The Produce Department
How often do you take a little more time to wander through the produce department to see if there is anything interesting and new you can use to change up your dinner menu and make it more tasteful! The Produce guy is not always around to answer questions, so I have recruited the Produce Manager from the Albertson's in my local area to give us some helpful tips and information about some of those illusive veggies and fruits.
What is Grey Mexican Squash?
Calabacita - [Spanish] squash; zucchini. A variety of summer squash found in Latin American and Mexican cooking.
I can't find much information on this squash, after looking around the internet. I saw some statements where they said they liked it better than yellow squash, because it was a little sweeter and that it is interchangeable with yellow squash or zucchini. I decided to try it one day, while looking through the produce department. I get tired of using the same old veggies for cooking, so I encourage you to pick the brains of the produce department folks and experiment! I've tried replacing potatoes with turnips and it worked out well - just a little different texture. So go and explore the produce department and change things up a little!
Anise - what is it?
An herb is a plant whose leaves, seeds, or flowers are used for flavoring food or in medicine. Other applications of herbs include cosmetics, dyes, and perfumes. The word derives from the Latin herba, meaning "green crops."
Anise or aniseed (Pimpinella anisum) is a vegetable as well as an herb, and comes from the same family, Apiaceae, as fennel, which is also used both as an herb and a vegetable. The vegetable portion of the two are sometimes confused. Dill, caraway, and cumin are also in the same family.
Licorice, the source of licorice extract, has a similar flavor but is a completely separate plant from a different family. However, since aniseed oil is often used to enhance the flavor of licorice candy, distinguishing the flavors can be difficult. Although star anise has a similar name and contains the same distinctive aromatic compound (anethole) as anise, it is from the Illiciaceae family and is not related.
read full article at http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-anise.htm Look for recipes using Anise in my blog - http://www.recipeshared4you.blogspot.com/
What is Jicama?
When wandering through the Produce Dept., have you ever seen a veggie named Jicama and wondered 'what do you do with that'? This week's discussion will help you integrate a new veggie into your meal planning.
Jicama is a sweet, flavorful root vegetable that has a light, crunchy texture. It is as sweet as a fruit and can be used in many different types of dishes. Jicama is equally flavorful, raw or cooked. Read on to find out all about the fantastic jicama health benefits.
Jicama is an easily overlooked vegetable that you can find in the produce section of most supermarkets. It closely resembles the look of the potato, tastes similar to an apple and has a texture like a radish. It may also be called a yam been root or Mexican potato, but it is technically classified as a legume.
Read entire article at: http://www.brighthub.com/health/alternative-medicine/articles/47060.aspx#ixzz0xRYW3FDM
