Eat your veggies

Despite the fact that I grew up with a mother who was dedicated to serving us wholesome food, I still am not a huge fan of vegetables. Well, I can be, but they're not high on my list of things I daydream about. I'd much rather read a dessert cookbook than one about veggies. I will admit that I often eat vegetables more out of a sense of obligation to nutrition than for pure love of their taste. Lately we've been trying to increase our veggie intake, and one of the things that's helped is signing up for a company that delivers a bin of assorted organic produce to our home every other week (you can do it weekly, but we don't have that much money for food). Not only is the food fresh, but we get a variety of things that I wouldn't ordinarily buy in the store. Just this last week we've enjoyed kale, fingerling potatoes, spring salad greens, beets, cauliflower, and asparagus--plus I still have two artichokes waiting for me to figure out what to do with them. I've never cooked artichokes before. I was also inspired by this article to feel a little better about the fact that many of my veggie dishes involve olive oil or butter. Mostly olive oil, though. Apparently it's good to add some taste and often the oil will help you want to eat them. Or, in the case of Little Dude and beets, it will at least provide some lubricant for finger painting on your tray:

Comments

Earth Sign Mama said…
Mmmm...beets...mmm. All of those sound just wonderful. And I guess the same people who figured out you could extract tasty tidbits from an oyster or a blue crab must be the same ones who decided that artichokes were food. They are, of course, delicious, yummy, delectable food--but just a teeny-tiny bit compared to all the throw-away parts left over. Weird food. But yummy!
5/21/2008 9:51 PM
Celia Marie (W.) B. said…
Artichokes are a little tricky without a pressure cooker. Don't believe a recipe that says you can steam it in a steamer basket for 1/2 hour. Not true. I've tried it like that and I cooked it for 1 1/2 hours and it still wasn't tender enough! Look for a recipe for boiling it. I think you need something to keep it submerged (like a plate on top). I think I've seen Alton Brown do it on food network before.

That's a pretty cool set up though.
5/21/2008 10:06 PM
Becca said…
Mmm, artichokes are one of my favorites. I usually steam them for a half hour (it worked for me for some reason?) or boil them. And then use a lemon butter mixture to dip the leaves in. Artichokes are an every once in a while thing for me because they require a bit of work in cooking and eating.
5/22/2008 8:01 AM
Mimsy Buttons said…
Butter makes almost everything better. I never knew radishes could be so delicious until a friend cooked some for me by boiling them and then sauteing them in butter. They became my favorite vegetable that day.
5/23/2008 12:17 AM
Anonymous said…
I have made this several times recently: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Garlic-Sauteed-Artichokes/Detail.aspx It's delicious!! The biggest complaint is that they get bitter, but if you cook the garlic at a low enough temperature that it doesn't brown, then there is no bitterness at all. Burke and I have had them for dinner a few times. One artichoke per person makes a great dinner, and they are so flavorful this way that you don't need to dip them in mayonnaise or butter.
5/23/2008 10:49 AM
Celia Marie (W.) B. said…
As to steaming, my husband's fam likes them REALLY tender. Almost to the point where the leaves are falling off on their own. So, it may just be that we have different standards for tenderness and doneness. But, if you do steam them, makes sure your pot doesn't run dry. Check them every 20 min. to make sure it still has water.
5/25/2008 3:56 PM
TK said…
Have you tried the artichokes yet? I cut the stem and 1" off the top, then put the artichoke upside down in about 1" of water with a dash of olive oil, fresh lemon juice and one cut up garlic clove. Simmer for 20 - 30 minutes until you can easily put a fork into the stem area. Dip in mayo mixed with minced garlic and lemon juice. Today I was out of mayo, so microwaved butter and garlic, then added a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice. It was just as good as the mayo.

FYI: veggies are often served with butter b/c vita A is more soluble in oil than in water - making the vita more nutritionally available.
5/25/2008 10:29 PM
Th. said…
.

I love artichokes, but I never dip them in anything--I love them plain.
5/25/2008 10:37 PM
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