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.

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

 

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.