pepino

no, it's not supposed to be brown like that. i took out the middle before eating. should have eaten it the first day i got it.
pepino is a member of the nightshade family, like tomatoes and potatoes and just about everything else edible. it really is fruity, though. it smelled and tasted like a really ripe cantaloupe with a bit of peachiness thrown in (though the peach part was not unanimously agreed upon).

in a salad with tomato, cilantro, and balsamic vinegar:

sounds nice and mediterranean, eh?
not so much. after putting this together, my first thought was "smells funny". it tasted funny, too. the fruit was waaaay better plain.

yuca

credit for the yuca actually goes to jason, who purchased it after i changed my mind. but i helped! and we learned someting useful, so the post goes on.
yuca is the root of the cassava plant. when puchased, it's dark brown and heavily waxed, looking very much like a salami (thanks to aly for the analogy). you have to peel it; due to the wax, a knife would probably work better than a vegetable peeler. the inside is very firm, like a carrot or sweet potato, and creamy white. there's a string that runs down the middle that you have to remove. we halved them horizontally, then quartered them lengthwise and cut at an angle down the center, like coring an apple. that worked great.
then we boiled them for half an hour and fried them until crispy. except for the blackened its of garlic we added too early, they tasted like restaurant yuca. so good. if you like potatoes, you'll probably like this. the flavor is mild and starchy, with a hearty, almost chewy texture and crunchy crust.

plantain

banana blossom

the most beautiful food i've ever cooked. many photos ensue.
lewis provides scale to better characterize the banana blossom:
the first petal (bracht?) filled with pre-bananas. someone told me these are sold canned for cooking on their own. which means an update to the entry will be coming eventually.

before slicing:

sliced:

cooked in a magnificent coconut and vinegar sauce that could be used for practically anything:

kiwano

sweet japanese tomato

i have no idea whether "sweet japanese tomato" is a legitimate subset of the tomato world, but it was slim pickings at the farmers market that week, and i took what i could get. and it worked out darned well.
the tomato was purchased really green and hard (picture a slightly blushed green apple) and ripened in my spice cabinet. when my friends down the street had an impromptu barbecue, i brought it over to try.
we tried a teeny bit fresh, and it was a very meaty tomato with a hint of chive flavor. which sounds strange, but is still true.


then my friend smoked thick slices in the hot smoker (for an hour, give or take) and seared them off on the grill. and the tomato was changed like you would not believe. it became its own sauce, full of flavor and nuance even though it was only cooked with salt and olive oil. we served it on top of grilled potatoes (also plundered from the spice cabinet).

fuyu persimmon