Favorite (Unsung-hero-type) Whole Foods?

saltysparkle

Okay, people. What are your favorite whole foods? I'm looking to learn about new ones, and maybe you will, too if we get a thread going.

Mine are:

Burdock root (it makes me feel full, and has a satisfyingly chewy texture)
Lotus root (it makes me feel calm and I really like the taste)
Sweet brown rice (never thought I'd enjoy eating plain rice, but this is good)
Jicama (so satisfyingly crunchy!)

L1zardQueen

The lowly potato

MaltedTea

Acorn squash for potassium
Rainbow chard ⬅️ she's so pretty and the leaves are great steamed. Stems get reserved for soup or stir-fry dishes
Nettles are surprisingly tasty and easy to incorporate in diverse dishes.

mgfit2020

Celeriac/Celery root -- so flavorful!

Geneveremfp

Sprouts - as in sprouted peas or beans. I'm currently sprouting some adzuki beans and some Broccoli seeds - they add some crunch and interest to salads or stir Fries.

Sauerkraut - the live stuff - I eat it from the jar or add to stuff. Very good for you and really tasty.

Beetroot - I currently grate it in most food (Porridge was a surprise but a great one). It's like Carrots in that a bit grated in doesn't add a string flavour. Also I love that it makes food pink.

saltysparkle

@MaltedTea and @mgfit2020, please would you share what you do with your nettles and celeriac, respectively?

MaltedTea

Because I'm a scaredy-cat, the first time I tried them I quick steamed the nettles and then gave them an ice bath...all for a sun-dried tomato salad even though they had been sitting on my counter (between paper towels) for 2 days.

Since then, I've added them to curries and tend to use as a topping for side dishes. For example, I made jerk chicken with potatoes. I used some of the basting liquid to "wilt" the nettles over top the potatoes.

Simple stuff really, I just kinda use them like spinach. I've never looked up a "nettle recipe" but I'm sure there's a bunch of tasty ones.

claireychn074

Oats. Kind of boring but I use them in porridge, protein pancakes, flapjacks (renamed flabjacks in my house), to bulk protein shakes, in Bircher muesli.... love them!

gallicinvasion

Peanuts and oats!

saltysparkle

Thanks, @MaltedTea ! We have nettles growing all over our neighborhood and one of my more nature-loving neighbors has encouraged me to try them, but I have found the thought kind of daunting. Maybe I'll buck up and try it.

Maxxitt

kohlrabi - it's sweet and crunchy

Lietchi

Maxxitt wrote: »

kohlrabi - it's sweet and crunchy

And delicious roasted in the oven!

acpgee

I've just ordered some ribeye steaks from retired dairy cows. They are fattened on the pasture for a year after menopause for high end steaks that are apparently way more flavourful than young cattle that is normally slaughtered at 28 months for meat, never mind being a more sustainable way to eat beef. I am really curious to try this.

Google Txuleton steak, the traditional Basque steaks from retired dairy cows.

lemurcat2

I'm tempted to identify my favorite local WF store, but will go with fennel, butter lettuce, cabbage, and radishes. Oh, yes, and celeriac, which I see someone else mentioned. Most fruit doesn't strike me as unsung, but I think plums are underrated. Beans/lentils in general.

saltysparkle

Okay, @lemurcat2, please tell me what you do with your celeriac? I used to get a farm share from a place that always included it and I gave it away because it was so hard to peel/chop, and I never could really quite figure out what to do with it besides putting it into a slaw.

VegjoyP

I just love organic dark leafy greens, butter lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower. I have gone through phases though- Okinawa (Hawaii) Purple sweet potatoes were a staple for ages! These are white on the outside and dark purple on inside. I have only seen them at Oriental markets and a few farmers markets. Then there was mixed root vegetables roasted- beets, turnip, parsnip, burdock, carrot, kohlrabi and purple potatoes. Kabocha squash phase, and regular sweet potato. I am much more low carb now and stick to leafy and cruciferous. Some interesting things I love are chlorella, barley grass, wheat grass and fennel powder. Medicinal herbs and spices, exotic mushrooms and rare fruits like dragon fruit.

icemom011

Kale, beets, summer and winter squash, eggplant

lemurcat2

saltysparkle wrote: »

Okay, @lemurcat2, please tell me what you do with your celeriac? I used to get a farm share from a place that always included it and I gave it away because it was so hard to peel/chop, and I never could really quite figure out what to do with it besides putting it into a slaw.

I like to chop and roast it. I use a knife to get rid of the peel.

janejellyroll

Cabbage - goes the whole range from crunchy to succulent depending on how you serve it

Mushrooms - so much flavor

Chickpeas - I feel like I could eat these every day and never get sick of them. They work in so many dishes.

Pineapple - sweet, delicious, and refreshing

Hot peppers - favorites are jalapenos and habaneros

Vinegar - I think vinegar is a whole food? I'm not sure. But it adds flavor to all kinds of things

cosmiqrecovery

beets! all parts of the beet too, if you're ignoring the greens you're missing out.

AnnPT77

cosmiqrecovery wrote: »

beets! all parts of the beet too, if you're ignoring the greens you're missing out.

Beet greens IMO are especialy underrated. They're my favorite for cooked greens - such nice flavor. Close 2nd: Red amaranth "greens". And the latter so pretty, too.


Also, mamey sapote (a tropical fruit), if I can find a ripe one. Guavas. Ripe fresh figs. Morel mushrooms. Elephant garlic. Fresh herbs.

jwoolman5

Mann's sugar snap peas....

jwoolman5

Pomelo fruit - sort of a sweet grapefruit (it's an ancestor) but easy to peel. Pricey and rare in my local grocery store.

Clementines (mandarins), nectarines, English cucumbers, watermelon, honeydew melon, Hami melon (like cantaloupe but much much better), orange or red sweet bell peppers, celery, cabbage. Spinach, baby kale. Cauliflower.

If good ones can be found (organic or locally grown): tomato. Most others are nearly tasteless today, though.

Likewise if good: strawberries, blueberries, certain types of pears, grapes. Local store offerings are often disappointing, though.

jwoolman5

Zucchini and yellow summer squash, unpeeled, raw or cooked. Acorn squash. Butternut squash. Sweet potatoes. Oats made into crackers. Barley likewise.
Pumpkin seeds, especially roasted so they pop up into little footballs. Peanuts, especially roasted in shell. Cashews. Macadamia nuts. Brazil nuts. Pistachios. Walnuts and pecans. Filberts. Brown basmati rice (smells like popcorn while cooking). Millet. Sweet corn. Whole green beans. Roasted corn (the big crunchy stuff). Popcorn! Popped sorghum (like popcorn but sized for Barbie dolls). Rainier cherries if can catch them floating by briefly. Dates. Coconut. Avocado all by its lovely self. Cinnamon.

Light red kidney beans. Fordhook lima beans. Garbanzo beans.

Do pickles count? Sweet or dill pickles are so good with peanut butter, they should be forgiven for being processed cucumbers.

Green and black olives.

Better stop. Getting too hungry.

chris89topher

jwoolman5 wrote: »

Mann's sugar snap peas....

I love these too! So crunchy and so delish.

Mithridites

Skyr. So great in so many things. Ramps up the protein and turns down the calories as a sour cream/spread substitute. I love it so much. To me it’s the Mother Theresa of dairy 🙂

missysippy930

Daikon radishes and regular radishes. Like the flavor and the crunch. Radishes are surprisingly good roasted too.

lemurcat2

I was resistant to roasting them since I love them so much raw, but now I like them both ways.

Kohlrabi.

AnnPT77

I like all of the summer squashes, and I know they're not all *that* different, but kousa squash IMO is extra good.

DancingMoosie

Nectarines, roasted sweet potato with ginger and a fried egg