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
You like a guava?
Grab a banana
And a sultana
Rip them to pieces
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
melsky says
September 17, 2007 at 1:27 pmYou should have a cauliflower tasting party!
Katharine says
September 17, 2007 at 2:10 pmAnd if you eat too much cauliflower at a time, girl, you could become quite odiferous, methane-wise.
Rosalie says
September 17, 2007 at 2:40 pmI’ve done the multi-colored cauliflower dish before, since at the farmer’s markets around here you can mix & match and the heads are sometimes very little so you can do 3 at a time. I find the biggest difference is in texture. I think orange is the crunchiest and white is the softest, after a few minutes in the steamer. I’ll have to do a multi-color cauliflower roast one of these days since I just recently started cooking it that way.
Way to go with all the veggie-eating! I’m a vegetarian/mostly vegan, so I have had to overcome most of my issues about weird produce so I don’t get bored just eating the same stuff all the time. But mostly I just have a lot of whatever’s at the farmer’s market, so these days I’ll be eating a lot of cauliflower and butternut squash. Yum!
dietgirl says
September 17, 2007 at 4:32 pmOooh Kate Bush… nice taste in fruit and music :)
Jenny says
September 17, 2007 at 5:21 pmI call this “Produce Porn.”
PQ – Heh!
JEM says
September 17, 2007 at 5:35 pmOoooo, I can’t wait to try the Golden Kiwi as the regular Kiwi is one of my faves.
Sayre says
September 17, 2007 at 6:15 pmMy son adores papaya, but the smell of it prevents it from ever even getting near my mouth. Perhaps I’m sensitive to it, which may be why it smells so bad to me.
Love cauliflower, though!!!!
mb says
September 17, 2007 at 7:22 pmI’m going to have to start licking the produce section of my local supermarket. Do the supermarket employees look at you funny when you do it?
Lorrie says
September 18, 2007 at 8:04 amI must find a golden kiwi!
Marianne says
September 18, 2007 at 9:43 amThis is so funny! I was at the supermarket last night and I was looking at the orange cauliflower! I didn’t get it though because I hate veggies! I know I should atart eating them more but…
Anyway I lave your blog. I started my weight loss in June and have lost 20 lbs. I look forward to reading more!
Marianne
the veggie paparazzo says
September 18, 2007 at 9:59 amWhen you roast your cauliflower, squeeze the juice of a lemon over it before you roast it (in addition to what you listed). You could also try a small amount of Parmesan, but the lemon alone somehow elevates the cauliflower to something new.
Jill says
September 18, 2007 at 3:14 pmI’m glad you tried the golden kiwi and liked it! I would have been so sad if the Pasta Queen would have scorned my recommendation!
Debbie says
September 18, 2007 at 9:33 pmMy grocery store doesn’t carry half of this stuff. I didn’t even know there was orange cauliflower or golden kiwis. I’ve had papaya, though.
denwanai says
September 18, 2007 at 10:49 pmPlease try a squeeze of lime on your papaya. deslish.
BTW, papaya contains a digestive enzyme that is used to tenderize meat. Papain is an enzyme extracted from the papaya skin and is primarily used in the meat industry as tenderizer, such as Adolphs. Inquiring mindes, you know…
Continue to enjoy your blog, one of my daily check-ins.
Angel says
September 22, 2007 at 9:57 pmI *love* orange cauliflower! A bit sweeter than the regular stuff. And the kids got a huge kick out of it!
Must try to find the golden kiwi, thank you! (Ok now I’m thinking “Indiana Jones and the Golden Kiwi” ROFL)
I’ve had papaya in canned fruit salad but I’ll give this a try too.
Had to LOL about the mango experiment…I only knew because my dad used to get them for us as kids. Sooooo delicious, definitely food porn! ;)
amanda says
September 24, 2007 at 9:49 amwow where do you even find orange cauliflower? I think that woudl be awesome!! Things around here are pretty bland and standard.
Becky says
September 25, 2007 at 11:39 amYou’re inspiring me – I’m trying to lose about 200 lbs too, and I love the idea of trying new produce on a regular basis! I have from time to time, and this summer I discovered that I looooooove arugula. I’m going to shamelessly copy this idea to help keep my diet interesting :)
kathy says
October 1, 2007 at 11:30 pmI live in Mexico on the Yucatan peninsula and even have a papaya (and banana) tree in my backyard (which, quite honestly is much less my backyard and much more the jungle that covers the peninsula). I really don’t like papaya. But it is really good for you and the seeds are great for digestive problems and if you make a licuado from the papaya it is wonderful. Or cube it and put it in yogurt. It is a very healthy fruit, but even ripe off the tree I just don’t like the taste all that much. sigh.
Julia says
December 2, 2007 at 11:29 amComing from South Africa we ate tons of fruit, mangoes, kiwi, papaya, cherries litchi’s, guarva are a few of my favorites.
There is a wonderful salad dressing made using the seeds of the papaya – it is yummy over a salad with lots of yellow and orange peppers, blanched almonds and cranberries.
1 tablespoon fresh papaya seeds
1/2 small onion
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar (or other flavors)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup vegetable oil
In a food processor, whir together the papaya seeds and onion until finely chopped.
Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, and mustard and pulse 3 or 4 times.
With the processor running, gradually add the oil in a thin stream until dressing emulsifies.
Use on your favorite salad greens.
Hope you try this, my SIL makes it often.