1. Fennel – I’ve tried this raw before, but didn’t really like it as I don’t really like licorice and it tastes a bit like licorice. However, I’d heard the flavour is different when cooked, and that its quite good for you. So, now I’ve cooked and enjoyed, a few times, roasted fennel. It is very nice. There is a slight licorice flavour to it, but it is much subtler.
2. Fiddleheads – These are intriguing vegetables that you only really see in the stores during the spring. I’ve tried them before as they are quite common in Nova Scotia, but hadn’t ever cooked them, and it had been a long time. So, I bought some fiddleheads. I steamed them, and then tossed them with a little butter, salt and pepper. They were delicious.
3. Lima Beans - so, I know I’ve eaten these before – in the midst of other vegetables in a salad or bean dish of some sort, but I’ve never had them all by themselves, as a main vegetable on the plate. I found them a little blah as a stand alone green vegetable. They don’t pack much of a flavour punch. I think these little guys work a lot better when mixed in with more flavourful fun.
4. Figs - the fresh kind, not dried. I’ve had dried figs plenty of times, but until this year, I hadn’t tried a fresh fig. These are a really interesting fruit, unlike any other I’ve tasted. The texture is kind of like that of a plum, but creamier. So, kind of like a butter plum? And, they’re a little bit sweet, but sort of subtly so.
5. Green Peas - ridiculous sounding, I know. However, I have been very anti-pea for most of my life. It has been a texture problem. That said, they’re healthy, and when cooked from frozen, a very easy vegetable to add to your plate. I’ve successfully reintroduced the green pea to my diet, and I’m happy to say, that I’m back on the bandwagon, and have reentered fandom. Hurrah!
6. Cactus Pear - The cactus pear is a real novelty fruit for me. It is incredible. The colour is bright pink – more fuchsia than the brightest of watermelon, and the texture quite similar. The flavour is light and sweet. The flavour not overpowering, but quite unique. This is a great new find that I’m definitely going to be working into the rotation.
7. Persimmon - This is kind of an exciting fruit. It looks like an orange tomato – on the outside. I’ve always been curious about it when I’ve seen it not with the tomatoes in the grocery store, wondering just how different something that looked so similar could be. Interestingly, the whole eating experience proves to be very different from the tomato. It is a much more solid consistency, and there is no juicy/seedy centre. The flavour is surprisingly bland, I thought. It is a little sweet, but not particularly noteworthy. I liked it, but I can’t, now, recall what it tasted like.
8. Kale - I’ve had kale before, as part of a soup for instance, but haven’t cooked it, or eaten it on its own. As it turns out, it is an excellent and easily prepared choice for a dark leafy green. The flavour is mildly bitter, but also packs much more of a punch than, say, spinach. It also holds its shape much better than most leafies in a soup or stir fry. This is an excellent addition to my repertoire.
9. Beets - until this year, I had never cooked a beet. Now, I’ve tried a couple things with beets. First, is peeling them, chopping them up a bit, and roasting them in a pan tossed in a little olive oil with salt and pepper. This is really nice, as it crisps them up a bit and carmelizes them to bring out the sweetness. I’ve also tried roasting them inside their skins for about an hour, wrapped in tin foil. You then cool them before peeling. This gives you a soft, quite juicy, and bright red vegetable, with a completely different flavour.
10. Sicilian Eggplant - This is like a normal eggplant, but shaped like a large tomato – round. The colour also tends to be a slightly lighter purple. The flavour is similar to a normal eggplant, except you can cook it hollowed out in the middle and stuffed, which turns out to be really nice.
11. Sweet Dumpling Squash - Sweet dumplings are similar to acorn squash in flavour and consistency, but alittle bit milder on the squash front, and a little sweeter.
12. Napa Cabbage - I’ve eaten plenty of cabbage in my time, but generally it is the round kind. Napa cabbage has a milder flavour than regular cabbage, and the leaves are a bit softer – and crinklier.
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