Shopping :)

[Summerloco]

Today I went food shopping at Lowes and Wal-mart, got lots of fresh and frozen fruits and veggies, broccoli, caulflower, sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, grapes, lemons, strawberries, cherries, ect.... And I got a few things I've never had before so can anyone answer my questions?

1. I bought a HUGE jicama (It's like 3-4 pounds, for only 1.38$, the one that was only 5 ounces cost the same, so I got the huge one), what does a jicama taste like? How to I eat it, Do I peel the hard skin first????

2.I saw sprite melons at Wal-mart, they were kinda small, white, and oval-shaped. Does anyone know what they taste like? Or how to tell if one is ripe?

3. I got a bunch of parsley, and I'm not sure what I should do with it, does anyone have any recipes?

4. Valencia Oranges, Lowes had these for 79 cents each (only 10 cents more than Wal-mart Navel oranges) and they were really big and smelled really good, so I got a bunch of them, do they taste like a normal Navel? I heard that they were really really sweet :confused:

[Lunar*Fey]

awesome! so much deliciousness!!

I can't answer some of your questions but I've heard of people dehydrating jicama for a bit to make french fries...don't know exactly how you would do this. I've never had it as I have never seen it around here. Here is a thread on jicama...Alissa provides a recipe.
http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=59
Here is a recipe for apple jicama salsa...

Apple Jicama Salsa
Mix all ingredients together.
4 cups diced granny smith apples
4 cups peeled and diced jicama
1 fresh jalapeno (seeds removed, chopped fine)
1 red onion (diced fine)
juice of 3 lemons
1 red bell pepper (diced)
1/4 cup olive oil (optional)
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
whole dulse leaf to taste (cut up with sissors)
(( www.living-foods.com ))

here's another recipe:
Wild Rice Salad
4 cups wild rice (presoaked for 48 hours)
2 cucumbers
2 red or yellow bell peppers
1 small jicama, shredded
2 tomatoes
4 celery stalks
6 scallions or 1 small onion
1 cup cilantro, parsley or basil
4 Tbs. kelp to taste
Chop all ingredients fine and put into large bowl. Then make dressing below.
Dressing:
1 large avocado
1/2 to 1 cup tomatillo juice or sauerkraut juice
pinch of cayenne
kelp to taste
cilantro, basil or parsley to taste
(( http://www.rawfoodlife.com/raw_food_recipes.html ))

Parsley...maybe put it in salads or just a bit in green smoothies...use it to flavor things....hmm I'm sure others willl give you better ideas.

Valencia Oranges, I would imagine they have the basic orange taste....you can probably just eat them like any other orange.

Sorry this post was so long! but I hope it is of some help to you

[Tirza]

Jicama is great just raw. Cut into strips and munch. I have also heard you can make a chip with them but I haven't yet tried it. I would think it could be used as a noodle with the spirooli, but I haven't tried it. Anyone else tried it? Or is it too firm?

The only thing I would caution about a really huge one is it might be woody inside. The last one I had was. And yes, you peel them.

Parsley-For sure put them into a smoothie, even if it is made with fruit. There is no food combining issue there as Victoria Boutenko pointed out, greens are a whole other food group and can be combined with anything. Parsley gives such an amazing "fresh" flavor! I made the falafel balls and used it in there and it is really nice.

It is far more than a garnish. There is a lot of nutrition in it and it should be used more than it is.

[English Tracy]

Alissa does a 'potato' salad with jicama - it's in her book.

I live in England and have never seen one- living in the land of the deprived! Actually, the Asian shops would probably have them but I don't have one near me.

Tracy

[rawpriestess]

Today I went food shopping at Lowes and Wal-mart, got lots of fresh and frozen fruits and veggies, broccoli, caulflower, sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, grapes, lemons, strawberries, cherries, ect.... And I got a few things I've never had before so can anyone answer my questions?

1. I bought a HUGE jicama (It's like 3-4 pounds, for only 1.38$, the one that was only 5 ounces cost the same, so I got the huge one), what does a jicama taste like? How to I eat it, Do I peel the hard skin first????

2.I saw sprite melons at Wal-mart, they were kinda small, white, and oval-shaped. Does anyone know what they taste like? Or how to tell if one is ripe?

3. I got a bunch of parsley, and I'm not sure what I should do with it, does anyone have any recipes?

4. Valencia Oranges, Lowes had these for 79 cents each (only 10 cents more than Wal-mart Navel oranges) and they were really big and smelled really good, so I got a bunch of them, do they taste like a normal Navel? I heard that they were really really sweet :confused:
Jicama, yes, peel the tough outside, and the inside is kind of like the cripiness of an apple, but tastes more like a raw potato that is a bit sweet, without the starch, often used in raw dishes in place of french fries or potato salad potatoes, you can just eat plain, or add spices and eat it, it is very crunchy and tasty, lots of water, consistancy of a crisp apple or apple pear, but not as sweet. it's good though

never heard of sprite melons, but I bet it tastes marvelous

parsley, excellent in any dish, adds a mild flavor and good for your breath, and tastes devine, add to salads, green smoothies, I like it with my rawviolies, sprinkled on top or on top of pizza, or with pesto stuffed mushrooms, mix part basil/part parsley, etc. you can use it in a salsa, in salad dressing, yummy

Valencia oranges are the ones they use to make orange juice, they are the sweetest and juiciest of the oranges, they are delicious. mmmmmm very tasty, eat plain, make sorbet, make juice, I use them to make juice most days in the summer, they are divine. YUMMMMMMMMMY

you got some great stuff, congrats.

[Summerloco]

Thanks for all the info guys, I think I'll try cutting my Jicama tomarrow and make a fruit salad. I'll probably like it, if it resembles an apple at all I'll probably like it, and if I don't (since my mom won't eat fruits and veggies, and I don't know anyone else who will) my guinea pig will probably love it :) For the parsley, I was thinking of using it to make a pesto maybe? I don't have any basil, and no stores near me sell it, so I was thinking about mixing parsley, spinach and a little fresh mint? I dunno, never had pesto before, it just sounds good :D And for the oranges, I'm trying to decide to have one of those big babies for a snack or a big red delicious apple, haven't decided, I know I'll have an orange as a before-bed snack, but I'm gravitating towards the orange just because I really wanna try one :)

[levamssg]

for the jicama - make slaw - it is absolutely wonderful! I believe the recipe was posted here at one time ... I'll post it again ... (I'm making some tonight!!)

1 medium red onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
21/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sweetener of choice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 lb jicama, peeled and cut into julienne strips (9 to 10 cups)
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Soak onion in 1 cup cold water with 1/2 teaspoon salt 15 minutes (to
make onion flavor milder). Drain in a sieve, then rinse under cold water
and pat dry.

Whisk together lime juice, oil, sweetener, pepper, and remaining 3/4
teaspoon salt in a large bowl until combined well. Add onion, jicama,
cilantro, and salt to taste and toss well.

Cooks' note:
• Jicama can be cut into julienne strips 6 hours ahead and chilled,
covered.
makes 8 servings
=====================

for the sprite melons - not a clue
Parsley can be added to salads, pates, munched on raw.
=====================
The oranges sound divine!!
Put a chopped apple in a bowl, along with a handful of raisins. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice of one half into the bowl. scoop out and chop the remaining orange and add to bowl. Add a few chopped walnuts. Let sit for about 10-20 mins for the flavors to mingle. Serve over a whole or chopped romaine leaf ... yummy ... (or you can make a 'bed' or chopped romaine in the empty orange half shells, and fill with the mixture).

Enjoy all the good stuff!!

[mcasburn]

I had a sprite last week, but chose an unripe one as I didn't know either! Here's some info I found:

"Sprite Melons - These North Carolina specialties are finally being distributed all across the country. These diminutive melons are about the size of softballs and frequently weight less than a pound. They have a very firm and crisp apple-like flesh and the flavor is something like a mixture between pear, apple, and honeydew and is very sweet. Ripe melons have a mottled yellow skin, while unripe melons are a pale cream color."

That's from a cool Melon Guide that can be found here:
http://www.perfectentertaining.com/article1110.html

[tinystrawberry]

sprite mangos are so good!
the one i had, felt like a regular mango when it was ripe :)
Does anyone know why they are called sprite mangos? :confused:

[juliebove]

Parsley can be used in any kind of savory dish or snipped onto a green salad. Just be careful not to eat too much of it at one time because it is a diuretic.

[Tirza]

Parsley can be used in any kind of savory dish or snipped onto a green salad. Just be careful not to eat too much of it at one time because it is a diuretic.

I use at least a cup a day between my 2 smoothies as well as in other recipes when called for, and I have never noticed a problem with this. Nothing like watermelon or even a few oranges!
In fact, I wouldn't mind if something would take more water out of my tissues as my lower legs tend to swell.