The mature, brown husked coconut is the third stage of maturation, and offers a nutty, sweet flavor. The fresh meat of the coconut offers iron, potassium, protein, fiber, other various minerals and contains saturated fats. Coconut helps keep you feeling full between meals without carrying too much caloric value, and helps regular blood pressure and keep sodium levels in check.

Selection

Indicators of a good coconut are not always reliable, but in general these are some things you should  The eyes, or indents should be uniformly brown and firm. The coconut should be heavy for their size and have a distinct sloshing sound, indicating it has good amount of juice internally. Husk should be dry and without mold.

Preparation

For ease in opening, puncture the eyes of the coconut with a screwdriver and drain the juice. Then heat the coconut under hot running water or place in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Fault lines will appear on the warmed coconut. Hold the hot coconut in a cloth and place over a large bowl. Hit the fault lines with a hammer or mallet. Save the liquid, remove the meat, and peel off brown outer pieces with a small knife. To prepare thick coconut milk, wrap grated coconut in cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Pour one-half cup warm water over and squeeze liquid into the bowl. This can be done multiple times resulting in different thickness for the milk/cream. Use the milk and meat in fruit salads, puddings, cakes, cookies, custards, pies and other baked goods. Tint grated coconut with food coloring to make a colorful sweet topping. To store, whole coconuts will keep at room temperature for two weeks. For longer storage, refrigerate. Grated coconut will keep two weeks refrigerated in a glass jar. Place a whole hot chile in with the coconut to keep it from going bad. The outer shell, or husk, of the coconut can be use used as a starter for charcoal when grilling. Source: Specialty Produce.

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The Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) is one of the oldest vegetables known to mankind. Sweet potatoes originated in Central and South America, but archaeologists have found proof through prehistoric remnants that the sweet potato was grown in Polynesia before western exploration, according to radiocarbon dating. Current thinking is that it was brought to central Polynesia around 700 AD, possibly by Polynesians who had traveled to South America and back, and spread across Polynesia to Hawaii and New Zealand from there.  

The sweet potato is not a potato, and it is not a yam! They’re far higher in nutrients than many people realize too, though shouldn’t be eaten as the only vegetable. Consider the sweet potato high in fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Manganese, among many others. It can help boost brain function, stabilize blood sugar, enhance immune system, and it promotes vision health.

Preparation

The simplest way you can prepare a sweet potato is by first heating the oven to 400° F. Pierce each sweet potato several times with the tines of a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Make a slit in the top of each sweet potato. 

Recipes

Baked Sweet Potato Fries 

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Avocado, a unique tree fruit, is high in healthy fats rather than carbohydrates. It’s high in fiber and protein, Vitamin B5, B6, K, C and E, as well as potassium, folate and small amounts a multiple other nutrients and vitamins. On top of that, it has no cholesterol or sodium and is low in saturated fats. Because of their incredible nutritional value and health benefits, which we’ve barely scratched the surface of here, they’re ranked as a superfood and believed by some to be one of the top 10, even top 5 healthiest foods on the planet. Definitely one worth reading more about! And when it comes to eating, they’re great sweet or savory, with a creamy texture and mild flavor. Hawaiian avocados tend toward the more buttery end of the scale.

Preparation

How to cut or slice avocados in half:

1. Be sure to fully wash before cutting or slicing.

2. Place the avocado lengthwise on a secure surface.

3. Hold the avocado securely with one hand, and slice slowly down the center lengthwise around the seed, starting at the narrower end.

4. Holding the avocado in the palm of one hand, use your other hand to twist and rotate the two halves apart.

5. Use a teaspoon to remove the stone from the center of the avocado. Use a dessert spoon to scoop the whole avocado flesh out from the shell if required. Cut into slices, chunks, or mash with a fork.

How to peel an avocado:

1. For ripe Hass Avocados, the outer skin or peel is easy to remove. Simply slice the avocado in half or cut into wedges as shown in photo. Then grasp the outer dark layer or skin and pull it away from the inner green flesh of the fruit. If some of the darker almost black portions of the skin remain on the green flesh of the fruit, simply cut them away. The yellow to green portions of the avocado are what you want. Do not consume the peel.

Farms that grow Avocado 

 

Recipes 

Avocado Smoothie

Grapefruit-Avocado Salsa

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Oh how we love carrots!  They are a funny little root crop so that you never know what you’re going to get until you pull them out of the ground!  Usually orange in color, but sometimes they can be cosmic and come out purple, yellow, red or even white.  Packed with health-promoting beta carotene, they promote good vision, especially night vision, and help combat health-damaging free radical activity.

Preparation

Since carrots are root crops, make sure you scrub them well to get an residual dirt off of them.  Peeling off the skin is optional, I usually don’t because I’m lazy like that.  Grab a knife and chop away!  Or you can be more fancy pants like this guy!

Farms that grow carrots

• Ho Farms
• Kahumana Organic Farms

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Bell Peppers are crisp, semi-sweet, non-spicy treat originating in Central and northern South America. They are prepared as culinary vegetables but are technically, in botanical terms, fruits. Though they’re labeled as peppers, they lack capsaicin (the active irritant found in chili peppers that create the burning spicy sensation), which is due to a recessive gene (kind of like the blue eyed baby in a family of brown eyes), making them free of the “hot” taste that it’s family members have.

They are a rich source of antioxidants and vitamin C. While all colors have their benefits, the red colored ones are particularly great, offering many times higher levels of carotene and vitamins than the other varieties.

How to eat Bell Peppers:

Bell peppers are frequently roasted or pan sautéed in olive oil or other cooking oils, but they don’t have to be cooked to be enjoyed. Bell peppers can be sliced fresh, their seeds and ribs removed, and added as sides of a vegetable tray or to salad. You can also just munch on them on their own as a fresh snack!

Farms that grow Bell Peppers:

Aloun Farms

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