Fruits and Vegetables

Pulsegleaner

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About once a year, we drive down to Chicago to shop the Oriental markets. On one of those trips, people were swarming around a particular display in the produce section. Curious as to what could be that good, I walked over to investigate. The table was covered with small oval-shaped fruits with green skin, about the size & shape of a medium-sized plum. It turned out they were fresh dates. I tried a couple, but was not impressed - I'd rather eat them in their dried form.

More likely based on the description those were "Chinese dates" a.k.a. jujubes (yes there is an actual fruit called a jujube. Fresh REAL dates are tan, and, unless fully ripe (by which time they have more or less dried out already) sort of starchy.

The Middle Eastern market near me carries something called King Solomon Bonbon dates in the frozen section. They are good and gooey. I sometimes wonder if these are the "Judean Dates" they reported getting to germinate from pits they found in an archeological dig.

Actually, until I started finding bags at the local Home Goods, I didn't know there was more than one kind of date. Turns out there are dozens all of which take a little different (some like sugar some like caramel and so on.)
 

Marie2020

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hard to find plain shredded wheat in the stores now. mini-frosted are around instead. i like 'em both. :) we used to pour coffee or hot chocolate over ours.
I really like shredded wheat, I wouldn't like the sugar coated I like to know what I'm adding to to my food:)
 

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Hard to find the old, crumble-in-the bowl shedded wheat here too, although I can sometimes find it in generic store brands. I used to love that, my favorite way to eat it was with fresh wild blackberries. With hot cocoa... that sounds interesting.

kinda like a chocolate version of cream of wheat. i haven't had regular or chocolate version since sometime around 2007.
 

flowerbug

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@digitS' funny, just talking about apples and apple crisps, Mom went out yesterday for her normal Monday routine and picked up some apples for making apple crisps. i didn't even have to ask her she just figured it out telepathicly... :)
 

Zeedman

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More likely based on the description those were "Chinese dates" a.k.a. jujubes (yes there is an actual fruit called a jujube. Fresh REAL dates are tan, and, unless fully ripe (by which time they have more or less dried out already) sort of starchy.
Yes, those do appear to be what I saw. The clerk (who I think was Korean) just called them "dates".
Actually, until I started finding bags at the local Home Goods, I didn't know there was more than one kind of date. Turns out there are dozens all of which take a little different (some like sugar some like caramel and so on.)
Some years back, I remember seeing several amazing photos of Turkish open-air markets. There were stands of dates, olives, apricots, and beans - an incredible diversity of each. It make me wonder how much we are missing in our "one size fits all" food marketing system.

Which is, of course, one of the reasons that I grow so much of my own vegetables.

One of the things on my bucket list was to visit Turkey to explore that diversity. I hope the area stabilizes enough to make that feasible, way too much sword rattling going on over there right now. :(
 

Marie2020

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Hard to find the old, crumble-in-the bowl shedded wheat here too, although I can sometimes find it in generic store brands. I used to love that, my favorite way to eat it was with fresh wild blackberries. With hot cocoa... that sounds interesting.
I love shredded wheat. I add mixed seeds and sometimes honey, it's really satisfying
 

Marie2020

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@digitS' funny, just talking about apples and apple crisps, Mom went out yesterday for her normal Monday routine and picked up some apples for making apple crisps. i didn't even have to ask her she just figured it out telepathicly... :)
Apple crisps?
 

Pulsegleaner

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Yes, those do appear to be what I saw. The clerk (who I think was Korean) just called them "dates".

Some years back, I remember seeing several amazing photos of Turkish open-air markets. There were stands of dates, olives, apricots, and beans - an incredible diversity of each. It make me wonder how much we are missing in our "one size fits all" food marketing system.

Which is, of course, one of the reasons that I grow so much of my own vegetables.

One of the things on my bucket list was to visit Turkey to explore that diversity. I hope the area stabilizes enough to make that feasible, way too much sword rattling going on over there right now. :(

If you ever do, you can bring me back some more Taurus mountain red juniper berries. Burlap and Barrel stopped carrying them, and they were important to my chai recipe.
 

flowerbug

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Apple crisps?

equal parts thick cut or regular rolled oats, flour and sugar.

cut up apples, i like to put some lemon juice on them because i like things tart, Mom won't do that.

put some of the mixture on the bottom of a pan, put the apples on there and then put more of the mixture on top with some bits of butter. we use pretty shallow glass pie pans so they're not stacked too deep. some people might want to mix everything together and then put it in the pans, i like a layer of crunchy stuff on top and a chance of getting some on the bottom too. i'm pretty sure i'm a burned sugar addict... :)

bake until done to desired amount of crunch, bubbly or what you like. i like a mix of apples and i like them well done.

don't over fill the pan because you don't want it to bubble over, but it can also eventually cook down too if you really want it well done.

no i don't really measure these things out as it is pretty simple.

we don't really like pie crusts.

after it is baked and cooled off you can freeze it. we took a pan out of the freezer this morning to go with lunch, but we forgot about it so i had some for dinner tonight with whipped cream and nutmeg on top after warming it up in the microwave...
 

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