Papaya is native to the tropics of the Americas in the regions of southern Mexico and Central America. The papaya is a tree-like plant that can grow over 30 feet tall. The fruit is a type of berry and when ripe it feels soft and the skin turns an amber to orange hue.

Papaya plants grow in three sexes: male, female, and hermaphrodite. The male produces only pollen, never fruit. The female will produce small, inedible fruits unless pollinated. The hermaphrodite can self-pollinate because its flowers contain both male stamens and female ovaries. As a result almost all commercial papaya orchards contain only hermaphrodite papaya plants.

Preparation:

Papayas are often eaten raw. The fruit is cut in half and the seeds removed. The flesh can be scooped out or cut into wedges.

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The pineapple is an amazing low-calorie, fat free, cholesterol free, low-sodium fruit that is one of very few edible members of the bromeliad family. Its formation is curious in that each scale of the pineapple is actually an individual berry, and these berries fuse together around the central core of the fruit. When it comes to their nutrition content, pineapples contain high amounts of Vitamin C, manganese, are a great aid for digestion because of the dietary fiber they offer. It’s also a great source for energy, thanks to its thiamin content, which is a variety of B Vitamin.

Preparation

1. Lay the fruit on its side and, grasping it firmly with one hand, slice off the leafy crown and the base with a large, sharp knife.
2. Stand the pineapple on end and slice off the prickly rind in seven or eight downward strokes, cutting deep enough each time to remove the eyes.
3. Divide the fruit into quarters, and cut the triangular section of core away from each quarter.
4. Lay each quarter on its side and slice it crosswise into wedges of the desired thickness.

If you want rings, you are going to have to get a Corer tool so that you can remove the core!

Farms that grow Pineapples

Maui Pineapple Company

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Kale is a vegetable with green or purple leaves, in which the central leaves do not form a head.  Kale can be curly, flat, or even have a bluish tint mixed in with the green. It contains essential vitamins A, C and K as well as minerals like copper, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus.

Preparation

Check out this video to see how to prep your kale

Recipes

• Crunchy Dino Kale and Coconut Bowl
• Kale Caesar Salad
• Chocolate Mint Smoothie with Kale
• Kale and Eggplant Summer Pasta
• Kale with Onion, Celery & Tomato 
• Stir Fry Greens– Same method, but you can just use Kale!

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What we know as the potato is the edible tuber of a plant that is part of the nightshade family.  All potatoes can be traced genetically to a single origin – a region of the Andes that is part of both Peru and the very north of Bolivia.  Potatoes are the world’s fourth largest crop after rice, wheat and maize. There are over 4,000 varieties of potato and they are categorized into main groups: russets, whites, yellows (Yukons) and purples.

Preparation

Only the cooked tuber of this plant is edible as the leaves, flowers and fruit of the potato plant are highly toxic.  Nutritionally, it is said that a human can live on diet of potatoes with only the addition of milk or butter (or any sources of vitamins A and D, the only two vitamins a potato lacks).  Also, it contains minerals, fiber and of course carbohydrates.

– Always wash your potatoes well before cooking.

– Its a good idea to take a paring or any small fruit knife and carefully remove any “eyes” or bruises or cuts you see.  The eyes are simply spots where the potato decided it might sprout a leaf, and sometimes the eyes can have a fibrous feel and bitter taste.  Then peel or leave skin on if you want.

– Potatoes can be cooked and enjoyed every which way:  boiled, fried, steamed, baked, roasted, mashed.

Recipes

• Dijon and Dill Potato Salad
• Smashed Red Potatoes with Garlic and Herb

 

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Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a coffee-colored variety of the world’s most commonly eaten mushroom, commonly called the “button” mushroom. The names “white button,” “crimini” and “portobello” all refer to this same scientific category of mushroom, Agaricus bisporus. Button mushrooms have grown wild since prehistoric times, having been consumed as food by the early hunter-gatherers. Cultivation most likely began in Asia, involving cultivation in China, Japan, and India. China is currently the world’s largest commercial producer of mushrooms, following by Europe and then the United States. Within the U.S., about 70% of all mushrooms are grown on the east coast, with the state of Pennsylvania having the highest U.S. yields.

Preparation

Mushrooms are so porous that if they are exposed to too much water, they will quickly absorb it and become soggy. Therefore, the best way to clean mushrooms without sacrificing their texture and taste is to clean them using minimal, if any, water. To do this, simply wipe them with a slightly damp paper towel or kitchen cloth. You could also use a mushroom brush, available at most kitchenware stores.

If using the whole mushroom in a recipe, simply slice off the very bottom of the stem, which is usually a bit spongy. If your recipe only calls for the caps, gently break off the stems with your hands and discard (or save for making soup stock).

Some quick recipe ideas:

• Sautéed mushrooms and onions
• Add finely chopped mushrooms to some homemade pasta sauce.
• Remove the stems, and stuff with your favorite vegetable medley or soft cheese.
• Mushroom omelet

Farms that grow Mushrooms

• Small Kine Farm

Recipes

• Mushroom, Tomato and Onion Saute
• Tortellini with Mushrooms and Cherry Tomatoes

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