Lick the Produce Section: Split ’em open, with devotion

Stick out your tongues because it’s time once more for me to Lick the Produce Section. Read along as I stick things in my mouth that I’ve never stuck in there before.

Orange Cauliflower

After trying purple cauliflower last month, I decided to give the orange variety a try too. According to Wikipedia it contains 25 times the level of Vitamin A as white cauliflower. Once again I sprayed it with olive oil, sprinkled it with salt and pepper, and roasted it in the oven at 425 degrees for half an hour, turning it once halfway through. And once again I took it out, ate it and decided it tasted just like regular cauliflower. I guess Vitamin A doesn’t have much flavor.

In retrospect, it would have been best if I bought a head of each color of cauliflower, cooked them all, and then compared the tastes side by side to catch any small variances in flavor. However, I would have been up to my ears with heads of cauliflower. I try to eat my veggies, but there is only so much beta-carotene a girl can take. The cashier at the grocery store probably would have given me an odd look too, forcing me to spin some story about making a vegetable mosaic for art class. It would be easier than explaining what a blog is.

Halloween is a little over a month away though, so this orange food could be useful in creating holiday themed food. It’s healthier than candy corn, for sure.

Golden Kiwi

After trying kiwifruit last month, I decided to give the golden variety a try too. (This post is in danger of becoming a remake of my last Lick the Produce Section post, like the Americanized version of a British TV show. Blimey, should I insert some foreign slang, mate?) Eve and Jill sang the praises of the golden kiwifruit in the comments and I liked that it was significantly less hairy than its cousin. I took a bite and – Oh my God – soooo good. The golden kiwi is softer and squooshier inside than the regular kiwi. It has a texture more like an orange. It’s also sweeter and less tart than the green kiwi. I will definitely be getting these again. I also like how the name “golden kiwi” reminds me of a Gold or Platinum credit card. It’s not just a kiwi, it’s a Golden kiwi. I feel like my credit limit increased just by eating it.

Papaya

When I hear the word “papaya” I start singing the Kate Bush song “Eat the Music“:

Take a papaya

With sticky fingers

If I had access to guavas, sultanas, and pomegranates, I could do an entire Kate Bush themed Lick the Produce Section post! I don’t though, so we’ll just have to settle for the papaya part.

After I bit into the waxy, bitter skin of a mango, I now properly research how to eat new fruits. I was surprised to discover that the papaya had seeds in the center and more closely resembled a cantaloupe than a huge pear, which is what it looks like on the outside. Unlike Kate Bush’s suggestion, I did not rip it to pieces with sticky fingers, but used my big, shiny knife to split it in half. The papaya itself was sweet and tasty and I’d definitely eat it again, but I think it’s a bit pricier than the melons around here. The seeds were bitter and can evidently used as a garnish, but I just used them to garnish my Hefty bag in the trash closet. According to Wikipedia the seeds are also “anti-inflammatory and analgesic, and they are used to treat stomachache and fungal infections.” Well, how fancy! If I ever get athlete’s foot I’ll just stock up on my tropical fruit