy and uninspired. But if I had someone making your dishes for me, I'd try them all! They look so good.
    I don't know why, but I never branch out to try new veggies/veggie recipes, especially if a recipe has other ingredients I'm not familiar with. And we have a phenomenal farmer's market where I live. I just don't like the idea of spending $ on something my family and I won't like. I need to get over this.
    Making excuses, I know.
    But visiting this thread for inspiration! These dishes look absolutely beautiful and yummy.

    Totally get wanting to avoid food waste.
    I certainly have my fair share of ‘misses’ still - bought some crazy looking coconuts which turned out to be devoid of meat, guess there is a whole world of coconut-know-how I could delve into...
    I tend to pull my phone out and browse for info/recipes/method in the store (while hiding in a corner and trying not to be the oblivious sod on their phone blocking the aisle...) if it’s something new. I used to just randomly buy stuff and figure it out when I got home but wound up with some stuff I was really overwhelmed by (burdock, I’m looking at you!)

    I kind of figure I do my best. Sometimes I just wind up not liking something. I will toss it then, as I’m pretty committed to only eating stuff that makes me happy. Luckily my neighbors have chickens so I don’t have to deal with my refusal to compost guilt.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,784 Member
    edited April 2019
    purplefizzy wrote: »
    amwestness wrote: »
    Love this thread! I thought I was eating a good variety of veggies, but I'm realizing I need to up my game! I've never been a huge fan of squash, always tastes a bit bland and watery to me, but I'm inspired to try some different varieties and cooking methods. Keep the recipes coming!

    Winter squash is tragic if not done right, because the sugars come out from deep heat and the texture gets both meaty and firm. Depending on the age of the squash, you may need to cook longer to get the texture right.

    I’m a lazy and efficiently-loving hack, so I often par-cook in microwave and the finish in oven, with S/P seasonings and a must of some form of fat (I like coconut oil spray.)

    Perhaps your experience differs, but I wonder if one of the issues people sometimes have with squash is picking the acorn squash, which is fairly small so not as daunting . . . but IME is one of the more likely to be watery (or fibrous) and not nearly as hearty-tasting as some others. It used to be that the biggest, scariest squashes (of the widely-available squashes) were the best tasting IMO (Hubbard, I'm lookin' at you).

    The widely available versions around here in quantity in my youth tended to be the mainstream long-keepers (Butternut is the poster child, and that's the one I grew up with: Tasty enough, but not as rich or sweet tasting as some others). I think some of the butternuts are smaller now than the ones we used to grow and see in stores (but they were always much smaller than Hubbard). I don't know why kabocha were not much grown/sold here, as I think the older types are at least medium to long keepers,

    Now we're getting more of the less-long-keeping heirlooms that are really tasty, and some newer varieties (Delicata, Sweet Dumpling, the Banana Squash types I love so much, etc.), to some extent at grocery stores, and in huge variety at the farmers markets, and some of them are smaller sized as well.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,784 Member
    edited April 2019
    purplefizzy wrote: »
    JennyRATL wrote: »
    I am bookmarking this thread!
    @purplefizzy I need someone like you in my life to cook for me! I am lazy and uninspired. But if I had someone making your dishes for me, I'd try them all! They look so good.
    I don't know why, but I never branch out to try new veggies/veggie recipes, especially if a recipe has other ingredients I'm not familiar with. And we have a phenomenal farmer's market where I live. I just don't like the idea of spending $ on something my family and I won't like. I need to get over this.
    Making excuses, I know.
    But visiting this thread for inspiration! These dishes look absolutely beautiful and yummy.

    Totally get wanting to avoid food waste.
    I certainly have my fair share of ‘misses’ still - bought some crazy looking coconuts which turned out to be devoid of meat, guess there is a whole world of coconut-know-how I could delve into...
    I tend to pull my phone out and browse for info/recipes/method in the store (while hiding in a corner and trying not to be the oblivious sod on their phone blocking the aisle...) if it’s something new. I used to just randomly buy stuff and figure it out when I got home but wound up with some stuff I was really overwhelmed by (burdock, I’m looking at you!)

    I kind of figure I do my best. Sometimes I just wind up not liking something. I will toss it then, as I’m pretty committed to only eating stuff that makes me happy. Luckily my neighbors have chickens so I don’t have to deal with my refusal to compost guilt.

    Yeah, that's (the bolded) my strategy, too. And Tomek's "buy small the first time", usually, too. I'm lucky that most of my new finds are either at farmers markets or at a huge local multi-ethnic produce store, where things are usually sold in bulk, so buying onesies is an option.

    So many fun/worthwhile things that have become part of my regular rotation!
  • purplefizzy
    purplefizzy Posts: 594 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    purplefizzy wrote: »
    amwestness wrote: »
    Love this thread! I thought I was eating a good variety of veggies, but I'm realizing I need to up my game! I've never been a huge fan of squash, always tastes a bit bland and watery to me, but I'm inspired to try some different varieties and cooking methods. Keep the recipes coming!

    Winter squash is tragic if not done right, because the sugars come out from deep heat and the texture gets both meaty and firm. Depending on the age of the squash, you may need to cook longer to get the texture right.

    I’m a lazy and efficiently-loving hack, so I often par-cook in microwave and the finish in oven, with S/P seasonings and a must of some form of fat (I like coconut oil spray.)

    Perhaps your experience differs, but I wonder if one of the issues people sometimes have with squash is picking the acorn squash, which is fairly small so not as daunting . . . but IME is one of the more likely to be watery (or fibrous) and not nearly as hearty-tasting as some others. It used to be that the biggest, scariest squashes (of the widely-available squashes) were the best tasting IMO (Hubbard, I'm lookin' at you).

    The widely available versions around here in quantity in my youth tended to be the mainstream long-keepers (Butternut is the poster child, and that's the one I grew up with: Tasty enough, but not as rich or sweet tasting as some others). I think some of the butternuts are smaller now than the ones we used to grow and see in stores (but they were always much smaller than Hubbard). I don't know why kabocha were not much grown/sold here, as I think the older types are at least medium to long keepers,

    Now we're getting more of the less-long-keeping heirlooms that are really tasty, and some newer varieties (Delicata, Sweet Dumpling, the Banana Squash types I love so much, etc.), to some extent at grocery stores, and in huge variety at the farmers markets, and some of them are smaller sized as well.

    You always make me hungry with your squash-talk. I’m gonna hunt for sweet dumpling!

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