Yesterday several staff from the WIC office, in recognition of National Nutrition Month, hosted a "Food Fear Factor" competition for the staff at the LSX building. Blind taste tests of eight uncommont but nutritious fruits and vegetables were offered to each participant. The participant had to guess what each one of them was to win a healthy gift basket. Kris Huber was the winner of the challenge with 5 out of 8 answers correct. Everyone had a good time and enjoyed the contest. Thanks to Stephanie, Martha, Dawn, and the others from the WIC office who assisted in setting this up!
The answer key to each of the samples is below.
1. KOHLRABI: A delicate member of the cabbage family – the name kohlrabi translates to “cabbage turnip”. Rich in vitamin C and potassium, it also provides a good amount of vitamin E—unusual for a low-fat food.
2. ZUCCHINI: Zucchini, a variety of summer squash, resembles a cucumber in shape. Its mild flavor makes it the ‘secret’ingredient in many baked goods and vegetable side dishes. Summer squash have a soft shell that is easilypierced whereas winter squash have a tough shell and seeds. Other varieties of summer squash easily grown in the Midwest and available in local markets are yellow crookneck and straightneck, chayote, scallopini,pattypan and golden zucchini. Zucchini is very low in calories (more than 95 percent water) and a good source of vitamin C, fiber, potassium and magnesium.
3. JICAMA: Jicama (pronounced hi-ca-ma) is a large tuberous root. It has a thin brown skin that should be removed with a peeler or knife. The flesh is white, crisp, juicy and slightly sweet. Jicama (pronounced hi-ca-ma) is a large tuberous root. It has a thin brown skin that should be removed with a peeler or knife. The flesh is white, crisp, juicy and slightly sweet.
4. MORO ORANGE: When choosing oranges, look for firm fruit that feels heavy for its size. Don’t worry if the outside of the fruit is a little green. When oranges are left on the tree for the summer months, a natural pigment called chlorophyll returns to the skin, causing a greenish hue. The color of the skin doesn’t affect the taste of the fruit.
5. EGGPLANT: The purple skinned food (botanically a fruit) is low in calories and a boost to our health. Eggplant can be stuffed, baked, broiled, stir-fried or stewed. Because they are so porous, they will absorb fat during cooking. To avoid this, some recipes recommend salting prior to cooking – a process of sprinkling the cut eggplant with salt to draw out the moisture and thus compact the flesh. It also reduces some of the bitter taste associated with eggplant. Using a stainless steel knife to remove the tough skin of mature eggplant will avoid blackening the flesh with a carbon steel knife.
(I prepared the Eggplant by washing and peeling it, then cutting it into cubes. I sauteed it in a tablespoon of olive oil with a can of drained diced tomatoes until tender and cooked.)
6. POMELO: Like a grapefruit, it is rich in Vitamin C and fiber.
7. PARSNIPS: The sweetest of all the root vegetables. Have more vitamin C than their cousin, the carrot. More vegetable protein than potatoes. They are a good source of folic acid, potassium and fiber.
8. FIGS: High fiber: 5 figlets equals 5 grams of dietary fiber
Source:
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/food/snackideas/index.htm,
http://ceplacer.ucdavis.edu/files/8181.pdf,
