Since we’ve been participating in Bountiful Baskets fairly regularly, my family has come to try a bunch of new and different produce items that we’d never tried before. I love picking up the basket each week (or, better yet, volunteering and seeing the produce come off the truck) and seeing what’s new and wonderful this time.
Here are a few of our favorites so far:
Photo credit: http://www.dino101.com
Pluots: My younger two LOVE these. So juicy and sweet. The sticker on them called them “Dino Eggs” and I wasn’t quite sure what they were until I checked the website! Dino Eggs, indeed! Looks like an apricot, tastes kinda like a plum. 100% yummy!
Photo credit: http://urbanacres.wordpress.com
Asian Pears: Often labeled as “apple pears,” these little guys are actually not hybrids, they’re just a pear variation. Best eaten when still crunchy! Crunchy, but not as sweet as an apple or a pear (in my opinion). To me, these almost taste like a cross between an apple and jicama.
Photo credit: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu
Red Corn: This was QUITE a surprise! Red corn? I never even knew such a thing existed! Higher in antioxidants than it’s yellow and white cousins, red corn is primarily found in west Texas. It has a wonderful sweet/nutty taste. The color messed with my mind a bit, though! (My corn is BLEEDING!! ACK! Oh, wait… no it’s not. *continues to mow through it, savagely*)
Photo credit: http://www.specialtyproduce.com
Champagne Grapes: I had to use this picture because I loved the comparison to a “normal” grape! You just can’t appreciate how amazingly tiny these things are without something to compare them to. These turned up in our basket last week (2lbs of them!) and the kids just went crazy for them. How could they not? They’re teeny, tiny little grapes! Super sweet and they keep tiny hands busy for quite a while, which is always a plus in my book. I’ve been told they’re great in chicken salad. I might just have to test that theory this week.
Photo credit: http://realworldpaleo.blogspot.com
Brussel Sprouts: Okay, these might not be “unique” to a lot of people, but these bad boys were HUGE! And we got them two weeks in a row, which I’m really happy about. Last week, I actually used them to make a wonderful little recipe that even my pickiest eater loved. Yum!
I’ll try to share more of our produce adventures as they come up. Until then, why not pick up something new and different the next time you’re at the store? You never know what might tickle your taste buds!
Eye on "One"derland 