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What the Heck Do I Do With This Kale?

May 4, 2021 by Misfits Market Leave a Comment

Welcome back to What The Heck Do I Do With This? In this series, we help you put a single ingredient from your Misfits Market box to delicious use. This week’s spotlight: Tuscan kale!

Tuscan kale is known by many names: dinosaur kale, black kale, black cabbage, cavolo nero, lacinato kale. And unlike the hardier curly kale, Tuscan kale is tender with a slightly sweet flavor, which makes it great for cooked dishes and raw in salads alike. (We especially love it in salads since the textured leaves are the perfect vessel for sauces and dressings.)

While cooking Tuscan kale brings out even more of its sweetness, if you’re hoping to add it raw in a recipe and find it a tad bitter, try blanching it first. Or, if the slightly tough leaves are a little, well, tough, cover the leaves with olive oil and massage them for a few minutes to make the leaves even easier to eat.

Still not sure how to prep kale? Watch our helpful video to learn how to prep and store Tuscan kale:

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Then, we have you covered with cooking inspiration and delicious Tuscan kale recipes.

Tuscan Kale and Sausage Stew with Cannellini Beans

A bowl of this Tuscan Kale and Sausage Stew with Cannellini Beans is like a soothing dinnertime lullaby. We used kale for this, you can use collard greens. We used pork sausage for this, you can use chicken sausage. You see where we’re going with this: Use what you have. The no-stress is the most important part.

Tuscan Kale Chips

These kale chips are crunchy, salty, and nutty. So flavorful that you won’t even care that you’re eating kale instead of classic potato chips. Plus, since you’re in charge of the baking, you can add whatever you want. Maybe a bit of nutty Parmesan or nutritional yeast.

Tuscan Kale Pesto

The best part about homemade pesto is you can use whatever you have hanging out in your fridge. Spinach, carrot tops, and of course, Tuscan kale. Pine nuts, pistachios, almonds. Parmesan or Romano cheese. A bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and lemon, and there you go. An easy weeknight meal is only a few blitzes in the food processor away.

Red Quinoa and Tuscan Kale

Have a box of quinoa hanging in the back of your pantry? Then you’re only a few steps away from a filling, warming salad chock-full of nutty cheese, hardy kale, and sweet red bell peppers.

Caesar Salad with Tuscan Kale

The standard Caesar we know and love includes romaine lettuce, croutons, and Parmesan cheese. But if you’re looking to shake things up, this recipe introduces earthy Tuscan kale and jumbo ciabatta croutons. Time to take this classic salad to the next level.

Tuscan Kale Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

You know what they say: you eat with your eyes first. No problem here. This salad is beautiful, with vibrant slices of watermelon radish that pop against the deep green of Tuscan kale. Top it off with a homemade creamy avocado dressing to marry all of the nutty and peppery flavors together.

Kale, Mushroom, and Cheddar Bake

When all else fails, throw everything together with some eggs and bake it. But this isn’t your average baked egg frittata. Ciabatta bread acts as a de facto crust that covers eggs, mushrooms, cheese, and lots of Tuscan kale. It’s hearty, filling, and a new way to use up that kale.

Tuscan Kale Salad with Grapes, Toasted Walnuts, and Honey Garlic Vinaigrette

In order to make Tuscan kale a bit more tender, it often requires a light massage in olive oil. Here, kale is soaked in a delicious marinade to make it even softer and tastier. Then, it’s added with toasted walnuts and fruity grapes for a surprisingly flavorful and filling salad.

Tuscan Kale and Potato Soup

This soup stars Tuscan kale, sweet Italian sausage, and potatoes. It’s also easy to convert into a tasty vegetarian-friendly dinner, which gives this recipe bonus points in our book!

Tuscan Kale Pasta

If you have some extra Tuscan kale lingering in the fridge and are craving an Italian supper, this recipe is sure to satisfy. Kale is sautéed with garlic, red lentils, and then tossed with bowtie pasta. It’s deliciously simple and pairs beautifully with an Italian white wine.

Bobby Flay’s Kale Stem Pesto

we challenged our chef-in-residence, Bobby Flay to help us fight food waste and make something delicious from those random bits and pieces of produce you might have lingering in the fridge. He came up with a genius use for kale’s hardy stem, which tends to go straight into the compost bin or trash in most households. Not anymore!

Quick-Pickled Kale Stems

Extend the life of any veggie with this easy-to-follow pickling recipe. We used Rainbow Swiss chard here, but this recipe works for any hardy stem. Kale stems, collard green stems. And any veggie, like blanched green beans, jalapeños, and of course, onions.

Kale and Corn Pakoras

Fried always mean something good. Crispy, satisfying, delicious, usually. But these pakoras, Indian-style fritters, offer so much more. Filled with fresh veggies including corn and kale; delicately spiced with cumin, turmeric, and ginger; and extra light and crispy thanks to a combo of rice and chickpea flour. We like to serve these as an appetizer with lots of condiment options: a cucumber yogurt dip, a sweet mango chutney, and something spicy, like harissa, or even just sriracha.

Garlicky Warm Kale Salad

Because it can be bitter and a little tough, kale needs a simple sauté in garlic and oil to help to cut some the sharp taste and soften the leaves. You’ll be left with garlic-infused kale, the perfect flavorful base for any autumn salad. We like this one with thinly-sliced beets and onions.

Quick-Pickled Rainbow Swiss Chard Stems

April 27, 2021 by Misfits Market Leave a Comment

Pickled Rainbow Swiss Chard Stems

Author: Misfits Market

Print Recipe

Description

This recipe makes enough pickling liquid for two, 1-quart jars.

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups vinegar: white wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
5–6 cups raw vegetables, cleaned and sliced into like sizes: kale stems, Swiss chard stems, radishes, onions, cauliflower florets, carrots, green beans (blanched), asparagus, cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini, summer squash, and/or jalapeños
8–12 cloves garlic, slightly smashed
3 tablespoons dried spices: whole peppercorns, red pepper flakes, dried red chilies, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and/or celery seeds
Fresh whole herbs and spices: dill, ginger, rosemary, and/or thyme
2 one-quart jars

Instructions

In a medium pot, bring vinegar, water, salt, and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Layer in half of the raw vegetables, 4-6 cloves of garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons of desired dry spices, and a handful of fresh herbs into each jar, leaving about an inch of space at the top.
Divide pickling liquid evenly between both jars. Let sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours, then cover with an air-tight lid and transfer to the refrigerator for 6-8 hours before eating.
Enjoy alone as a snack or add to sandwiches, tacos, salads, pizzas, soups, or pastas. Pickles will last 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.

How to Be More Sustainable at Every Level

April 20, 2021 by Misfits Market 4 Comments

From reducing excess food waste to learning how to make more earth-friendly choices, it’s easy to lead a more sustainable lifestyle at home and beyond with these tips.

1. Minimize food waste.

One Person: Follow FIFO (first in, first out) and use perishables that you’ve had the longest first. An easy way to do this is by organizing your fridge and stocking oldest in the front, newest in the back.

Two People: Perform monthly or quarterly pantry checks of expiration dates and use items set to expire soon. Only stock up on items you’re running low on so you don’t let them linger past expiration.

Household: Plan your weekly meals in advance and stick to a shopping list. This will help you avoid buying impulse items that are hard to work into meals and might eventually go to waste—plus help save you money.

Friends/Work Groups: For small outdoor gatherings, plan ahead for exactly how much food you need to bring or cook to avoid having excess leftovers that might go to waste (we love The GUEST-IMATOR Tool from SaveTheFood.com).

2. Extend food by preserving it.

One Person: Freeze food to extend its life. It’s especially helpful if you’re stocking up on sale items or have extra food approaching its expiration date.

Two People: Find new ways to preserve food like dehydrating, pickling, fermenting, or canning. Check out The Good Trade’s digital guide to learn the basics of preserving food and reducing waste.

Household: Don’t toss those scraps. Veggie peels and end pieces can be used for homemade stocks and sauces, and leftover lemons or herbs can be used for homemade cleaning products.

Friends/Work Groups: Organize a canning swap. Pick your favorite veggie, preserve it, and swap with a friend. It’s a great way to sample veggies in a new and exciting way.

3. Repurpose and reduce waste.

One Person: Learn how to revive foods to extend their life. Try popping stale bread, crackers, and chips in the oven. You can even freshen up wilted greens with a quick ice bath.

Two People: If food seems a little past its peak, get creative. Think browned bananas for baking, stale bread for croutons, soft fruit for jam, or adding less-than-perfect greens into soup or a smoothie.

Household: Make more of over-the-hill produce, coffee grounds, and other organic items by composting or dropping them off at a local composting facility so they can be used to enrich soil.

Friends/Work Groups: Organize a community garden or compost bin. You can also do a seed swap and exchange various produce seeds to plant in your garden.

4. Live more eco-friendly.

One Person: Make sure your refrigerator is running as efficiently as possible. Check the temperature so it’s just right and check for any leaks or loosening seals to help conserve energy.

Two People: Try avoiding takeout and transition from single-use storage containers to reusable ones with air-tight lids to help extend the shelf life of leftovers, produce, and pantry staples.

Household: Cut back on water consumption by using an energy-efficient dishwasher to clean large amounts of dishes. If you don’t have one, use your sink or a basin to soak and scrub with one batch of water and only leave the faucet running to rinse so you save extra H₂O.

Friends/Work Groups: Next time you’re having a picnic with a small group of friends, ask them to bring their own reusable utensils and a glass or ceramic food container to reduce single-use flatware and plate waste.

How FIFO Can Help You Get The Most Out of Your Groceries

April 14, 2021 by Misfits Market 4 Comments

Are you a FIFO convert yet? The first in, first out rule takes only a few minutes to master but can save you from forgetting about all sorts of foods before they go bad, not to mention a ton of cash in the long run. Read on to learn how to start using FIFO in your kitchen, and let us know in the comments some of your favorite tried-and-true storage tips to reduce waste.

What is FIFO?

It stands for First In, First Out. Use foods in the order that they were purchased (first in), using the oldest items sooner (first out) and the newer items later (last in, last out). Following FIFO can help eliminate food waste and even save money.

Take stock of things

Before your next Misfits Market delivery, take inventory of your fridge and pantry. Toss expired foods and repackage leftovers. Rearrange the oldest food in your fridge/pantry to be more accessible.

Get organized

We follow a grouping method to keep things separate according to category. Cereals and grains are stored together, baking items go together, canned beans are kept separately. Figure out a system that works for you—make just enough space for what you need ahead of your next Misfits Market delivery.

Follow use-by dates

Organize by each item’s use-by date, placing short-dated (the first to expire) purchases in the front and those with longer shelf lives in the back.

Learn more about short-dated items here.

Invest in a label maker

Organized kitchens are full of labels, labels, and more labels. They’re ideal for keeping track of when food was cooked, opened, or repackaged. Then, create your own system. For example: Almond Milk, opened May 10. Masking tape and a marker works, too.

Make labels visible

Unload your shopping bags, slap on your newly-made labels, and store foods with the labels facing forward. It will help you easily see what you have, encouraging you to eat it first.

And make storage containers invisible

Once you open something, whether it’s a bag of rice or a can of tomatoes, put any unused portion in clear reusable containers so you can easily see what’s inside. Then, use your new labeling system to date when it was opened so you know when to use it by.

Open like foods one at a time

Variety is the spice of life, but often having too many similar foods open at once can lead to unnecessary waste. If you have two similar items, like shredded sharp cheddar and shredded mild cheddar, open one first and use it completely before opening the other.

This one-food rule will depend on your household size (or if you eat cheese often, open as many packages as you want!), but can help keep things fresher, longer—and even help you meal plan so you’re not opening too many similar items at once.

Abigail Koffler is a native New Yorker and freelance writer based in Brooklyn. She writes This Needs Hot Sauce, a weekly food newsletter.

Not Just for Salads: Everything You Need to Know About Lettuce

April 12, 2021 by Misfits Market Leave a Comment

We ship all sorts of warm-weather lettuces, and sometimes they can look pretty similar (looking at you, green leaf and escarole). Learn how to tell them apart and some new ways of prepping them beyond salads.

Escarole

Compared to other varieties of chicories, escarole is only mildly bitter and delicious when used in salads. That’s not to say it’s not substantial enough for cooking—we love it in Italian bean soup.

Frisée

This intricately textured and crunchy green can actually be used two ways: the more tender inner leaves work well raw in salads and the hardy outer leaves sautéed with lemon and garlic.

Radicchio

Don’t be fooled by its purple leaves. Radicchio is more than just a pop of color on your plate, its bitter leaves are a great way to add sharpness to recipes. Try it roasted with balsamic vinegar.

Green leaf

This versatile green closely resembles escarole, but with slightly greener leaves. You’ve probably had it in salads, but it also holds up well when marinated with balsamic vinegar and grilled.

Romaine

The go-to for the classic Caesar salad, it has a crunchiness similar to iceberg lettuce but with a slightly bitter bite that makes it ideal for creamy dressings. Pro tip: the inner hearts are great for cooking, too.

Iceberg

This crisp, refreshing lettuce is one of the most popular in the U.S. It comes in a globe-shaped head in shades of light to dark green. Try it in a wedge salad or shredded on tacos and sandwiches.

Arugula

The peppery, almost spicy bite of arugula gives this green its unique taste. We love to use it as a pizza topping, tossed into pasta, or even blended into a pesto with some Parm, nuts, and olive oil.

Red leaf

Red leaf is similar to its green sibling, but with a red hue, and can be used the same way. The leaves are a bit more delicate than green leaf, so use it first since it will wilt quicker.

Romaine hearts

Speaking of the inner hearts, romaine hearts are the densely packed inner leaves of the leafy romaine. Slice in half lengthwise and throw them on the grill or caramelize them in a cast iron pan—they can take the heat—with fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Spinach

Delicious both raw and cooked, spinach is versatile and nutrient rich. Its herbaceous leaves pair well with sweet and savory ingredients like dried cranberries, blue cheese, and mustard vinaigrette.

Endive

Endive’s crunchy, bitter leaves grow in a variety of colors from yellowish green to deep burgundy. It’s great for “lettuce” wraps or pan-seared to a crispy finish with lemon and olive oil.

Prep School: Ginger Edition

April 2, 2021 by Misfits Market

Meet the root that adds a zing of flavor to everything. Ginger root has a punchy, sharp and spicy flavor that adds value to every dish. Commonly used in Asian cooking, it’s versatile and easy to blend into baked goods, sautés, salad dressings, and more. The knobby root should first be peeled with a paring knife or vegetable peeler. Then, slice it with a chef’s knife or grate it finely, depending on how you plan to cook with it.

Storage for ginger is perhaps the best part: it lasts quite a while. Freshly cut ginger can be wrapped tightly and stored in the crisper drawer for up to three weeks. An uncut root can be wrapped tightly and kept in the fridge or stored loosely in a zip top bag in the freezer for up to two months (just be sure to defrost before using).

Watch now to learn how to store, slice, and serve ginger.

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Notice the knives we used? We love the Five Two by Food5 paring and chef’s knife—a classic that’s your all-around MVP and a paring knife for al those small jobs. They’re all fully forged and crafted from super-sharp Japanese steel, with soft-touch handles and an extra-comfy grip.

Now that you’ve mastered ginger, what to do with it? Check out our blog post—What the Heck Do I Do With Ginger?—to learn about our favorite recipes to use ginger. Savory, sweet, and spicy.

What The Heck Do I Do With This Zucchini?

March 23, 2021 by Misfits Market

Zucchini is a true multitasker when it comes to cooking and can be used in anything from ratatouille to breads (sweet and savory!), pastas, sandwiches, and more. Its mild flavor and tender texture can be completely transformed depending on the cooking method—grilled, baked, steamed, sautéed, or used raw. Try it shaved into zoodles as a lighter, lower carb alternative to pasta, or let it take center stage on your plate and serve it baked and stuffed with any combo of veggies, cheese, and meat.

If you’re swimming in zucchini, great news: It can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. Here’s how we recommend prepping and freezing zucchini.

Step 1: Thoroughly wash the squash to ensure there is no dirt or debris.

Step 2: Blanch zucchini. Blanching is a process of quick-cooking vegetables in boiling water and then transferring them to an ice-cold water bath to stop the cooking process. This process stops an enzyme action that can cause loss of flavor, texture, and color. (Science!)

To prepare the zucchini for blanching:

Cut the zucchini to your desired thickness of slices or cubes.
Fill a large pot with water, let it boil, and prepare a bowl of ice water.
Add the pieces of zucchini to the boiling water and cook for 60 seconds. Once those 60 seconds have passed, use a slotted spoon and quickly transfer zucchini to the ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Step 3: Dry off as much moisture as you can before freezing. Place zucchini in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze overnight. Then, place frozen zucchini into an airtight bag or container and store for up to three months.

However, if you’re looking to add more zucchini recipes to your rotation right now, check out our favorite zucchini dishes below.

Zucchini Noodles with Toasted Sesame Dressing

The zucchini noodle, aka zoodle, is one of those foods that may have been created as a substitute for a beloved item (pasta), but has since taken on an entire life of its own. Whether you peel, slice, or Spiralize your squash into luscious strands, zoodles are a great low-carb alternative when you want to pack more veggies on your plate. But, let’s be honest: A plate of zoodles is only as good as the sauce it’s tossed in. Half the time, it’s just a delivery vehicle for something more exciting.

Toasted Zucchini Pasta

Bobby Flay toasts zucchini in this recipe to bring out an almost nutty flavor and tender consistency. Pair it with your favorite kind of pasta to complete the dish.

Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread

Spring is here with this zesty zucchini bread. The lemons give a pop of flavor to the classic spicy cake, and the glaze gives it just the right amount of sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Fresh Zucchini Wraps

These quick-to-make wraps use raw zucchini, bell peppers, and carrots to give you a filling way to use up any extra veggies in your Misfits Market box. The kale pesto is also a delicious touch in this recipe!

Grilled Zucchini and Stone Fruit with Lemon-Yogurt Dressing

Grilled stone fruit and zucchini pair great together in this salad. We top it off with a lemon-yogurt dressing to bring all the flavors together.

Mushroom-Stuffed Zucchini Boats

If you’re looking for a fun vegetarian entrée that’s stuffed with mushrooms and hearty tomatoes, these zucchini “boats” are a quick and tasty option. Just don’t skimp on the cheese.

Zucchini Salad with Parmesan and Pine Nuts

This salad is not only refreshing, but the zucchini ribbons make this dish look so inviting. Add some roasted pine nuts to give it some added texture.

Zucchini Feta Bread

We make our zucchini bread with feta, so you can have it either savory or sweet. Toasted and served with ratatouille and parmesan cheese, or battered, fried, and covered in maple syrup. In our professional opinion, you should have it both ways.

Zucchini Garlic Bites

Garlic and Parmesan are always a match made in heaven. Adding shredded zucchini to this side dish makes for a tender middle and crispy outside.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Curly Fries

Who knew you could make zucchini fries even better? If you don’t have a spiralizer to make these magical zucchini curly fries, you can always run a vegetable or julienne peeler down the entire length of your zucchini to create noodle-like strips.

Grilled Zucchini with Lemony Garlic Tahini Sauce

Sometimes we’re swimming in zucchini but lacking inspiration on what to do with them. This super-quick side dish solves that issue with absolutely delicious results. Slender spears of squash are the perfect vehicle for this garlicky sauce that, frankly, you’ll want to slather on every seasonal veggie.

Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

We have a theory that cream cheese frosting can take most desserts to the next level. This zucchini cake is no different. You can even make the cake layers ahead of time and freeze them for up to three months!

Zucchini Quesadillas

These quesadillas are a perfect way to use up shredded zucchini and frozen corn if you are trying to make room in your freezer for more Misfits Market goodies. Pair it with a spicy salsa to give it an added kick!

Zucchini “Noodle” Veggie Lasagna

If you have any veggie skeptics in your life, this lasagna is sure to change their mind. It’s perfect for Meatless Monday, and great for impressing friends at your next dinner party along with a simple salad.

Everything You Need to Know About Peppers

March 6, 2021 by Misfits Market

Peppers are so individual, from color to flavor to heat. Use our guide to fire up your recipes.

Poblano

This emerald-colored Mexican chile pepper has a thick skin and a mild, earthy flavor. It packs a bit of heat and is found in classics like mole sauce. Stuff poblanos with mild filling like rice and beans, then bake them with melty cheese.

Shishito

Shishitos are small but mighty, only 2-4 inches long, with an electric green skin that blisters wonderfully and quickly when pan fried. Beware: 1 in 10 packs a big punch of heat.

Habanero

Despite its hot hot heat, the habanero has a somewhat smoky sweet flavor underneath all of that spice. Its acidity complements citrus-forward dishes like tacos, salsas, and sauces.

Bell Peppers

All bell peppers begin as green on the vine and then are picked at various stages of ripeness, delivering a variety of heat-free flavors and colors. (Got a green you’d rather were red? Leave it in a paper bag for 1-2 weeks and watch it ripen.)

Red bell: The most mature and sweetest, which makes it a favorite for roasting or eating raw on crudité platters or dipped in hummus.

Orange bell: The sweet, semi-herbaceous orange bell pepper is often stuffed with grains and veggies, then baked. Or, try dunking slices in ranch or sautéing them with onions and Italian sausage.

Yellow bell: With a refreshing sweetness and no heat, yellow bells bring color and crispness to any plate. Dice and combine with mango, onion, and cilantro for a sweet salsa.

Green bell: The youngest pepper with a refreshingly grassy flavor. We like them sautéed in a stir-fry, atop a cheesesteak, in a relish or ratatouille, or roasted and blended in a tomato-based sauce.

Jalapeño

Jalapeños have a thick, grassy skin and a refreshingly mild spice that makes them just right for adding heat to salsas, casseroles, or wrapping in bacon. You can also pickle, candy, or purée them (try the latter in cocktails). Remove the seeds if you want less spice.

Anaheim

The Anaheim pepper is a mild, versatile pepper about 6-8 inches in length. Treat larger Anaheims like poblanos: stuff and bake. Smaller ones are good for any recipe that calls for green bell peppers—just plan on a bit more spice.

Serrano

Don’t mistake these small peppers for jalapeños—serranos are about five times spicier. The serrano, which can be green or red, is most often used in salsas, hot sauces, and relishes, but can also be pickled or chopped for garnish.

Mini Pepper Medley

Though these colorful peppers resemble miniature bell peppers, they are much sweeter. This classic combo of red, yellow, and orange is easy to roast and is delicious added to salads with nutty feta and other mediterranean flavors.

Fresno

These crimson peppers are spicier than jalapeños, but less so than serranos. They have a fruity, smoky flavor, which adds depth when pickled, blended into sauces, or used to pump up a salsa.

What the SHU?

Scoville Heat Units (SHU) or the Scoville scale is a measurement of pepper pungency—aka how hot it is. Bell peppers hang out at the bottom of the scale with a range of 0-100, followed by Anaheim and poblano peppers, with jalapeños in the 2,500-10,000 range. And habaneros? A whopping 100,000+ SHU on the Scoville scale.

Everything You Need to Know About Citrus

February 3, 2021 by Misfits Market

Fresh citrus thrives in the winter months, bringing color and flavor to salads, desserts, and main dishes alike. Because we ship all sorts of citrus, which arrive in varying sizes and states of green, blush, orange, and yellow, we know it can be difficult to spot the difference between an orange and a grapefruit. (And sometimes a lemon, too!) Here’s what you need to know.

Pomelos

Aka a pummelo, it’s the largest citrus around, even bigger than a grapefruit. Its skin is green with a thick interior pith and pale pink segments. It’s similar in taste to a grapefruit, though sweeter and without some of that off putting bitterness. Use pomelo in place of grapefruit in salsas, jams, or cocktails.

Lemons

Perhaps the most versatile citrus of all, lemons have an acidic, sour flavor tinged with a bright sweetness. Weight matters more than size here—the heavier the lemon, the juicier it will be. Use fresh lemon juice in salad dressings, marinades, cake mixes, and cocktails. Or, just a squeeze of juice will finish off most savory dishes. Chicken, salmon, soups, and pastas.

Limes

The lime’s acidic flavor is slightly bitter with some sweetness and a floral aftertaste. They’re notably smaller—and less juicy—than lemons, with a major difference: bright green skin and a greenish flesh. Use limes to make curd for lime bars or pies.

Blood Oranges

The blood orange is aptly named for its dark crimson flesh, though if you look close enough you’ll notice a dark orange peel, similar to that of a novel orange. The interior color isn’t the only difference here. Blood oranges are sweeter than your typical orange with an almost raspberry-like flavor. Eat them plain, bake them into cakes or sweet breads, or juice them for cocktails.

Tango Mandarins

The peel, pith, and flesh all have a deep orange color. This mandarin is sweet with a hint of tartness, virtually seedless, and an easy to peel skin. Eat them as a snack, juice, or segment for salads and baked goods.

Minneola Tangelo

This bell shaped citrus is a cross between a pomelo and a tangerine. It’s about the size of a baseball, with a sweet but tangy flavor, thanks to its horticultural genetics. Perfect for snacking, juicing, or adding to salad dressings or sauces.

Gold Nugget Mandarins

This late-season seedless citrus is fist-sized and lumpy with a juicy-sweet flavor and fragrant aroma. They’re a succulent mandarin ideal for juicing.

Grapefruit

One of the largest citrus fruits, grapefruit has a yellow skin with an instantly recognizable hint of pink. Inside, you’ll find a thick white pith and juicy segments that range from light blush to dark ruby in color. Grapefruit’s tart flavor benefits from a touch of sugar (we love it topped with sugar and broiled for a brulee effect) or even a dash of salt to mellow its acidity (try a sprinkle before adding to fruit salad!).

Valencia Oranges

Though this smooth hybrid was born in California, it was named in honor of the sweet oranges found in Valencia, Spain. It’s the ideal juicing orange thanks to its succulent segments, which produce a well-balanced sweet-tart liquid. Drink it fresh (strain its few seeds first) or use in marinades and salad dressings.

Cara Cara Oranges

The seedless Cara Cara is a medium-sized citrus with minimal pith that’s easy to peel. What’s really special is its deep orange rind and blood-orange interior. (It is a cousin to the blood orange, after all!) Cara Cara is delicious in ceviche with jalapeño, and it tames greens like spicy arugula and bitter radicchio.

Mandarin Oranges

Mandarin oranges are small—roughly 1.5 inches in diameter—and on the sweet side. The best part? No seeds and a flattened oval shape that makes it simple to peel. Mandarin segments are popular salad toppings (we like them on spinach), in desserts, and juiced for salad dressings.

Navel Oranges

Navel oranges get their name from the blossom end of the fruit, which looks similar to a human belly button. They are very sweet—more so than Valencias—seedless, and have a thick, easily peelable skin for convenient snacking. Use the juice in a tropical-inspired smoothie or along with garlic, cilantro, and olive oil in a marinade for grilled pork.

Storage

Citrus can be kept at room temperature for a few days, but the best place is in the crisper drawer where it will last for a few weeks. Just keep away from apples and pears—they emit ethylene gases that can accelerate the ripening process in most citrus.

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What The Heck Do I Do with This Romanesco Cauliflower?

January 31, 2021 by Misfits Market

Romanesco cauliflower, also known as Roman cauliflower or romanesco broccoli, is one of the most artistic vegetables we’ve ever encountered. With an approximated fractal design, each bud in the spiral veggie is composed of a series of smaller spirals. Romanesco is very similar to cauliflower in both texture and taste, though it is a bit nuttier and earthier in flavor. While roasting is a great go-to way to cook this beauty, we have 10 knockout recipes for you to try—if your lucky enough to get your hands on one.

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