If
you could time-travel to visit the produce section of your local
supermarket about 10 years ago, and then dropped by today, you would
notice many differences. Yes, the old standbys are there today, the same
as then--the carrots and potatoes, lettuce and tomatoes, apples, bananas
and melons.
But
every year brings new produce items. These include herbs, sometimes
weird-looking fruit (now 'fess up, the first time you ever saw a kiwi fruit,
didn't you wonder why anyone would want to eat that brown fuzzy thing!)
and unusual vegetables.
This is partly due
to our ever-increasing global economy, which means more items imported
from exotic places--we never even knew they grew strawberries in New
Zealand, or peaches in Chile. In addition, consumers have shown increasing
willingness to try new things. We have begun consuming plant matter that
we used to admire only from afar, such as edible flowers . At the same
time, we now see genetically modified foods--a controversial subject--and
an increase in organically grown foods.
Nutritional awareness
plays a large role in produce buying habits. Every day seems to bring a new
report about the health-giving benefits of vegetables and fruits in everyone's
diets. It is now suggested that we somehow have 5 to 9 servings per day. This
may seem to be a challenge to those with busy life-styles, yet with our
ever-increasing variety of choices, this goal is not out of reach.
Shown below from
bottom left: Dragonfruit, fiddlehead ferns, exotic mushrooms, and
Crystalline
Click
on the images to learn more
Our
aim is to introduce you to fruits and vegetables that may be new to
you, provide information on nutrition and growing methods, and share
recipes and ideas for use for some of these unusual but tasty and
nutritious items.