Sliced into a variety of shapes, the papaya can be cut and prepared ahead of serving time. It doesnÍt darken or discolor when exposed to air. Papayas can be served fresh, baked, stewed, saut_ed, barbecued or used as a garnish. Cook papaya chunks in meat, seafood and poultry dishes. Papayas contain the enzyme papain, which…
There are two main families of pears: European and Asian. European is the most common and what we think of when referring to a pear with their elongated neck and a rounded bulbous bell shape on the bottom half (pyriform). Asian pears, on the other hand, look more like apples and are sometimes sold as…
English Pea, garden pea, green pea. Whatever you like to call them, there is evidence that they were cultivated as long ago as 5,700 B.C. They are descended from the wild form, which is indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and to the Middle East. Only about 5 percent of the pea crop reaches the fresh…
Pods are edible and may be eaten fresh or cooked. Destringing pods is not necessary. Sugar Snap Peas are similar in appearance to regular pea pods, only smaller. Color will be a pale green, but, slightly darker than a snow pea. Pods are plump, edible, sweet and crunchy.
Snow peas are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin K, B complex vitamins and vitamin C. Most commonly available fresh pea. Flat green pods with small, immature peas inside. Pods are edible and may be eaten fresh or cooked. Destringing pods is not necessary.
Bell peppers or Sweet peppers – however you choose to call them; this mild mannered member of the capsicum family registers zero on the heat scale. Peppers are versatile and can be used raw or cooked. Herbaceous and grassy tasting, Green Bell peppers are great sauteed and served or stuffed and roasted. Essential to Creole…
Small, pointed pepper that ranges in color from bright green to greenish-black. These peppers are hot and should be used with caution. May be chopped and used in cooked or uncooked dishes. The heat scale for peppers is called the Scoville Scale. It was created by Wilbur Scoville in 1912 by using a solution of…
Sweet peppers are a fleshy-walled berry containing numerous whitish seeds in its inner cavity. The most popular variety is the bell peppers, which has four lobes and is somewhat square in shape. Certain varieties have three lobes, while others are more tapered in shape and have no lobes at all. Peppers date back to the…
Apricot is Latin for Precious, a label that this fruit has earned since it is ready to harvest earlier than other summer fruits. The Apricot is a relative of the almond and peach, and has a buttery sweet, intense flavor. It will give to gentle pressure once ripe and when halved, the pit will fall…
Also known as a Donut Peach™, the Saturn Peach was named for its flat shape and sunken center. Descendants of the Chinese flat Peach (Peento), this variety is usually 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch tall with pale yellow skin tinged with a slight blush. The juicy white flesh boasts…
Indigenous to China, the Peach has made it’s journey through Persia to the Americas where it evolved into countless varieties. The peach’s characteristic fuzzy skin reveals a deep yellow flesh, sometimes speckled with red depending on variety. Known for it’s sweet flavor balanced perfectly by acidity, the peach is perfect to use in deserts and…
Nantes Carrots have consistent sweet flavor with fine-grained, bright orange flesh and small light orange color. They are medium in length, about 6 inches, and are 1 ½ inches wide. Nantes Carrots are distinguishable by their blunt ended tips. They are great for juicing or eating fresh.
Broccoli Spigarello resembles a cross between Broccoli Rabe and Kale but it lacks the bitterness and has more of a slightly sweet flavor. The leafy green is dark green with almost gray undertones. The origin is unknown and the source of seeds is hard to find for this heirloom green but it is assumed to…
Valencia Oranges are the go-to Orange for juicing because they are classified as a sweet orange and have few to no seeds! They are a very sweet variety with high acidity for a great balance of flavor. It has in fact become the most preferred and popular Orange for juicing in the United States. Valencias…
Fennel is native to the Near East and the Mediterranean where it grows wild in dry, stony places. It is an aromatic plant whose taste may remind you of anise or licorice. Pale green, celery-like stems evolve into bright green, feathery foliage. The ribbed leaves are thick and fleshy at the base and form a…
Our Farmers’ Market Blueberries are best described as simply delicious! The skin is firm and as your teeth pierce through, there is a faint pop into the sweet flesh. They are sweet with a hint of tartness that creates a well-balanced Blueberry. Once you pop one in your mouth you find yourself unable to stop…
Baby Broccoli is a cross between Broccoli and Chinese Kale giving it a sweeter flavor and a more tender texture than traditional Broccoli. All parts, including the leaves, of Baby Broccoli are edible; simply rinse, trim if needed, and prepare to your preference. Because it is so tender be sure not to overcook! The sweet…
Adzuki bean sprouts from Japan are similar to other bean sprouts, but have a crisper texture and sweeter flavor. Grown from very sweet lentil-shaped Adzuki beans, these sprouts have a nutty, mild, bean taste. They are especially prized for use in festive occasions. While people may joke about sprouts as the typical “health” food, their…
Lovage is a tall perennial that tastes like Celery on steroids and looks like large-leaf Italian Parsley. The name ‘Lovage’ is from “love-ache”, ache being a medieval name for Parsley; this is a folk-etymological corruption of the older French name levesche, from late Latin levisticum, in turn thought to be a corruption of the earlier…
Oroblancos is yellow-green at maturity and rind is thicker than a typical Grapefruit. The fruit ball center has pale yellow or white, seedless flesh. This variety is mild and exceptionally sweet, unlike the traditional sour flavor. There is not the usual bitter aftertaste like most varieties. The Oroblanco offers the perfect balance of sweetness with…