I have a small garden at my home. It will be moved this year, however, so it won't be as extensive as in previous years. I also shop at a local farmer's market and at nearby orchards, dairy farms, and roadside farmstands. I live near of Pennsylvania's richest agricultural regions.
For detailed descriptions and fascinating information on unusual produce, check out Elizabeth Schneider's Uncomon Fruits & Vegetables or her more recent Vegetable from Amaranth to Zucchini, both excellent resources. As for the buddha's hand, I would most likely candy the peel only (the flesh is often sour).
I love to seek out odd produce like rambutans, etc. Last summer, I made a litchi sherbet with crystallized ginger and lemon balm that was quite tasty.
For prep information on offal, Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques (or La Technique) is quite reliable, as always. There's a wonderful section on buying and preparing offal (and kidneys in particular) in The River Cottage Meat Cookbook by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall (many recipes too), and Fergus Henderson's The Whole Beast has several good recipes. |