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

My Neighbor Gave Me a Bag of These… Anyone Know What They Are? (And How Do You Eat Them?)

There are few things more charming—and more confusing—than a neighbor handing you a bag of homegrown something with a proud smile and absolutely no explanation.

No label.
No recipe.
No helpful, “Oh, by the way, don’t eat the skin” disclaimer.

Just a bag. Full of… these.

They’re not something you remember seeing in the grocery store. They look vaguely familiar, but not familiar enough to name. You hold one up to the light like that’s going to help. You Google phrases like “round green vegetable bumpy skin neighbor garden” and immediately regret it.

Welcome to the universal experience of surprise produce.

Whether your neighbor gardens, forages, or simply enjoys distributing the overflow of their harvest, this moment raises two urgent questions:

What are these?

How do you eat them without accidentally ruining dinner (or yourself)?

Let’s walk through it.

Step One: Don’t Panic (Or Toss Them)

Your first instinct might be to quietly set the bag in the fridge drawer labeled “mystery” and forget about it until it liquefies.

Resist that urge.

Homegrown produce is often:

Varieties you won’t see in stores

Picked at peak ripeness (which means it may look different)

Misshapen, knobby, oddly sized, or downright ugly

Ugly does not mean inedible. In fact, it often means the opposite.

Step Two: Play Produce Detective

Before you cook anything, take a closer look. A few details go a long way.

Look at the basics

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