In Season: Dragonfruit

The Dragonfruit is one of the strangest looking fruits I have ever seen. The fruit of several cactus species, most importantly of the genus Hylocereus(sweet pitayas). It is usually either a vibrant red or yellow with white flesh and small black pips inside, shaped somewhat like an artichoke. The red species is the more commonly found in Australia.




  image by _e.t 

Recently I was told about a dragonfruit farm in in Queensland owned by Mary Vassallo, a very talented lady who has authored two cookbooks on Maltese Cooking and another in conjunction with the State Library of Queensland At Our Table - Queensland people - our stories, our food. She and her husband has been growing pitaya on their farm and sent me some photos of their harvest.

According to Wikipedia [1]  there are three commercially farmed pitaya varieties:

1. Hylocereus undatus (red pitaya) has red-skinned fruit with white flesh. This is the most commonly-seen "dragon fruit".
2. Hylocereus costaricensis (Costa Rica pitaya, often called H. polyrhizus) has red-skinned fruit with red flesh
3. Hylocereus megalanthus (yellow pitaya, formerly in Selenicereus) has yellow-skinned fruit with white flesh. 

Native to Mexico and Central and South America, the vine-like epiphytic Hylocereus cacti are also cultivated in Asian countries such asTaiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. They are also found in Okinawa, Hawaiʻi, Israel, northern Australia and southern China. Hylocereus blooms only at night; the large white fragrant flowers of the typical cactusflower shape are among those called "moonflower" or "Queen of the Night". Sweet pitayas have a creamy pulp and a delicate aroma.

Some information from the At Our Table profile on Mary:

---

Mary, the daughter of Carmnu and Angela Muscat was raised in San-Martin, Malta.  The family (parents, six sons and four daughters) migrated to Australia on the ‘Toscana’ in 1954 and settled in Mackay.  Mary, a well-known Maltese identity,  has written two recipe books. Together with her husband Victor they raised a family of four and now make time to enjoy their grandchildren.
Although life in Malta was never easy, memories are treasured of their life there, but equally cherish their life in Australia.

---

Seasonal produce - Kohlrabi

I was reading through the Sydney Food Markets guide to seasonal produce for July 2009 and spied the vegetable kohlrabi in the list. I have to admit I haven't had much exposure to this vegetable so I decided to do some research. I opened up the wonderful Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon and found a description of this strange looking vegetable.

(Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) This is a showy vegetable if ever there was one: purple or green, and sometimes both. It is round with a tapering root end, sprouting leaves on stems from its surface. The flavour is somewhat like a turnip, makes a good flavour accent in vegetable soups and lends itself to being simmered in a light coconut milk sauce with spices. May also be used in Chinese stir-fries or braised dishes.

Other names include:

China: chou ching gom larn
Japan: loorabi
Philippines: kohlrabi
Sri Lanka: knol kohl
Thailand: kalam pom

A quick flickr search and I found some wonderful photos of kohlrabi and this one by Marco is accompanied by a recipe.

Kohlrabi 1, originally uploaded by Marco Veringa

Uploaded on April 19, 2009
by Marco Veringa [ FS FD INT FL ]

Kohlrabi in Creamy Dill Sauce

Ingredients

350 Gram Kohlrabi quartered
225 Gram Carrots shredded
25 Gram Butter
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Chopped Dill
150 Ml Cream
Salt and Pepper 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch Method: Thickly peel the kohlrabi to remove the woody outer layer. Slice thinly and cook with the carrots, butter and stock for about 10 minutes, until tender.Blend the Corn Starch with very little cold water and mix under the vegetable stew. Stir well.Return to the boil and stir in the Cream and Dill, adjust seasoning and serve hot with your main dish.

Photo and recipe by Marco Veringo from Cosmopolitan’s Food, Photography and Lifestyle Blog
url: http://cosmopolitanone.wordpress.com/2009/04/18/portrait-of-an-alien

And to show the variety of colours, here's another photographic gem

kohlrabi, originally uploaded by Lawrence Farmers' Market

Encyclopedia of Asian Food
by Charmaine Solomon

Seasonal Fruit & Vegetables guide
by the Sydney Food Markets

Winter 2009

• Whip up a quick dish
• Great hints and tips
• What's best for the season