May’s Freshest: What to Eat This Month
PLANT-BASED PROTEINS
Many people are discovering the health benefits of a plant-based diet, increasing fiber and consuming less animal meats and fats. Not only does produce provide fiber, but it serves a double function as an effective source of protein. Below are several top vegetable sources we hope you will consider adding to your daily diet. If you’ve not experienced these vegetable sources, try them in small amounts and various cooking techniques, gradually increasing the quantity to become the main ingredient or equal portion of focus ingredients. You’ll be amazed at how tasty they can be and how much healthier you’ll feel!
EDAMAME
Pretty green non-GMO soybeans eaten from their pods as a cold snack, shelled and tossed into mixed veggies and salads, smashed into guacamole or folded into steamed and rough-mashed sweet potatoes, added to soups, or quickly sautéed with bright Organic Veggie Sweet Peppers and slivers of red onion. For extra protein, combine beans and legumes with grains or nuts to make complete protein. All of Melissa’s Edamame, whether organic, conventional, whole, shelled, or spicy are cooked and non-GMO. Simply open the package and use it as you wish! Be mindful of use-by dates and discard any with an off odor. Product of China.
GREEN PEAS
Peas are fun finger food for kids, big or small. They are sweet, tender, crunchy, and easy to prepare raw or cooked. All three pea varieties, once washed, may be eaten raw or best prepared steamed or sautéed. Select peas with bright green color, with no signs of wilt, shrivel, or soft spots. Refrigerate all varieties unwashed in a plastic bag for up to seven days.
ENGLISH SHELLING PEAS
English Shelling Peas are the formal name for green peas in a shell. They are in season, making preparation a fun interactive activity with children, learning that ‘those sweet, green balls’ do not grow frozen in a plastic bag. Simply shuck from their pods and steam or boil as if they were frozen…but taste much brighter! Save empty pods to add flavor to broths or infuse poaching liquids and sauces. Discard once used or add to compost. One pound of English Shelling Peas will yield about 8 ounces of loose peas. Available through June. Product of USA, California grown.
SNO PEAS
Sno or Snow Peas are the flat peas with bumps on top. The bumps are the peas within the pod. This is the omnipresent pea found on Cantonese restaurant menus with chicken chow mein noodles, sometimes sweet and sour dishes, white fish with water chestnuts, and so on. Even though flat, they are crisp and crunchy when served raw, or tossed into dishes last minute to retain their crispness. Overcooking them can make them stringy and mushy. To prepare after washing, simply cut off the stem end at a diagonal complementary to the pea’s shape and serve raw or steamed. Available year-round. Product of USA or Mexico.
SNAP PEAS
Snap Peas are a cross of green peas and snow peas, resulting in a sweet, edible, crunchy pod with sweet peas inside. It can be consumed raw as a snack or gently heated with cooked root veggies, sweet peppers, onions, and jicama. To prepare, simply wash in a colander, pat dry, and then trim off the stem end. They may be consumed raw, sautéed, or steamed. Boiling can cause peas to lose their crisp quality. Available organic or conventional, year-round. Product of USA or Mexico.
COLLARDS, KALE/KALE SPROUTS
Not only a high protein source, but also one of the most nutrient-dense greens of the crucifer family, rich with Vitamins A, C, K, and B Vitamins, which, as noted in our book “The 50 Best Plants on the Planet”, all aid in blood and heart health and immunity, as well as prevent neural tube defects. Kale Sprouts are a tasty combination of red Russian kale and Brussels sprouts, yielding both the benefits of kale and those of nutrient-dense Brussels sprouts, too!
Crucifers such as collards, kale, and Brussels sprouts can be bitter or have bite in their flavor. Kale and related varieties have dense, stiff leaves that can be softened, and bitterness tamed by massaging or tossing them in an acidic ingredient such as juices of lemon, lime, or Seville orange, or a drizzle of balsamic or apple cider vinegar. Add a drizzle of olive oil, and you have made the powerhouse qualities more bioavailable!
Select whole kale leaves that have clean green, crisp leaves with no wilt or yellow. Look for smaller leaves and thinner stems that are generally more tender and have the best texture. Refrigerate kale, unwashed, in a plastic bag for up to 3 days, and kale sprouts for up to 10 days. If kale is cleaned, spin dry and wrap in a paper towel or cloth in a perforated plastic bag and store in a crisper drawer for up to one week. To clean kale, cut or sheer off leaves from stems with your hands, discarding stems and rinsing leaves in a deep bowl of water for the sand to fall away from the leaves. See Brussels Sprouts to clean Kale Sprouts. Kale varieties and Kale Sprouts may be consumed raw, roasted, steamed, braised, or sautéed, or charred. Available year-round. Product of USA, California.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Named for the capital of Belgium in Western Europe, where they were cultivated in the 5th Century, the little cabbages or ‘choux’ have become world favorites of the crucifer family. Brussels sprouts are also one-half of the hybridized kale sprouts. As mentioned about its kale relative, Brussels sprouts are a nutrient-dense veggie that is helpful for breaking down sugars in the body and metabolizing the macronutrients of fat, carbs, and protein. It also is helpful for liver and eye health.
Select Brussels sprouts with tightly packed, not spongy, heads with no yellow or soft spots. Kale sprouts will have firm centers and healthy, firm leaves. There should be no mold, blackened or wet leaves for either variety—Refrigerate, unwashed, for up to ten days. To prepare, wash in a colander under cool, running water, allowing any soil or dirt to drain. Trim just enough of the bottom of each sprout to remove any discoloration, keeping layers intact. Both sprout varieties may be halved or left whole with a scoring on root end, but larger pieces are best halved head to toe for even cooking. Both varieties, available year-round, may be prepared the same as their kale relative and are especially tasty with butter and chopped candied bacon! Product of USA or Mexico.
ARTICHOKES
Some say artichokes are too much bother for the amount of yield, while others just can't get enough of this earthy, nutty, and slightly sweet veggie of the thistle family. Folklore claims artichokes to be an aphrodisiac, but there is no proof. Artichokes, however, do contain lots of antioxidants and fiber, both attributes for stamina and good health. Full-sized artichokes must be trimmed of their thorns and the hairy ‘chokes’ removed before consuming their fleshy hearts. Baby artichokes, however, have not developed thorns or hairy chokes. Though tips and stem ends should still be trimmed, baby-size artichokes may be consumed whole.
Artichokes may be steamed or boiled until fork tender, often with slices or halves of fresh lemon to prevent oxidation and olive-green color once cooked, then served with aioli, Melissa’s ready-to-eat hollandaise, reduced balsamic, clarified chili spiced butter, or even soy miso drizzle. Large artichokes are fun stuffed with a grain salad, and both large and baby chokes may be grilled, charred, smoked, or steamed and served pickled, or with sauces.
To check for freshness, gently squeeze chokes and listen for a squeak. Select chokes that appear fresh with no split or dried leaves. Store, unwashed, and refrigerated in a loosely closed plastic bag for up to one week. To reach the luscious heart, scoop out the fuzzy, inedible choke and consume the heart as well as a trimmed stem. Product of USA or Mexico. Available year-round.
MUSHROOMS
Mushrooms, in general, are a source of protein, fiber, flavor, and meaty texture, though they may cause flatulence if over-consumed. Most mushrooms in grocery stores are commercially cultivated. Only wild mushrooms should be purchased from professionally foraged sources.
Chopped or minced mushrooms are often blended into meats or with grains to provide flavor, moisture, and satiety, reducing animal protein intake. When dried or ground, mushrooms can also amp up flavor in dishes in place of added salt.
Select fresh mushrooms that appear clean with unbroken caps and dry gills, with no discoloration or soft spots. They have an earthy, not musty aroma. Best kept refrigerated in a paper bag for no more than 5 days. Moisture is their kryptonite! To clean, use a soft brush or gently whisk with an almost dry paper towel. Most are available year-round. Cultivated varieties are Product of USA.
ORGANIC HONEYNUT SQUASH
If you’re a foodie or follow a more produce-focused regime, then you’re familiar with Organic Honeynut Squash and its origin, a collaboration between Chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill Tavern and Cornell University’s Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics. The goal was to breed a more flavorful butternut squash. Fast forward about ten years, which is the norm to develop many new produce varieties, and the Honeynut became popular among high profile chefs who wanted more. The rest is history.
Honeynut resembles a mini butternut squash with smooth, vertical ridges on its exterior, making the squash a perfect stuffed main dish for one or two. This variety squash has a rich texture, sweet-to-caramel flavor profile and a thin edible skin, like freshly harvested acorn, delicata, or kabocha. Squash, in general, pairs well with just about any ingredient from dairy, grains and nuts, animal protein, dried fruits, greens, you name it! Honeynut squash is also a great substitution for starch sides such as potatoes, grains, and root veggies, and often a substitute for meat in some instances. Children and big kids may enjoy Honeynut’s sweet profile and more firm texture. All winter or storage squash may be peeled, then steamed, boiled, sautéed, or roasted. Melissa’s kitchen has found our favorite method to prepare winter squash is roasting as it brings out the flavor profile and sweetness of the squash and less loss of nutrients. Coincidentally, this is the method Cornell and Chef Barber recommend to prepare Honeynut, or continue with your recipe preparation.
Select Organic Honeynut Squash that is free from punctures or damage to its skin and is heavy for its size. Store at room temperature away from heat and moisture. Because Honeynut Squash has thinner skin, its storage life is only a few weeks to a month on the counter. Use within a few days if the squash begins to wrinkle. Storing raw hard squash under refrigeration is not recommended. To freeze for up to six months: wash, peel and seed hard squash, then cut into one-inch pieces and freeze in a single layer. Once frozen, transfer to labeled freezable bags or containers. Cook frozen squash from its frozen state, keeping in mind cooking time may be a bit longer.
This is the last full month of availability for this toothsome and versatile squash before the crop gaps in September. The availability projection is to the end of May. Product of Mexico.
SUPER HOT PEPPER MIX
For all you Chile heads out there, this is the time to make your world-famous hot sauce or enjoy in a favorite dish a variety of the hottest peppers currently available from 100,000 Scoville units to over 2 million! Super-Hot Chile Mix may contain Habanero, Scotch Bonnet, Bhut Jolokia (Ghost), Carolina Reaper, and/or Scorpion, based on availability and harvest. Their profiles, depending on variety, are not just hot, but also fruity and sweet. Use the pepper whole and remove it from cooking when you like the flavor profile and your dish has reached a comfortable heat level. Remember: it is the oils in the ribs of the pepper that yield the heat, NOT the seeds.
Super-Hot Pepper Mix peppers are meant to be included in sauces, some chile stews, and such. They are NOT meant to be eaten as a condiment like their jalapeño and serrano cousins. Please remember to wear gloves when handling Super-Hot Pepper Mix peppers, and AVOID TOUCHING ALL BODY PARTS until you are finished working with the peppers and have thoroughly washed your hands to your elbows. If you forget and do have inflammation, flush area well with cool water. Alternatively, douse or consume milk or yogurt and possibly seek medical attention. Please keep away from children.
When selecting fresh peppers, look for taut, fresh skins with no shrivel or wrinkles, avoiding any signs of shrivel or mold. Keep refrigerated or freeze until use. Super-Hot Pepper Mix is available through November. Product of Mexico or Netherlands.
