Beets are the beetroot, or the taproot portion of the beet plant. Usually beets are deep purple, golden, or red, though many varieties exist. The pigments that give beets their rich colors are called betalains. Other than as a food, beets are uses as a food coloring, dye, and for medicinal purposes.

How to eat Beets:

Beets are often eaten boiled, roasted, pickled or raw. They can be added to salads, eaten as side dish or made into soups, among many other recipes. The green, leafy portion of the beet is also edible.

Farms that grow Beets:

Kahumana Organic Farms

Kualoa Ranch

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Native to China, Thailand and Myanmar, Okinawa Spinach is a dense, low growing green of the Asteraceae family, unrelated to common spinach. It is ornamental with shiny green leaves on top and dusty purple underbelly, and is also incredibly nutritious, offering a plethora of vitamins, proteins, and minerals as well as phytochemicals. It is known to help lower cholesterol. The leaves have a crisp, nutty and herbaceous flavor with a hint of pine. It is said the younger the leaves, the tastier.

How to Prepare Okinawa Spinach:

Okinawa Spinach can be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves and young shoot tips can be steamed, used in stir fry, tempura, stews, and soups. Overcooking can cause it to become slimy. Because the flavor is strong, it is often seen mixed with other greens.

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Spigarello is a primitive heirloom varietal of the broccoli family and is native to Southern Italy. Spigarello is a variety of leaf broccoli, is related to broccoli rabe, and looks like a cross between kale and broccoli. The taste is similar to broccoli, with the leaves having a mild taste and the texture is succulent and crunchy.

How to Prepare Spigarello:

It is recommended to trim the stems and the leaves can be enjoyed as a salad green, wilting green or soup green.

Farms that Grow Spigarello:

Ho Farms

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Dill is a herb in the celery family. Dill is native to southern Russia, western Africa, and the Mediterranean region. As a seasoning, it is commonly associated with Scandinavian and German cooking. However, it is the eponymous ingredient in dill pickles, and  is also often used in salad dressings, and fish dishes.

Preparation

Dill is best when used fresh.  It should be stored in the refrigerator wrapped in a damp paper towel or with its stems placed in a container of water. The fern-like leaves of dill are fragile so the herb doesn’t stay fresh for long even if stored properly. It can be stored frozen, either whole or chopped in an airtight container. Dill leaves can also be frozen in ice cube trays covered with water or stock, these can used when preparing soups or stews.

Farms that grow dill

Ho Farms

 

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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. 

Farms that grow sweet potato

Recipes

Baked Sweet Potato Fries 

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