A lot of attention is given to heirloom tomatoes at summer Greenmarkets, and I can understand why. They’re seasonal, beautiful, tasty, etc. It bears mentioning, however, that there are heirloom varieties of other vegetables as well. If you’ve thought about okra at all you’ve probably thought about the long, icicle-looking okra that is seen most often. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to see these plump, curly, purple streaked pods at the Grand Army Plaza market. Some people say they don’t like okra because it’s slimy, but that’s precisely why I like it. Lately I’ve been stewing it with tomatoes, cooking it down to mush so that the entire thing is slimy and delicious.

Padron peppers (named after the Padron region of Spain from which they originate) are the staple of a great Spanish dish, pimientos de Padrón. The reason the dish is named after the peppers is that it’s a simple one: the peppers are blistered in olive oil and sprinkled with salt. I’ve had the dish before, at Boqueria, albeit made with the more common shisito peppers. Padron peppers are slightly more expensive than the other hot peppers showing up at the summer Greenmarkets; hopefully their unique blend of sweet and spicy will be worth it.

Maybe it’s the difference between what you see and what you taste, but white sweet potatoes seem sweeter to me than the traditional variety. They also seem to keep their shape and texture better, more like a traditional potato, but with more flavor. I’ve used it in a salad, and in a curry, but I think next I’m going to try to make french fries.

Last week I walked into the South Slope Union Market and was surprised to see fresh turmeric root (mislabeled as “tumeric root”), something I hadn’t seen before. I picked up a handful of the tiny roots, not sure what to do with them but excited anyway. Turmeric is said to have numerous health benefits — a natural detoxifier, etc. — and has a sweet, almost carrot-like smell. I’ve sliced in thin and added it to an Asian-inspired soup, and I’ve grated it and used it as a base for curry. I should warn you that if you do grate it your fingers will be bright yellow for a day, at least, despite any scrubbing.

I can hear you out there, reader, complaining. The first Market Watch column in over a month, and I give you eggs? Indeed I do. Two weeks ago I picked up a dozen eggs from Bradley Farm, and they were the best eggs I’ve ever had. Rich, vibrant yolks, and clear whites that whipped up into meringue in no time flat.

OMG I never seen mini pork dumplings before! They’re quite cute. For about $4 these definitely aren’t the best deals but heck they’re cute! I found these at the Hong Kong Supermarket on Hester and Elizabeth. I bought a bag along with some veggies and wonton noodles. Since they were tiny I thought I didn’t need to do the 3 boil rule but there it was clearly stated on the back of the bag to use the 3 boil rule.

Were these made for kids to eat?

Anyways, these came out just alright. Obviously with the small size there wouldn’t be much filling and the ratio of skin to filling was about 50/50. Worth getting, heck no. Cute, heck yes.