PRODUCT INFO Garden peas have a large bright green pod which encases plump, round peas or berries. The pods grow on vines and unlike snow and sugar snap peas are too fibrous to be edible. Pods must be shelled first by snapping off the end and pulling the fibrous string along the length of the pod. Each pod contains five to eight emerald hued peas. Peas have a tender yet slightly crunchy texture and a sweet pea flavor. For best flavor prepare or freeze peas soon after they are harvested, the high sugar content of the peas begin to convert to starch as soon as the peas are picked from the vine.Fresh garden peas are rich in vitamin A and vitamin B (particularly folic acid), calcium, iron, zinc, and potassium. In addition they contain protein and fiber as well as lutein which has been shown to promote healthy vision. They also contain phytonutrients which have anti-inflammatory properties and can aid in the prevention of diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. To best preserve nutrients use peas raw or prepare steamed or stir-fried. USES A versatile vegetable, fresh garden peas are sweet and tender enough to be eaten raw but may also be prepared cooked. Shelled peas can be blanched and pureed to make a spread or dip. Add raw peas to green and grain salads. Their sweet, fresh flavor will complement rich pasta and risotto as well as spicy curries and soups. The shells of garden peas can be used to add flavor to vegetable stock. For best flavor and texture wait to shell peas till you are ready to use them. Peas can also be shelled and frozen, dried or canned for future use. Season A peak season in spring through early summer, garden pea are available year-round with sporadic gaps in availability throughout the year.
PRODUCT INFO Winter melon are large fruits, averaging 15 to 80 centimeters in length, and have a bulbous, round to oblong shape with blunt, curved ends. The melons are covered in a thin but tough, light to dark green skin, often enveloped in a textured, chalky layer of wax, depending on the variety. Young Winter melons also bear a pale, fuzzy coating of hair that disappears as the fruit matures. Underneath the hard surface, the flesh is thick, firm, aqueous, and white, encasing a large central cavity filled with pithy membranes and cream-colored oval seeds. The seeds are edible once cooked and have a nutty, neutral taste. Winter melons are not typically consumed raw and contain a mild, vegetal, and subtly grassy flavor reminiscent of a watermelon rind or cucumber. When cooked, the flesh becomes transparent and softens, absorbing accompanying flavors. USES Winter melons are an excellent source of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system and fiber to stimulate and regulate the digestive tract. The fruits also provide antioxidants to protect the body against environmental aggressors, magnesium to maintain healthy nerve functioning, phosphorus and calcium to promote strong bones and teeth, and contain lower amounts of folate, zinc, and iron. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Winter melons are viewed as a cooling or yin ingredient and are used to reduce inflammation and balance the body through their alkaline properties. SEASON Winter melons are available year-round, with a peak harvest in the late summer through fall.
PRODUCT INFO Wing beans are lime green and elongated with a square shape and four feathery, winged accents running from tip to end like the tail of an arrow. The pods are straight or curved with a smooth and waxy surface. They can grow up to 30 centimeters long but are usually harvested at 10 and 15 centimeters, before the peas have fully developed. Wing beans are sweet, like many pea varieties, and offer an asparagus-like flavor and crunchy texture. Wing beans are an excellent source of copper, iron, manganese, tryptophan, and the essential amino acid isoleucine. They are also rich in protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, all of the essential B-complex vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. The pods, leaves and roots all contain a similar nutrient makeup. USES Wing beans are most often cooked. Young pods can be eaten raw in salads, sliced very thinly, or lightly blanched. They are prepared like French beans or snap peas by pinching off the ends and cutting into bite-sized sections. Use in stir-frys, sautes or add to soups and stews towards the end of the cooking process. The delicate pods pick up the bold flavors of chiles, garlic and spices. Young pods can be pickled. Mature beans are halved, and their seeds prepared and eaten like soybeans. Dried seeds can be ground and used as a flour substitute. Store Wing beans in a bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. SEASON Wing beans are available in the late spring and through the fall months.
PRODUCT INFO Water Mimosa is a wetland plant which has a taproot that attaches to edges of water bodies, such as rivers and banks. The plant produces long, woody, brown-purple stems which can grow to 1.5 meters in length. They have a spongy, fibrous white covering at the nodes. This covering, called an aerenchyma, is an air-conducting tissue. It allows the stems, which grow in a dense, interwoven manner, to be bouyant and float on the top of the water. From the stems grow branches, which bear small, olive green leaves that grow separately, in opposite pairs. The leaves are oblong in shape, and measure arond 4 to 14 millimeters in length, to 1 to 3 millimeters in breadth. Stems have of 8 to 40 pairs of leaves, which grow to create an attractive feathery effect. They are slightly toothsome, and have a texture akin to kangkong. They have a strong mushroom-like umami taste with a hint of cabbage flavor. Water Mimosa is considered to be a nutritious vegetable which is high in calcium and iron. It also contains vitamin A, vitamin C, protein and riboflavin. USES The young stems, shoots and leaves of Water Mimosa can be cooked and eaten in stir fries. Water Mimosa is most often cooked like kangkong, along with soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, chiles and garlic. It can also be found in recipes with noodles, minced chicken or fried fish. Store Water Mimosa in a loose bag in the refrigerator, where it will last for up to a week. SEASON Water Mimosa is available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Yellow corn is a variety of sweet corn. Its ears are wrapped in tightly bound lime hued husks with silks and a tassel that extend out from the tip. The yellow kernels are packed in tight almost uniform rows. A single ear of corn can contain up to 400 kernels. Freshly harvested yellow corn at its peak ripeness is sweet, offering flavors of almond and sugar, the kernels so succulent, the skin pops as you bite into it. As the corn matures, the kernels lose their milky consistency giving way to a starchy and doughy consistency. At this point, the corn is considered a grain crop and is best suited for processing or feedstock. USES Yellow corn is a significant resource of Vitamin A. As corn kernels mutated from white to yellow, they acquired chemicals called cartenoids. Of these cartenoids is beta carotene, which produces Vitamin A. Very little attention has been emphasized on yellow corn's significant beta carotene levels until the early 21st Century. Yellow corn, easy to grow in developing regions of Africa and Latin America, where corn is heavily relied upon as a food source, could actually keep millions of children from going blind. Yellow corn is now being bred to have at least 10 times higher the amount of beta carotene than average sweet corn varieties. SEASON Yellow corn is available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Young kratin can be classified as vegetables, herbs, and economic plants. Because the tops, flowers and pods can be eaten as food. used in medicinal used as a feed ingredient including wood that can be used as a raw material for paper production in the industry Making crutches, used wood, and used as fuel USES Young kratin, young pods and seeds are edible as vegetables. The top leaves are eaten with chili paste, papaya salad or oyster salad. The young Isan seeds are used to mix in papaya salad or eat with papaya salad. Southerners use young seeds and young leaves to eat with oysters. Season Young kratin is available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Green Thai papayas widely vary in size, ranging from 15-50 centimeters in length and 10-20 centimeters in diameter, and are oval and elongated in shape. The thin skin is smooth, slightly waxy, firm, and green. Underneath the surface, the flesh is crisp, white with pale green edging, and dense with a central seed cavity filled with white pith and many inedible seeds. When raw, Green Thai papayas are crunchy with a very mild and neutral taste similar to the flavor of jicama or cucumber. Green Thai papayas are a good source of vitamins A and C and also contain folate, magnesium, manganese, and potassium. Green Thai papayas are best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as boiling or sauteing. The fruits are most well-known for their use in som tan, which is a Thai salad that mixes Green Thai papaya with fish sauce, lime, chile, garlic, and varying vegetables. Green Thai papaya can also be added to stews, pickled for extended use, grated, fried, and mixed with small shrimp to make okoy, or cooked into sour curries such as gaeng som. In Thailand, Green papaya is also blended into soups and is heavily spiced with chiles as the fruit has minimal flavor and showcases other spices. Green Thai papaya pairs well with long beans, carrots, daikon radish, chiles, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, shallots, turmeric, and peanuts. The unripe fruits will keep for a couple of days at room temperature but will then begin to ripen. Once ripe, papayas will keep up to one week when stored in the refrigerator. USES In Thailand, papaya is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties and is used medicinally to help cleanse the digestive system. The leaves and sap are also used in traditional medicine to reduce the itchiness of insect bites and general swelling in the body. In addition to topical use, dried leaves are commonly steeped into a tea and are believed to stimulate digestion. Elongated papaya varieties are often seen in markets sold in slender pieces, stored over ice, so locals can buy the pieces daily as needed. Many Thai families also grow papaya in their home gardens to utilize the fruits, leaves, and sap year-round in medicinal and culinary applications. Season Green Thai papayas are available year-round in tropical climates.
PRODUCT INFO Puffball mushrooms range from small to very large in size, averaging 10-70 centimeters in diameter, and are round, oblong, to oval in shape. Some species are small, golf-ball sized, while others can grow as large as soccer balls. The white fruiting body can be smooth or bear some small scales, warts, or spines and is firm, airy, and spongy. There is also a protective coating that helps keep debris and dirt from entering the flesh. When sliced, the flesh should be pure white and never have any color. Puffball mushrooms are white when young and transition to a yellow-brown when mature and are rendered inedible when they reach this state. There are little to non-existent stems, and the spores are produced internally in the fruiting body. When young, Puffball mushrooms have a mild, nutty, and earthy flavor. Puffball mushrooms contain some phosphorus, manganese, selenium, and clavacin. USES Puffball mushrooms are best suited for cooked applications such as sauteing, pan-frying, and baking. Referred to as the �¢??breakfast mushroom" Puffball mushrooms pair well with egg dishes and are enhanced when sauteing and browned in simple ingredients such as garlic and butter. They can be sliced thinly and rolled with meat and vegetables, chopped into stir-fries, or grilled with marinades. They can also be cut into slices, battered, and fried, sliced and used as noodles in lasagna or ravioli, used as the dough in pizza, chopped into croquettes, blended into hummus, pureed into gravies, or dried and ground into a powder to use as a flavoring agent. The rotund mushrooms can be substituted for tofu or eggplant in many recipes. The flesh readily absorbs accompanying flavors so oil should be used sparingly. Puffball mushrooms pair well with tomatoes, broccoli, beets, rutabagas, radishes, turnips, parmesan cheese, garlic, poultry, scallops, crab meat, and tuna. They do not store well and should be used immediately after harvest. They can also be frozen between sheets of plastic and stored for extended use. Season Puffball mushrooms are available in the late summer through fall.
PRODUCT INFO Eryngii mushrooms are medium to large in size and are easily identified by their thick cylindrical stem and their small, flattened cap. The ivory to white stems can grow up to twenty centimeters in length, five centimeters in diameter, and are firm, dense, and chewy. The small, smooth caps are grey to brown and have rounded, curved edges. Underneath the cap, the stem and cap are joined by off-white, thin, short, gills, though dense and spongy in texture, lack aroma and flavor, but when cooked, the mushrooms have a savory umami flavor, a soft, crunchy texture, and a mild flavor reminiscent of abalone. Eryngii mushrooms contain riboflavin, vitamins B6, C, and D, niacin, potassium, fiber, and folate. They also contain high amounts of a naturally occurring amino acid, ergothioneine, which is an antioxidant. This particular antioxidant is stored in organs like the liver and kidneys and helps reduce the risk of chronic disease. USES Eryngii mushrooms are best suited for cooked applications such as grilling, roasting, baking, sauteing and frying. They can be sliced or torn into thick pieces and simmered or braised to create a crispy texture, or they can be cut into rounds to develop a tender, meat-like consistency. King Trumpet mushrooms are commonly used in stir-fries, soups, stews, tempura, chopped into meatballs or meatloaf, mixed into pasta, or grilled and served on top of barbequed meats. King Trumpet mushrooms pair well with legumes, grains, fish, poultry, scallops, Asian greens, ginger, garlic, chives, chiles, thyme, rosemary, peppercorn, soy, vinegar, dry white wines, blue cheese, grapes, and focaccia. They will keep 1-2 weeks when stored in a paper bag in the refrigerator. Season Eryngii mushrooms are available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Ear mushrooms are small to medium in size, averaging 3-8 centimeters in diameter, and are curved and wavy with an ear-like or cup-like shape. The fruiting bodies are brown to dark brown with a slippery or gelatinous texture and can be made up of smooth, wavy edges or many folds and wrinkles with some veining. With age, the gill-less and stemless fungus darkens, and the spores range in color from yellow, cream, to white. When cooked, Wood Ear mushrooms are firm, crunchy, and toothsome with a mild, musty flavor. Ear mushrooms contain iron, protein, fiber, and vitamins B1 and B2 USES Ear mushrooms are best suited for cooked applications such as boiling, stir-frying, and sauteing. Before cooking, the fungus should be rinsed, and any tough patches should be removed. Used for their chewy and toothsome texture, they can be added to soups, salads, or stir-fries and readily absorb accompanying flavors. Ear mushrooms are commonly added to Chinese hot and sour soup and to Szechwan and Hunan cuisine to soak up the spicier flavors. Outside of China, ear mushrooms are most commonly found in dried form and can easily be reconstituted. To rehydrate, the fungus should be soaked in water for at least half an hour. Ear mushrooms pair well with potatoes, fermented black beans, green onions, onions, ginger, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sesame oil, cilantro, parsley, bay leaves, allspice, snow thistle, cucumber, bamboo shoots, green peas, tofu, pork, ham, shrimp, and crab. They should be used immediately and will only keep for a couple of days when wrapped in paper towels and stored in the refrigerator. Season Ear mushrooms are available from early summer through early winter, while the cultivated versions are available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Golden Mushroom are very small in size and grow in bouquets of tightly packed, long stems topped with petite, convex caps. The snow-white caps are tender, smooth, delicate, and are connected to matching white stems that are thin and can grow up to twelve centimeters in length. Golden Mushroom are crisp and firm with a crunchy bite and a mild, fruity flavor. Golden Mushroom contain dietary fiber, niacin, calcium, potassium, selenium, copper, phosphorus, and iron. They are also known to have anti-inflammatory properties and are excellent immune system boosters. USES Golden Mushroom are best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as simmering, blanching, and boiling. Before consuming, the ends should be trimmed, the mushrooms should be washed, and any slimy stems should be discarded. The delicate, crunchy texture of Golden Mushroom can be served fresh in salads, lightly sauteed and added into stir-fries and noodle dishes, mixed into omelets, risottos, curries, sushi, or even in spring rolls. They are most commonly used in hot pot soups, added in for texture, but they can also be blanched in a soy sauce-based mixture and served as a main dish. Golden Mushroom pair well with soba noodles, vermicelli, soy sauce, miso, garlic, onion, scallions, seaweed, kale, ginger, bacon, seafood such as crab, lobster, or shrimp, lemongrass, fresh herbs, long beans, carrots, celery, snap peas, bell pepper, and water chestnuts. They will keep up to one week when stored in a paper bag in the refrigerator. Season Golden Mushroom are available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Melon Cucumber Laithai are used as fresh vegetables as well as cucumbers. It is commonly eaten fresh as a dipping vegetable. It tastes like cucumber but has a firmer texture (less water). It is also used in salads and curries as well as cucumbers. Including being able to pickle as a pickled melon as well, preferably pickled to have a sweet and slightly salty taste than pickled sour. USES Ripe Melon Cucumber Laithai are eaten in desserts or eaten as a fruit by blending melons into a drink. Thai melon blended or mixed with coconut milk. Besides making sweets Ripe melons can also be eaten directly like watermelons, but they are not as popular as watermelons because they are not as sweet. Including not as popular as melon (cantaloupe) because the taste is not as sweet and the meat is more messy.As usual, we usually eat melons cooked with coconut milk and called Thai melons. Or eat it with white sugar, it's delicious, but no matter how you eat it, melon has outstanding properties to treat disease. such as coughing from tuberculosis, constipation, and urinary tract infections, thus helping to alleviate such symptoms and diseases and have the opportunity to eventually recoverThe smell and taste of fresh Thai melon is also suitable for making Thai melon juice because it is easy to make, good smell and taste, beautiful color, high nutritional value. Because it is very high in vitamin A, it also contains a lot of vitamin C, phosphorus, calcium, etc. Season Melon Cucumber Laithai produces a good yield during From July to September, Thai melons can be planted in all regions of Thailand.
PRODUCT INFO Shiitake mushrooms range in colors from amber to paper bag-brown. Each mushroom has an umbrella shaped cap with a curled rim. Their caps have a cream-colored supple-firm interior. Unlike mature shiitake mushrooms, Shiitake mushrooms are entirely edible as their thin stalks are still tender when young. When cooked, shiitakes release a garlic-pine aroma and have a rich, earthy, umami flavor. These shiitakes are farm raised and harvested on protein-filled sterile sawdust logs that have been inoculated with shiitake spores. The individual logs can produce over 4 pounds of mushrooms during their lifetime. They are also 100% recyclable; once the logs are exhausted they can be used for composting or as a natural fertilizer. USES Shiitake mushrooms, like mature Shiitake, are widely used in Asian cuisine. They are not limited to Asian recipes, though, and as a cultivated variety, they may be substituted in recipes calling for "wild mushrooms". Pair shiitake with Asian mustard greens, eggplant, rice, noodles, garlic, soy and chile. May be sauteed, roasted or skewered and grilled. Season Shiitake mushrooms are harvested on logs year-round. Their growth, and hence availability, is dependent upon how well the log feeds them.
PRODUCT INFO Asparagus grow to about 22 centimeters in length and 16 millimeters in diameter. Its deep pistachio-green stalks are tender at the tip and slightly woody and thick towards the end, and a slight purple blush often occurs around the stalk and throughout the conical tip. Asparagus' mildly grassy and sweet flavor matches that of its larger and smaller counterparts. Asparagus, botanically known as Asparagus officinalis, is a member of the Liliaceae family. Considered a perennial herb, asparagus has an underground rhizome from which its edible young stems, known as spears, emerge during the spring and summer months. Asparagus plants are either male or female, the females volunteer seeds while males do not. Having less energy spent on producing seeds creates a thicker, more flavorful stalk, driving higher demand for male asparagus. This demand for male asparagus has put new cultivars on the market bred to produce only male plants. These cultivars include Jersey Giant, Jersey Supreme and Jersey Knight and all are cost efficient. Season Asparagus is available year-round, with a peak season in spring.
PRODUCT INFO Lotus root is an oblong, tubular rhizome or stem that grows underground in bodies of water, averaging 5-10 centimeters in diameter and 10-20 centimeters in length. Appearing like underwater sausage links, the rhizomes are connected to other rhizomes via smaller roots creating groupings of 3 to 5 and can grow to be over one meter in length as a whole. When young, Lotus root has a firm texture with light purple to white skin that transforms into a brown-beige hue with darker brown speckling when mature. Underneath the thin skin, the flesh ranges in color from ivory to white and is crisp, light, and starchy. There are also numerous, symmetrical, air pockets patterned into a pinwheel shape in the flesh that extend the entire length of the rhizome. Lotus root has a dense and crunchy texture with a nutty and sweet flavor, similar to that of a water chestnut or taro root. The younger roots are more tender and used for fresh culinary purposes, whereas mature roots are used in extended cooking applications to develop a tender, potato-like texture. Considered a good source of energy as it is high in carbohydrates. It also contains vitamin C, manganese, zinc, iron, copper, vitamin B, potassium, and magnesium. USES Lotus root is best suited for cooked applications such as steaming, frying, braising, stir-frying, and boiling. After peeling the root, it should be immersed in acidulated water using vinegar or citrus to prevent discoloration. Lotus root can be blanched just slightly to remove any bitterness, cooled, and added to salads or crudite. It can also be sliced and braised until tender in soups, stir-fried, battered and fried into tempura, or thinly sliced and baked into chips. In India, Lotus root is boiled, mashed, and added to vegetarian kofta, which is a dumpling dish paired with spicy sauces. A traditional Korean dessert also utilizes Lotus root with soy sauce, honey, and sesame seeds called yeongun bokkum. Lotus roots pair well with mushrooms, peppers, snap peas, snow peas, asparagus, corn, celery, cucumber, oyster sauce, peanuts, red beans, and sesame seeds. Lotus root will keep up to two weeks when stored whole, wrapped in damp paper towels, and placed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Sliced Lotus root can be stored in an acidulated water solution for a couple of days, or it can be frozen for long-term storage. SEASON Lotus root is available year-round, with a peak season in the fall.
PRODUCT INFO Kale is a non-heading, leafy form of wild cabbage that comes in a range of shapes, sizes, and colors, such as blue-green, yellow-green, white, red, or purple. Different cultivars are classified by differences in their stem length and their leaf structure, as some are flat and others are frilly. The standard Kale we usually find in the grocery store is pale to deep green with large, ruffle-edged leaves and long stems. It is hardy and fibrous when fully mature, and tender enough to be used as a raw salad green when young. The pale green stems are tough and typically removed, while the tightly curled leaves are chewy yet succulent. Depending on the variety, Kale can sometimes be spicy, other times a bit sweet, and usually slightly bitter. In general, Kale offers an earthy flavor with a nutty sweetness that is accentuated when cooked. USES Considering its many forms and stages of harvest, Kale is an incredibly versatile green in the kitchen, and can be used raw or cooked. Young Kale leaves add an earthy flavor to raw salad green mixes, and fully mature Kale is one of the few leafy greens that doesn't shrink much when it's cooked. It's great sauteed, roasted, stewed, and even baked into Kale chips. Just be careful not to over-cook it, as it can develop a more bitter taste. Kale is also often added raw to smoothies, juices, and salads. To prep Kale for use, whether raw or cooked, first remove the tough and fibrous stems. A quick and dirty way to do it is to hold the stem in one hand and strip leaves along the stem away from you. You can also cut the leaves into thin, confetti-like ribbons. A quick massage can help the process of breaking up the cellulose structure of Kale. You can drizzle it with olive oil, salt, and lemon juice, and rub the leaves together in your hands to get a slightly sweeter, much silkier Kale. This leafy green pairs well with garlic, onion, sesame, soy sauce, ginger, smoked or roasted meats, potatoes, grains, oregano, thyme, red pepper, cream, Parmesan cheese, and more. To store Kale, wrap the leaves in a loose bundle with a paper towel or a thin cotton kitchen towel, place them in a large, sealable bag, and refrigerate in the crisper drawer for up to a week. SEASONS Kale is available year-round with a peak season in winter.
PRODUCT INFO Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of food, such as soups, sandwiches and wraps; it can also be grilled. One variety, the celtuce (asparagus lettuce), is grown for its stems, which are eaten either raw or cooked. In addition to its main use as a leafy green, it has also gathered religious and medicinal significance over centuries of human consumption. Europe and North America originally dominated the market for lettuce, but by the late 20th century the consumption of lettuce had spread throughout the world. As of 2017, world production of lettuce and chicory was 27 million tonnes, 56% of which came from China. Lettuce was originally farmed by the ancient Egyptians, who transformed it from a plant whose seeds were used to obtain oil into an important food crop raised for its succulent leaves and oil-rich seeds. Lettuce spread to the Greeks and Romans; the latter gave it the name lactuca, from which the English lettuce is derived. By 50 AD, many types were described, and lettuce appeared often in medieval writings, including several herbals. The 16th through 18th centuries saw the development of many varieties in Europe, and by the mid-18th century, cultivars were described that can still be found in gardens. USES Generally grown as a hardy annual, lettuce is easily cultivated, although it requires relatively low temperatures to prevent it from flowering quickly. It can be plagued by numerous nutrient deficiencies, as well as insect and mammal pests, and fungal and bacterial diseases. L. sativa crosses easily within the species and with some other species within the genus Lactuca. Although this trait can be a problem to home gardeners who attempt to save seeds, biologists have used it to broaden the gene pool of cultivated lettuce varieties. Lettuce is a rich source of vitamin K and vitamin A, and a moderate source of folate and iron. Contaminated lettuce is often a source of bacterial, viral, and parasitic outbreaks in humans, including E. coli and Salmonella. SEASON Lettuce is available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Snake gourds range from small to very large in size and are elongated, slender, curved, or straight. There are two different categories of Snake gourds. One type is extremely long with hard skin and is grown for ornamental purposes, and the other type ranges in size and is grown for eating and medicinal purposes. Snake gourds that are used for consumption have waxy green skin and are often speckled or striped with a lighter shade of green. The fruit is typically consumed when young, with longer varieties averaging 40-45 centimeters in length and smaller varieties 15-20 centimeters in length. The gourd may grow straight or in twisted curls and spirals. When Snake gourds are young, the seeds are fairly non-existent, the pulp around the seed mass is firm, and the flavor is mild and similar to a cucumber. As it matures, the rind becomes hard, turns red, and the flavor becomes bitter and gelatinous with many seeds. Snake gourds contain iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese, vitamins A, B, and C, fiber, calcium, and phosphorus. USES Snake gourds are best suited for cooked applications such as stir-frying, baking, stuffing, and boiling. They can be prepared and used like zucchini, sauteed and served as a side dish or added to dishes with other sauteed vegetables. They can also be added to sabzi, chopped into curries, stuffed and grilled, made into a chutney, fried, blended into soups, sliced into stir-fries, or pickled for extended use. When the gourd is mature, the seed mass within is scraped out and used like tomato paste in various Indian dishes. Snake gourds pair well with turmeric, cumin, coriander, mustard, red chiles, curry leaves, coconut, onion, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkin, lentils, tofu, poultry, pork, and beef. They will keep for 2-3 weeks when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. SEASONS Snake gourds are available in the late summer through fall.
PRODUCT INFO Thai eggplants can have an elongated, cylindrical shape to a small, globular shape, averaging 2-3 centimeters in diameter. The outer skin is smooth and glossy and ranges from dark green, light green, to white. The vivid green hues begin at the fruit's stem and then fade to a creamy white in a striping pattern. The inner flesh is pale green to white and contains many small, brown, edible seeds. Thai eggplants are crunchy and mild with a slightly bitter taste. USES Thai eggplants can be consumed in both raw and cooked applications such as grilling, frying, baking, pureeing, stewing, stuffing, and pickling. This eggplant is unique because unlike other eggplant varieties that require cooking, it can be used in raw preparations, such as salads and crudite. The seeds are edible but can be difficult to chew. In cooked applications, Thai eggplants are most commonly used in curries, and when cooked they become soft and soak up the sauce with ease. They can also be sliced and added to stir-fries or battered and fried into a tempura side dish. Thai eggplant pairs well with aromatics such as garlic, ginger, and onions, herbs such as basil, oregano, cilantro and parsley, nightshade family members including tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers, as well as coconut milk, soy sauce, shellfish, and poultry. Thai eggplants will keep up to three days when stored in a cool and dry place. SEASON Thai eggplants are available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Ivy gourd is a local vegetable with very high nutritional value. and what you see will be pleasing A health lover for sure is that ivy gourds contain beta-carotene. that reduces the rate risk of developing cancer and ischemic heart disease also provide calcium as well For those who have problems driving It's worth trying to eat because gourds contain fiber that helps the digestive system work well. Young shoots and young leaves of ivy gourds It is blanched and steamed as a dipping sauce with chili paste and used to cook as curry, vegetable soup. Some local villagers bring the young fruit of ivy gourds to pickle and eat it with chili paste or cook it as a curry. The young shoots of ivy gourds are a popular vegetable that Thai people eat. Available in fresh markets in every region of Thailand. USES The ivy gourds are also useful as follows: leaves, quenching heat poisoning, neutralizing fever, relieving heat, quenching boils, relieving burning pain, relieving itching, flowers, relieving itching, seeds, pounding mixed with coconut oil to cure scabies, vines, use the juice from the vine to drop the eyes to cure hay fever, red eyes, bruised eyes, watery eyes, eye inflammation. Detoxification, anti-inflammatory, brew with dizzy glass drinking water, roots, quench all poisons, cure blemish eyes, reduce fever, cure vomiting, latex, stem, leaf, root Cure diabetes, headache, eliminate all toxins SEASON Ivy gourd is available year-round.