There is both romance and convenience wrapped up in these healthy small rounds. They feature semi-translucent flesh encased by a smooth skin. Some contain edible seeds while others are seedless. Like blueberries, a protective, whitish bloom covers grapes. It’s a type of berry that grows in bunches on vines. Imagine a nicely chilled, deliciously succulent grape fresh off the stem, … Read More
Swiss Chard
A very economical vegetable, since both the rippled leaves and stalk of chard are edible. In fact, the crunchiness of the stalks can replace celery in many recipes. Belonging to the same family as beets and spinach, Swiss Chard shares their taste attributes: the bitterness of beet greens with the slightly salty flavour of spinach leaves, as well as a … Read More
Winter Squash
Meet the winter gourd family. Due to their mildly sweet flavour and fine texture that showcases in fall, they show up in many harvest recipes. Fall is when their rinds have hardened, and they keep well under the bed all winter. With inedible thick skins and hollow inner cavities containing hard seeds, winter squash involves very dense flesh requiring a … Read More
Summer Squash & Zuchinni
Yes – you may intrerchange summer squash with zucchini in your recipes…just in case you’re wondering. The biggest difference is that zucchini is the only one Ralph’s Farm Market offers year round. The appearance of all the varied fresh summer squash provides a delightful display of healthy choices. Delicious too! Summer squash differs from their winter elders by their tender … Read More
Rutabaga
Don’t let rutabaga be the root vegetable that gets lost in the shuffle. Resembling an overgrown turnip but has pale yellow flesh while the turnip has white, a coarser, firm texture, which makes it hard to cut. Typically 3 to 5 inches in diameter, rutabagas have a thin skin that is usually pale yellow with tints of purple. When cooked, … Read More
Peas – Snap & Snow
Do you remember summers growing up, sitting on the porch shelling peas for dinner? Well that was Garden Peas. Shelling won’t happen when eating Snow or Snap peas. Pod peas are grown to be eaten with both the pod and the pea together. Like all peas, snow and snap peas belong to the legume family. Snap Peas Flat, edible, tender … Read More
Peppers – Hot Jalapeno Chile
If hot is your acquired comfort zone for cuisine, then you’re well acquainted with hot pepper, also called ‘chile’. One of the most popular chilies because of its hot and spicy punch and because of the ease in which the seeds are removed. Jalapenos are green when harvested and will eventually turn red if given along ripening period. They are … Read More
Potatoes – Sweet & Yam
A popular Thanksgiving tradition. However, they are high in beta-carotene and other nutrients, so it`d be a sham to only serve them for one feast! Many North Americans have been confused when naming these tasty tuber vegetables. Oftentimes the root vegetable that is labelled ‘Yam’ is not truly a yam but is a variety of sweet potato. This misunderstanding has … Read More
Parsnip
Try this winter root vegetable as a sweet, starchy alternative to potatoes. Parsnips resemble a cone-shaped, ivory-coloured carrot, but their aroma is somewhat like celery and involves a sweet, nutty flavour. In fact this vegetable has more natural sugars than carrots, and the content increases after a light frost. With all these similarities, it’s understandable that it is a relative … Read More
Onion – Yellow, White
Also known as ‘mature onions’, they belong to the lily family of plants. This vegetable is grown for its edible bulb, most often performing a supportive role to flavour a variety of other foods. The yellow onion is considered an all-purpose cooking variety. Its papery outside skin is golden brown, while the flesh inside graduates from yellow to white as … Read More