40744 Tue Oct 25 21:44:11 -0700 2005 7 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 195384 Phan Farms is currently selling some outstanding dragonfruit at the Tuesday Berkeley and Wednesday SF Civic Center farmers market. In the link below it says the fruit is "sweet, juicy, and crisp and has a taste reminiscent of pear, kiwi and watermelon." The texture and seeds are kiwi-like, but it is sweet without the slight tang of Kiwi ... and so much more juicy. There is a picture of this spectacularily colored, pretty fruit in that link. The one at the farmers market has the white flesh. I asked the vendor to pick me out one and how to select one in the future. She said to look for a shiny skin and the skin should be thin. I've seen them in the Berkeley Bowl, but they were from Mexico and dull looking. Also there is a look of pride when the vendor picks up one of her dragon fruit. This is someone who knows that she is selling a quality product. I became interested in these a year ago when I had a beautiful, delicious pink drink made from dragon fruit called Chan at Los Guanacos (4479 Mission Street). The fresh fruit is even better. It is pricy - $4 for a small one and $7 for a large size. They are just so good though. Here's to a long dragon fruit season. I'm so there next Tuesday. Also, the vendor with the pumpkin quark doesn't sell at the Tuesday Berkeley Market. I don't really remember them selling at the Thursday Berkeley Market either. Full Belly Farm has some spectacular looking hot peppers. Very nice selection. Loved the wicked looking tiny red peppers. Link: http://www.melissas.com/catalog/index.cfm?product_ID=2458&info=Yes Tue Oct 25 21:44:11 -0700 2005 0 rworange 1 195392 Thank you for this info, RW! I picked up a bag of dried dragonfruit from TJ's two months ago and thought it was decent, but I was thinking the fresh fruit must be a heckuva' lot better. I think I'll be picking some up in the near future... Tue Oct 25 23:33:46 -0700 2005 195384 0 JojoA 2 195438 I forgot you work in SF. Yeah, if you are near the Civic Center Farmers market on Wednesday ... today. Check these out. I've been wanting to try these since that drink and it was better than I expected. Looking for pictures someone suggested making a salad of dragonfruit, mango and pineapple. brown sugar and fresh lime fresh lime juice. I might not care for the brown sugar/lime, but the mango / dragonfruit combo sounds like heaven. It would be SOOO cool looking if the pick fleshed version was available. Definately mango / dragonfruit salad next week. Farmers market first then Berkeley Bowl. The link below has another picture as well as what the flower looks like and are recipe for dragonfruit wine. That one is going to have to wait for a trip to the tropics as it calls for six pounds of dragon fruit. With these costing $7 for probably, at most, a half pound of fruit, I'd have to be drunk first to spend that much money. Found a picture for pretty pink dragonfruit sorbet from Hawaii. Something new to look for. Link: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/red_pitaya.jpg&imgrefurl=http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques98.asp&h=335&w=262&sz=39&tbnid=ohefcIIh6tgJ:&tbnh=115&tbnw=89&hl=en&start=78&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2B%2522dragonfruit%2522%2B%2522dragonfruit%2522%26start%3D60%26svnum%3D100%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26c2coff%3D1%26sa%3DN%26as_qdr%3Dall Wed Oct 26 12:22:21 -0700 2005 195392 0 rworange 1 195500 Thanks for the tip! I've never had dragonfruit before, but it sounds great. Can you eat the skin, or do you have to peel it? Philip Wed Oct 26 16:02:30 -0700 2005 195384 0 Philip 2 195617 Hmmm, thought I answered this but must have forgot to hit post. Anyway, no you can't eat the skin, it is sort of like a thick mango skin. However you can leave it on for presentation (unless doing a mixed fruit salad). Unlike mango, the shell is not attached to the fruit and the inside just pops out. Yes, yet another dragon fruit link to a picture, this time served with the skin on. This photographer is really good. Link: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.davidsanger.com/images/mexico/4-850-5064.dragonfruit.y.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.davidsanger.com/stockimages/4-850-5064.dragonfruit.html&h=215&w=324&sz=25&tbnid=eoiXsz8Y2EQJ:&tbnh=75&tbnw=114&hl=en&start=40&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2B%2522dragonfruit%2522%2B%2B%26start%3D20%26svnum%3D100%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26c2coff%3D1%26sa%3DN%26as_qdr%3Dall Thu Oct 27 02:18:51 -0700 2005 195500 0 rworange 1 195569 I found Dragon Fruit on sale at a local (Redwood City) Latino grocery last week. I've wanted to try this but have never found any so I bought one ($4.49/lb). Unfortunately, it must not have been very ripe because it really didn't have much flavor. It was beautiful to look at, shocking pink skin with the lovely white flesh and small black seeds. It looked like it should be in a movie about Alien invasions! Hope I get a chance to try a ripe one and thanks for passing along the things to look for. Wed Oct 26 21:00:42 -0700 2005 195384 0 RWCFoodie 1 195598 Glad to hear about the Full Belly peppers. We usually get a big cellophane packet of the dried ones and they're wonderful. Great ground up and sprinkled over chopped veggies with feta and olive oil to put inside pita. The website said dragonfruit is native to Central America and that it can't grow where there's too much heat or cold. They are uncommonly gorgeous! Thu Oct 27 00:20:49 -0700 2005 195384 0 oakjoan 2 195664 Phan Farms is hot house which is why they can grow fruit you normally wouldn't find around here. Thu Oct 27 12:51:24 -0700 2005 195598 0 Morton the Mousse