My neighbor gave me a bag of these… anyone know what they are? How do you eat them?

 

🥒 Zucchini (Courgette)

What they look like:
Long, green (sometimes yellow), smooth skin, shaped like a cucumber but thicker.

How to eat them:

• Slice and sauté with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

• Roast in the oven at 400°F (200°C) with herbs.

• Grate into zucchini bread or muffins.

• Spiralize into “zoodles.”

• Grill in long slices.

Pro tip: If they’re huge, scoop out the seedy center before cooking.

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🍅 Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

What they look like:
Small, round or oval, red (sometimes yellow/orange), thin skin.

How to eat them:

• Eat raw with salt.

• Toss into salads.

• Roast until they burst.

• Add to pasta.

• Skewer and grill.

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🫐 Blueberries

What they look like:
Small, round, blue-purple berries with a dusty coating.

How to eat them:

• Eat raw.

• Add to yogurt or cereal.

• Bake into muffins.

• Blend into smoothies.

• Freeze for snacks.

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🥬 Kale or Swiss Chard

What they look like:
Large leafy greens. Kale is curly; chard has colorful stems.

How to eat them:

• Sauté with garlic.

• Bake into kale chips.

• Add to soups.

• Use in smoothies.

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🌶️ Hot Peppers

What they look like:
Small, shiny, red or green peppers.

How to eat them:

• Slice into salsas.

• Pickle them.

• Add to stir-fries.

• Dry and grind into flakes.

⚠️ Taste a tiny piece first — some can be VERY hot.

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🧄 Garlic

What it looks like:
White papery bulb with cloves inside.

How to eat it:

• Roast whole bulbs.

• Mince and sauté.

• Add to almost everything savory.

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🍆 Eggplant

What it looks like:
Purple, glossy, oval-shaped vegetable.

How to eat it:

• Slice, salt, and roast.

• Make eggplant parmesan.

• Grill thick slices.

• Dice into curries.

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🌰 Black Walnuts or Pecans (in shell)

What they look like:
Hard shells, green husk (if fresh) or brown nut shell.

How to eat them:

• Crack shell.

• Eat raw.

• Toast and add to baked goods.

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🍑 Figs

What they look like:
Soft, purple or green teardrop-shaped fruit.

How to eat them:

• Eat raw (skin is edible).

• Slice onto toast with honey.

• Add to salads.

• Bake with cheese.

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🥕 Unusual Root Vegetables (Turnips, Beets, Radishes)

What they look like:
Round or bulb-shaped with greens attached.

How to eat them:

• Roast cubes.

• Slice raw into salads.

• Pickle.

• Boil and mash.

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A Few Safety Notes

If you’re unsure what they are:

• Don’t eat wild mushrooms unless 100% identified.

• Don’t taste unknown berries from ornamental shrubs.

• If it smells rotten or moldy, toss it.

• When in doubt, share a photo or detailed description.