Produce Briefs...
Mangosteen
The Purple mangosteen, botanical name Garcinia magostana, simply referred to as mangosteen, is an ultra-tropical slow growing evergreen tree that is cultivated for its edible fruit.
Spring Onions
Spring onions are most often utilized raw. The whole onion can be flash blanched and grilled, which brings out more the robust and sweet elements of the onions, and makes them a bolder pair for fish and meats
Seasons/Availability
Cherry Red oca is typically available beginning in spring to early fall.
Description/Taste
Cherry Red ocas are a tuber that look like a stubby wrinkled carrot-like vegetable. This vegetable offers a very agreeable flavor that has just the right balance between a sweet and slightly acidic taste. Some varieties are exceptionally sweet and can even taste like a fruit rather than a tuber. They can be round or elongated in shape and have a firm flesh. They are similar in texture to a potato and are often classified as such for ease of comparison, though they are truly unrelated.
Nutritional Value
Oca is an excellent source of carbohydrates, calcium, iron and dietary fiber.
Applications
Grated in a variety of mixed green salads, Cherry Red oca delivers a delightful crunch and a mildly pleasant sweet-tart flavor. It can even be served raw. Boiled or steamed, the sweet oca pairs well with various fish and shellfish. Experiment with using this unique tuber in any of your traditional recipes calling for a starchy vegetable like potatoes. To store, refrigerate in a crisper drawer or keep cool and dry at room temperature.
Geography/History
Native to the Andean Highlands of South America and discovered around the same time as the potato, oca, pronounced "oh-KAH" is considered to be one of the lost crops of the ancient Incas. They are still largely grown in the Andes simply to feed one's own family and rarely sold on a commercial basis. Only recently has this starchy tuber found its way to New Zealand where it is grown on a larger scale and becoming more commercially available. It is still a very unusual vegetable to find in the United States.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Oca Cherry Red Potatoes. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Simmer Stock |
|
Oca Salad with Capers and Cornichons |
| Permaculture |
|
Warm Oca Salad |
| The Laughing Gastronome |
|
Roasted New Zealand Oca Yams |
