The fruit has distinctive ridges running down its sides (usually five but can sometimes vary); in cross-section, it resembles a star, hence its name. The entire fruit is edible and is usually eaten out of hand. They may also be used in cooking and can be made into relishes, preserves, and juice drinks.

Preparation

Simply wash the fruit, cut crosswise to get the star shape, and eat.  Starfruit can be eaten out-of-hand because the fruit is entirely edible. The fruit is also commonly used in salads, cakes, jams, jellies, cocktails or to garnish food dishes.  Starfruit is ripe when they are firm and have a yellow skin.

Farms that grow Starfruit

• Kamaaina Land Nursery

Recipes

• Star Fruit Chips

 

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The baby carrot is not to be mistaken with the baby-cut carrot. The baby-cut carrot is created from larger deformed carrots, and come in uniform shape, pre-peeled. The baby carrot is actually a smaller carrot in size, harvested when the carrot is less mature. Some say that the younger carrot is often sweeter and more tender than a full grown, which has led to cultivars that are grown to this stage with intention. Carrots are a great source of antioxidant beta-carotene. They’re also noted as being great for cardiovascular health and eye health.

Preparation
Treat these guys the same way you would a larger carrot. Wash well. Some prefer to peel prior to cooking. Common and easy cooking methods are to boil, steam, roast, or sautee. Boil or steam will cook until crisp and tender. Roast and sautee will cook until easily pierced with a fork.

Farms that Grow Baby Carrots
Ho Farms

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Dragon Fruit, also called Pitaya, is indigenous to the Americas. Today the cactus vine is grown around the world in sub-tropical areas for its beautiful fruits. The fruit’s texture is often compared to the kiwifruit because of it’s small, black, crunchy seeds. The taste of dragon fruit is sometimes described as bland though it is refreshing and mildly sweet. It has versatile uses in deserts, smoothies, sorbets, salads and as a fresh fruit.

Preparation:

The fruit can be sliced lengthwise and the flesh scooped out or it can be quartered and the leathery skin can be peeled back. Eat only the flesh, not the peel which is bitter.

Farms that grow Dragon Fruit:

Local Harvest

 

 

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Kabocha is a variety of winter squash, often referred to as a Japanese pumpkin. It’s sometimes described as a cross between sweet potato and pumpkin in flavor and texture. It’s sweet taste, velvety texture, massive offering of nutritional benefit and versatility, make it a prized staple vegetable in Japan. You can substitute it within recipes that call for acorn and butternut squash or pumpkin. Most forward nutritients are beta carotene, vitamin C, iron, and potassium with smaller amounts of B vitamins, folic acid and calcium.

How to select a Kabocha:

The two things to look for are weight and color. Skin should be a rich, deep green and it should feel heavier than expected. Ripeness is indicated by golden speckling and stripes on the exterior.

How to prepare Kabocha:

Carefully slice the entire squash in half, keeping in mind that it’s dense and might be difficult to cut. Like other squashes, you’ll want to scoop out the pulp and seeds, leaving the meat behind. From here you can slice it into wedges for roasting, simmering, pureing, or baking. You can also grate it to add texture to breads or other baked dishes and desserts. The skin is ok to leave on.

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Lemongrass is widely used as a culinary herb in Asian cuisine and also as medicinal herb in India. It is commonly used in teas, soups, and curries. It is also suitable for use with poultry, fish, beef, and seafood.  Research shows that lemongrass oil has antifungal properties.

Preparation

1. The softer, fleshier, pale yellow part of the lemongrass – which is what you want to use in your cooking – is located under the tough outer leaves. Peel away these layers and discard.

2. Then use a sharp serrated knife to slice off the lower bulb, which includes about 2 inches of the end. Discard.  The stalk is now easy to slice into pieces.  Stop slicing when you have cut two-thirds of the way up the stalk, or when it is no longer yellow. The upper end the stalk will be green and woody, but is still useful in cooking soups and curries.

3. Because lemongrass is so firm and fibrous, it helps to process the slices a little further. Place the lemongrass in a food processor and process well on “high”, or pound for a minute or two with a pestle & mortar. It’s possible to use the lemongrass slices as they are, but the thicker slices will be difficult to eat.

4. Your lemongrass should now appear finer – almost like yellow-green flakes. It is now ready to use in recipes such as curries or soups (note that the lemongrass still needs to cook or be boiled for at least 5 minutes before it is soft enough to be edible).

Storage: Use the lemongrass immediately, or store lemongrass by freezing it in a sealed container in your freezer. With lemongrass, very little is wasted. You can use the upper, reserved stalk to add even more flavor and fragrance to soups and curries. Simply make several cuts along the length of the stalk and bend it several times to “bruise” it. This will release the fragrance and flavor. Now throw the stalk into your soup or curry pot.

Farmers that grow Lemon Grass

• Ho Farms

Recipes

• Tom Kha Soup
• Vietnamese hamburgers
• Lemongrass chicken

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