Food Facts

Blueberries are distinctive in so many ways. Not only are they the only blue food, but there are also more blueberry species native to North America – the main ones being highbush, lowbush, and rabbiteye – than any other continent.

They’ve been abundant on the North American continent since the dawn of time, and were a staple in the Native American diet. When the first colonists arrived, they were shown how to gather blueberries, dry them in the sun, store them for winter, and perpetuate their growth.

While dates don’t appear to be particularly special with their oddly wrinkled, brown exterior, they’re satisfyingly chewy and flavorful. Undoubtedly a favorite since the Garden of Eden, dates are considered a drupe because they contain a single pit or stone at the center.

Date palms, which produce these little beauties, were brought to America’s Western coast by Spanish missionaries in the late 1700s…

There are hundreds of them – varieties of tomato, that is – tiny types like grape, plum, and cherry for snacking pleasure, firm, petite Romas, good for cooked foods, and hefty beefsteak, ideal for BLTs and burgers.

The colors can vary as well, from the palest pink to yellow, and even purple. Preparations of tomato are endless: sun-dried, fried green, stew, sauce, paste, ketchup, juice, Bruschetta, veggie soup, pizza, salsa, salad…

Some advice: refrigerating tomatoes halts the ripening process and diminishes the flavor and texture…

It’s ironic that even though the Aztecs probably used them as one of their staple crops, it may have been Spanish conquistadors who introduced tomatillos (which translates to “little tomatoes” in Spanish) to the New World, after first carrying them back to Spain.

Sometimes called husk cherries or tomato verde, tomatillos are a small, green Mexican fruit with a Japanese lantern-type shell surrounding it…

Grown in the Mediterranean region as far back as 2,000 B.C., beet cultivation spread to Babylonia in the eighth century, then to China around 850 A.D.

Beets, along with their greens, belong to the Goosefoot family, known as Chenopodiaceae. Within the botanical family, beet greens are factored alongside spinach, Swiss chard, quinoa…

Cultivated in China for centuries, bok choy has played a large part not only in its cuisine, but in traditional Chinese medicine. Today, it’s a staple in both Asian and American recipes.

A deep green leafy vegetable that resembles Romaine lettuce on top and a large celery on the bottom, bok choy is a crucifer more closely related to cabbage. The entire vegetable can be used…

Native to southern Ecuador and northern Peru, where it still grows uncultivated, the tropical fruit cherimoya is unheard of by many Americans, since it has somewhat finicky growing preferences. Cherimoya trees don’t fare well in extreme temperatures, nor do they grow in tropical lowlands or at very high altitudes.

The leaves and fruit suffer when exposed to climates over 85-90 degrees or below 30-32 degrees Fahrenheit for very long. They also require excellent drainage. Limited production of cherimoya is known in…

A crunchy snack all by itself or with peanut butter added to round out the nutrients, celery is one of the most versatile vegetables in the garden, useful for its flavorful seeds and pale green leaves and stalks. It’s a direct descendant of wild celery and a member of the Apiaceae family with parsnips, fennel, and parsley,

possessing in appearance or flavor some of those characteristics. Celeriac or knob celery (A. graveolens rapaceum) is an example, although this…

Cauliflower is one of many crucifers, including broccoli, cabbage, and kale, and is named for its cross-shaped stems. White, purple, green, or pale orange in color, it’s one of those amazingly versatile veggies that shows up raw on relish plates, sautéed in stir fries, pickled with baby onions, roasted on shish kabobs, and even processed to resemble mashed potatoes. It’s a good mixer with other cooked vegetables, such as carrots and broccoli.

When purchasing cauliflower, look for firm heads with no brown or soft yellow spots on the surface. Place heads…

Native to Brazil, cashews are crescent-shaped nuts with a sweet flavor and a plethora of uses in the kitchen. Considered third in consumption among all the tree nuts in the world, they’re great when mixed with raisins, dried cranberries, shredded coconut,

sunflower seeds, and other nuts, such as almonds and walnuts, to make a fantastic homemade trail mix.Cashew butter is a staple in many households around the world, and they’re a crunchy, delicious addition to any stir-fry…