The falling temperatures of autumn, well, in a lot of places at least, are bringing people indoors and into the kitchens. Many like to share their favorite recipes during this time. Since I only have a microwave and one working burner on a stove top that is supposed to have two, I really have nothing to share that qualifies as a recipe. Digging through my notebooks would just make me hungry for what I don’t have.
So, since we are in the middle of the harvest season I like to talk veggies. No, I am not growing any, but I love eating them. When I don’t have them, I crave veggies. It’s rare that I get fresh ones, so when I do, I really enjoy them.
Yesterday I was able to make a trip to the store thanks to a kind soul and stocked up. Well, as much as you can stock up since you can only keep them so long. I wonder if that is another reason people do not like them? Oh perish the thought we would have to go buy perishables once a week over processed foods!
I prefer mine raw over cooked, steamed, or roasted even. Now, my salads are nothing like what you get in restaurants. For one, I actually cut my vegetables up. Secondly, three slivers of carrots and one lonely ring of peppers on a bed of limp lettuce does not constitute a salad in my kitchen. No way.
It’s all about the colors. I try to incorporate every color nature gave us: Dark green spinach, red tomatoes, burgundy radishes, purple onions, green cucumbers, orange or yellow peppers. Why not green peppers? I love them too, but again – it’s about getting nutrients from all the colors, that’s how you know you are getting a variety of nutrients.
Put those colors next to fast food and you’ll see. There is nothing like the vibrant contrast of dicing yellow peppers next to red tomatoes, putting them on a dark green foundation of baby spinach. And that is just starting out. Yesterday I was daring and held it all together with guacamole, sprinkled with dill. Otherwise, I use vinegar/oil dressing. I love ranch, but it contains so many calories you might as well just go straight for the Big Mac.
I really do not understand why people do not like raw veggies, there are so many to choose from that all taste different. Maybe it’s because I’ve had to go without that I appreciate them so much? Or, perhaps growing them when I was a child made me like them? Who knows, but the latter might be a good remedy for kids who won’t eat.
3 comments:
I'm a veggie lover, too, Alex. I eat a big, raw salad almost every day and its loaded with my colorful favorites. Dressing for me is olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon or lime. The bottled stuff has too many preservatives and tastes funny to me now. Glad to see that you had some help in getting some fresh produce today. :-)
Alex, we love vegetables of all kinds, you are not alone, salads are my favourite food!
Here is what is in our TYPICAL salad, sometimes even ALL of them at once,( yeah...believe it or not!) depending on season, and if we've been able to get to the city for the few "extras" we might add to the lettuce, (head, leaf or Romaine, sometimes all three), spinach leaves, green onion, shredded cabbage, sliced onion -red and/or white, chives complete with flowers, green garlic scapes, cherry tomatoes, red, orange and green peppers,green peas, cucumber, raw zucchini, chopped celery, sliced olives, cheddar cheese chunks and/or feta, raisins, grapes, chunks of apple or pear, chopped garlic, peanuts and/or cashews/mixed nuts, and if we are very fortunate and happen to have some, some, in goes some fruit too, blueberries, strawberries, mango and peach! I like hard-boiled egg chunks in it too.
The ONLY things we don't grow are the exotics and bottled dressings.
Blue cheese, French, Caesar or Sundried tomato dressings happens at times, (I love'em!) but we're just as happy using olive oil & vinegar, lemon or orange juice, or plain yogurt as dressing. We also add oranges during the winter. I add sauerkraut (home made) and slices of hot red peppers to my own personal salad too.
For us, with our own garden, we use everything in season sliced, shredded or diced, and even raw corn sliced from the cob is wonderful in salad! For us, a good salad is a whole meal.... I'm guessing that's why we do so much gardening, it's the BEST.
Well Raymond, if I had other items I would add them too.
If I had a wish list, I would add goat cheese and blueberries. I have also added eggs and chicken.
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