Fresh Local Produce

We came home from church today with a little more than we were anticipating. A sweet older man came up to us after the service and gave us two grocery bags filled with fresh fruits and vegetables.


The first bag was filled with grapefruits - one of my all-time favorite foods. I've recently become obsessed with grapefruit smoothies. They aren't nearly as tart as you would think, and are the most refreshing drink to enjoy during a hot day at the beach.

He also gave us several sweet potatoes (with a bright pink skin) and a soft, brown fruit that looks similar to kiwi. I spent quite a bit of time online this afternoon trying to discover their true identity. The man who drove us home from church said the name, but we didn't know what he was talking about at the time, and neither of us could remember what he said by the time we got home. Either way, they smell heavenly, and he assured us we would love them.

The final bag was filled with peas (in the pod). And I've never seen such interesting pea pods in my life.


As you can see, they are not the typical solid green pods we are used to. They are varying shades of green and brown with lots of speckles and spots. The peas themselves look more like soy beans than peas. I read this afternoon that they don't have a long shelf life, and the best way to store them is by freezing them. So, I will be spending the rest of my afternoon shelling peas, then blanching and freezing them. I think I will keep out enough to use for dinner tomorrow night. A baked sweet potato with a couple juicy steaks and fresh peas sounds like a winner! I'm looking forward to finding new recipes to use these delicious fruits and vegetables.