I don’t know about you but usually when doing my shopping for produce, I breeze right past certain fruits and vegetables sticking primarily to the basics: carrots, broccoli, apples, bananas, etc.

Sometimes, I recognize the item but have no clue on how to prepare it or how to eat it. Sometimes the item is just completely foreign altogether.

Recently, I decided to turn over a ‘new produce leaf’ and give some of these funkier items a shot.

Here’s what I’ve found:

• Yucca (also known as Cassava). Yucca resembles and tastes kind of like a potato. It’s super tasty and contains fiber, vitamin C and potassium. Yucca is popular in many South American and Caribbean countries and is often served boiled or fried and topped with a “mojo” dressing (a simple mojo can be made with onions, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice.) Depending on where you live regionally you may find them pre cut and frozen from companies like Goya. If you buy them fresh store them and peel them like potatoes.

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/hisgett/ CC 2.0

• Pomegranates. These are one those fruits that I was familiar with but intimidated by. I’ve read that they are a super food and well worth getting to know better. They are messy and juicy but delicious. An easy way to cut and seed them can be found at the article found here. Pomegranates are low in calories, packed with antioxidants, Vitamin K, fiber, and potassium. I have found that they are great on top of greek yogurt or added to salads.

  flickr./photos/46053374@N05/ CC 2.0

• Jicama. Is a completely fat free root-like vegetable that resembles a turnip in appearance thought the two are unrelated. It’s an excellent source of vitamin C and has a really nice crunch. Jicama is best eaten raw but you can add it to a stir fry at the last minute to add a ‘water chestnut’ like crunch. I like to throw it in my salads and it’s great just as it is as a snack.

  flickr.com/photos/luigi_and_linda/ CC 2.0

• Plantains. Like yucca, these are very popular in Latin and Caribbean cultures. There are a million and one ways to prepare plantains from frying to baking and using as an ingredient in other dishes. Plantains that are still green are typically used in a more savory way and the yellow/black ones are used in a sweeter way. I like to ‘pan fry’ a few slices of the sweet ones in a hot pan with a tiny bit of olive oil for a sweet side to pork dishes. Plantains are not to be eaten raw. Plantains are high in vitamins A and C and they are high in fiber and potassium.

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/theunseasonedwok/ CC 2.0

• Kumquat. These are interesting little fruits they look like baby oranges and like oranges are packed with vitamin C. Unlike oranges, you eat the whole thing - rind and all. The rind is sweet and the ‘meat’ is tart. You can add these to salads or make jams and jellies with them.

What are some new fruits or veggies that you’ve tried lately? Has using your Jack LaLanne Power Juicer helped you to experiment with new produce?