5 minute read
Sputnik veggies and watermelon radishes
Look to your local farmers markets for a taste beyond the ordinary
by JODI DeLONG
There is a world of produce out there beyond what you find at the supermarket. Take rainbow carrots, which have recently become popular, although they’ve been harvested for generations. Part of the allure is the beautiful colours and there are health benefits, from the concentration of beneficial antioxidants such as lycopenes and anthocyanins in the different hues. They taste great and are pretty on your plate.
Sometimes, you want to try a new vegetable or fruit, and local vendors often sell smaller amounts than supermarkets do, so you don’t have to feel guilty if you don’t like a product. For many years, the most common mushroom sold was the field mushroom, then gradually, others came into the market. Some producers grow different mushrooms such as oyster (in various colours), chestnut, and lion’s mane, each with its own particular flavours and recommended uses.
Next time you’re grocery shopping, try something new from your farmers market or roadside stand. You may discover your next favourite. Bear in mind, these crops may be available at different times of the growing season, and not at all markets.
Watermelon radish are aesthetically pleasing and tasty veggies, white and green on the outside, watermelon-red on the inside. Wonderful in salads and stir-fries.
Pattypan squash look like a space-age veggie, resembling a small flying saucer. They can come in yellow or green, like zucchini. Small ones are delicious roasted, sautéed, or grilled, while you can stuff and bake or air fry larger ones.
Sometimes referred to as the sputnik vegetable, kolhrabi is relative of cabbage and broccoli comes in greenishwhite or purple-skinned varieties. It’s excellent in stir-fries and chopped salads, tasting like a mild cross between turnip and a cabbage.
One of the more unusual eggplants, Udumpalmet are the size of a large egg, and colourfully striped. They lend themselves nicely to curries, ratatouille, and other dishes where eggplant stars.
Salsify is sometimes called vegetable oyster or oyster plant because its roots taste a bit like the shellfish. Related to dandelion, this starchy vegetable makes a good substitute for potatoes, or other root vegetables, and its greens are edible, too.
Tomatoes don’t just come in red anymore. A visit to a market will show off heritage varieties in a wealth of sizes, shapes and colours. From orange to “black,” purple to white, each has its own flavour.
We’ve all cussed prickly sticky burdock, but did you know it’s a delicacy in Japan? There it’s called gobo and is enjoyed for its roots, used as a fall vegetable.
Aronia is a native Canadian shrub commonly called chokeberries (not to be confused with chokecherries). It’s a great ornamental garden plant and its berries are tart and high in antioxidants.
The handsome, red-leafed shiso makes an excellent addition to salads, wraps and other dishes, described as being spicy-floral in flavour.
A member of the same botanical family as hollyhocks and hibiscus, this okra has beautiful creamy yellow hibiscus-esque blooms that grow into edible red pods. Best harvested when eight to 10 centimetres long, okra is tender when young.
Summer calls for watermelon, and for something a little different in your fruit salad or charcuterie board, Early Moonbeam boasts yellow flesh, ripens in early September most years, and is very sweet.
Also known as Cape gooseberry or golden berry, Incaberry is a relative of tomatoes and peppers andstronger in flavour than you might expect. Growers describe them as intensely sweet yet tart, ideal in preserves or compote.
Various types of fruit.
You might not think we can grow Asian pears, pomegranates, figs, pawpaws or mulberries here in the region, but you’d be wrong. Hardy varieties of these fruits are allowing for growers to experiment with adding new crops to their offerings.
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These are just some of the experiences waiting for you to try. Farmers are always keen to try new crops, many of which can be grown by home gardeners, too. Do you have a new-to-you fruit, vegetable, or herb experience you’d like to tell us about? Write to us at letters@saltscapes.com.
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