I have a problem. When it comes to food, I love the unknown. If I see something unusual, I have to try it. It's a gravitational pull I can't avoid. Sometimes, it leads me to exciting new encounters but other times, it does lead me astray (I'd rather not talk about the time I succumbed to the whiting with two eggs on the breakfast menu at a local diner).

There's no better local place to search for new ingredients to play with than Eden Gourmet. My appetite to feed on the unknown hits me again every time I roam the aisles at our new local food mecca, a haven for food lovers. Exploring the produce section, I found fruits I'd never really considered before and couldn't resist the challenge. Which brings me to this week's column and the first of a sporadic feature you'll find here: Finds at Eden Gourmet, allowing you to explore fun, different ingredients with me to which we actually have access.

I embarked on my adventure, committing to act first, think later. Like in an episode of Iron Chef, I'd figure out what to do with the ingredients after they were chosen—or rather, after they chose me. Three fruits ended up catching my attention: a container of kumquats, Chilean quinces and a red pomelo.

I laid out my bounty and armed with the "Field Guide to Produce," I tried to figure out what exactly I got myself into. Let's explore each ingredient a bit:

Quinces:

You may be interested to know that quinces are one of the oldest known fruits, often considered to be Eve's actual forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. They're related to the apple, but more wild in nature. Quinces are lumpy and yellow and turn a pinkish red when cooked. They really shouldn't be eaten raw, but that's okay because they're wonderfully fragrant when cooked—there's nothing like having that smell wafting through the house.

Kumquats:

Okay, I'll admit it, I just like saying the name. Kumquats are small, orange oval fruits, part of the citrus family. They're like a mini orange, but a bit more tart and can be eaten whole, rind and seeds included! I almost didn't have enough to cook with because I just kept popping them into my mouth. What a find! I can't believe I've lived this long without this little fruit in my life. (And what a fantastic martini garnish they would make!)

Pomelos:

Pomelos are the great granddaddies of grapefruit. Huge, thick-skinned monsters (though easy to peel), these guys tend to be firmer, not as juicy, more mild, less acidic and sweeter than grapefruits. They range in size anywhere from an extra large grapefruit to a basketball.

The Main Course:

Honey-Roasted Fruity Chicken, featuring quinces and kumquats.

I'm big into one-pot meals. And this dish combines chicken, fruit and root vegetables—how can you go wrong? I used four chicken thighs and one chicken breast. Split (much, much better with skin and bones) or go ahead and take apart your own chicken if you want to save some money. I used two quinces, cut in wedges, and 20 or so kumquats, cut in halves or quarters (you can take out the seeds if you want, but since they're edible and become less noticeable after cooking, I didn't go through the hassle). Quarter and peel about eight cipollini onions (the ones I got from Eden were delicious and the perfect complement to the meal), peel and slice two to three parsnips, and peel and slice in half eight or so cloves of garlic.

Season with Chinese ginger (a half to full teaspoon), a third teaspoon cumin, kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Drizzle with honey to cover, about three to four tablespoons. Bake in a roasting pan or uncovered dutch oven in a 400 degree oven for an hour or until the chicken is cooked through. Turn every 20 minutes.

Dessert:

Baked Pomelo, two ways: one maple, the other chocolate.

Eating pomelos and grapefruit cold with a little bit of sugar sprinkled on top can get downright boring. Pomelos lend themselves perfectly to baking. Since I couldn't decide what kind of flavor I wanted, I decided to do each side a different way, one a Baked Maple Pomelo, the other a Baked Chocolate Pomelo.

Slice one red pomelo in half and scour out the sections. On one side, sprinkle a teaspoon of brown sugar, a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg, a quarter teaspoon cinnamon, and drizzle with one and a half teaspoons maple syrup. On the other pomelo half, sprinkle a quarter teaspoon sugar and one and a quarter ounces chopped dark chocolate.

Bake on a baking sheet in a 375 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes. The maple pomelo should be browned on top, and the chocolate one should have a melted top. The insides of both should be gooey and warmed through. Enjoy!