I probably misnamed this, because they are probably vegetables that have been consumed for thousands of years. But like most Montanans, they are new to me, as they are not potatoes.

First on the list are garlic scapes:



New shoots of garlic. Tonight I stir fried them in a spaghetti carbonnara with bacon, parmeson reggiano, and egg yolks from our chickens in the back yard. It was excellent. I have actually been cooking them for the last couple of years. They show up in the farmer's market in June, and are gone by July.

Two nights ago, I stir fried pea vines:



Same deal as the scapes. New pea vines, fresh out of the ground, picked for human consumption. I stir fried these as well, only as a side dish with some grilled sockeye salmon (first of the year shipment from Alaska).

Pea vines are awesome. Imagine eating spinach that tastes like fresh baby peas.

June is the best month of the year to eat tasty fresh vegetables. Get out there and do it!

We were at Pike Place Market over Memorial Day weekend and it's always interesting to see all the fresh produce and seafood there.

This Tropical Rombutan caught my eye:

Pike Place Market

A few more photos from the market:

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market

Oh man, I would give my left nut to go buy some seafood at Pike's market. I am particularly fond of black cod. The best fish on the planet.

Orcas also like black cod (& halibut).

https://www.adn.com/alask...e-winning/

David, The highlight of my brief Washington state stay was trips to Pikes Place. The market is brilliant. The displays are works of art, designed to make you hungry. The people watching, unlike MC is as diverse as the displays in the market.

Now that my son lives in Portland,perhaps I can get back from time to time. Besides, I like the coastal drive.

Gunnar, I'm curious about the Pea vines ~ they seem to me like they'd be really stringy and woody? Otherwise, I love the flavor of the pods, and assume they taste like them?

The pea vines are new growth cut straight out of the ground, when they are about 8 inches tall, so far as I can tell. And no, they are not stringy or woody, like when you pick asparagus around Miles City that is past its prime, as we all know.

They were just as tender as could be, and tasted just like peas. I am going to our Farmer's market again this Saturday and hope there will be some more for sale. I suspect the season is ending soon, if not already.

Dragonfruit! I saw them for a long time while I was exiled to Oahu, right up to the point that my wife came out to visit and they were gone. She was my only hope for trying one and I'll likely never find out what they're all about. I''m fine with it.

on edit- that's quite the price on the dragonfruit. They were ~$3.50 on Oahu. Surprising, since it seemed like everything else was sky high there.

And! Also! I can tell by the clarity of Dave's photos that there were no durians.

[Edited by Dave Roberts (6/22/2017 9:30:05 PM)]

Dave, I believe I saw dragonfruit at Albertsons or Reynolds this week. I don't remember the price.

The Uwajimaya Store in Seattle is also pretty awesome. Live fish tanks, Peking ducks, skinned out goat heads, etc, etc etc. It seems to me its right out of the Chinatown stop on the Light Rail. Also pretty close to the big ball fields. I haven't been there for a little while.

Those are actually rambutan not rombutan. Hilarious they spelt it wrong, they also are not fresh. They are supposed to be bright red, not brownish like that. I've had fresh rambutan overseas.