Adventures with the Produce Co-op

We have been enjoying our Bountiful Baskets, (and I have talked about them before.) I've found that one basket gives us enough produce to last our family about 2 weeks. Having a variety of produce has encouraged all of us to try many exotic (and some not so exotic) fruits and vegetables that we definitely wouldn't try otherwise. I should also point out that usually our basket is full of ordinary produce that I would probably buy anyway, just at a better price. Here are a few of the less typical items:

1. Canary Melon- It's bright yellow and looks something like a lemon on steroids. It tastes something like a cross between a cantaloupe, a honeydew and a pear. You eat it fresh like any other melon.

2. Chayote- Known by many names, including alligator pear. It's a part of the melon/squash family and tastes like a mix between a cucumber, a green pepper, and snap peas. I chopped it up, threw it into salads and ate some raw with dip. You can also cook it like a squash.

3. Parsnips- A root vegetable that looks like a large white carrot, but is sweeter and starchier. I put some in a vegetable chowder and chicken pot pie. I also tried mashing them and making them into fries as I've read that they're very much like a potato, but healthier. Not a big winner with my family.

5. Persimmons- I don't know how to describe the taste. It's a sweet tropical fruit. I put a few into a fruit salad and ate some raw. I loved them.

6. Collard Greens- A member of the cabbage family, and I was unable to find a recipe that made them taste like anything I would want to eat. Every recipe involved boiling them. I tried it and bleh. If I ever get these again they will probably go straight to the compost.

7. Green Chard- This is somewhat like spinach, but a little fleshier. I did not have high hopes for it, but I steamed it and then baked it in a quiche with some onions and garlic and it was really good. I also chopped up some into a green salad. That was ok.

8. Daikon Radish- This root vegetable reminds me of jicama and something else I can't define. It's good raw, in salads and made into pickles.