Every once in a while, Andrew and I pick up new books at a library sale (back home in Ohio, our local library would sell excess books by the paper bag. Whatever you could fit into it was $5. Pretty good deal!) The last time we went, we picked up a handful of cookbooks. I love thumbing through them to get new ideas for meals.
We use tons of vegetables (meat is kind of a once-a-week sort of thing in our house) so I was excited about this classy-looking book from 1970. As I was reading, however, I started noticing something...
Hmmm. There seems to be a pattern. And a pattern that I'm quite familiar with, not very happily.
I have worked in a few different kitchens that served food to lots of kids. And the stereotype that kids hate vegetables? Well, its a stereotype for a reason. Whatever good intentions put that frozen-then-boiled assortment of carrot bits, green bean chunks, and corn nubs on the kids’ plates, I guarantee that I was toting 80% to the dumpsters by the end of each meal. And frankly, as much as I was rankled by the heaps of uncomposted waste that these dinners generated, I couldn’t completely write the kids off as just ungrateful little beasts.
Everyone: even though boiling is the most common way to prepare veggies, for the love of all that is tasty and nutritious, ITS TIME TO STOP. Save the boiling pot for tea or pasta, and give your poor vegetables a chance.
Because let’s be honest: Boiling most vegetables is probably one of the worst things you can do to them. Even the brightest, crispest, most fresh broccoli becomes a gray, mushy shadow of its former self after being boiled to oblivion. And if that was the only way I knew vegetables, I’d probably hate them too! Not only do all the potential flavors and textures go up in steam, much of the nutritional content gets left behind or destroyed in all that hot water, especially if you dump it after cooking.
And especially If you are putting in the time to grow, tend, and harvest your own vegetables, It should be a homesteading crime to let any of them come near to a boiling pot. I know it’s really easy. I know you’re busy. I know that cooking shows make it seem like you need to be a trained chef to do anything beyond a PB and J sandwich. But happily, there are plenty of really good, easy ways to keep the flavor and, just as importantly, the nutrients in your veggies. You just need to add some new techniques in your toolbelt!
Try some of these on for size, and just see if your vegetables start to shine with flavor in gratitude. For most of these ideas, you need minimal cooking experience--if you can use a knife, turn on an oven, or handle a skillet on the stove, you’ve got all you need.
If you don’t have any cast iron cookware, you need to go get some cast iron cookware. Immediately. And if getting it new is too expensive, you can find cast-iron in any antique store or thrift store--quite a few of our pans have been found that way! My well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is like a second hand in my kitchen, and when it comes to cooking vegetables, it is invaluable. Try this: Heat your skillet to high heat and add some coconut/olive/peanut oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add your vegetable of choice and allow it to caramelize. This means, you DON’T touch it until you see a nice little ring of char on the outer edge. When the natural sugars are allowed to reach this point, the flavors are incredibly nuanced, smoky, and totally unique. Then, topped with a drizzle of good olive oil, a crack of sea salt, and fresh ground pepper? Amazing. Try it with onion, tomato, slices of chayote, or zucchini!
I’m not talking about Cobb salads here--lots of vegetables are amazing when given minimal treatment. Have you ever tried tabbouleh? Israeli Salad? Caprese Salad? Sometimes, all it takes is some fresh herbs and good olive oil to make something absolutely delicious. Many cuisines from around the world have mastered good combinations--its worth it to check out a cookbook or two and get some ideas!
In the heat of the summer, Spring rolls are our favorite dinner. A combo that's always been a winner is slivered carrots, celery, pan-fried tofu, whole-wheat noodles, chives and cilantro. Andrew likes to make a spicy peanut dipping sauce (peanut butter, soy sauce, black vinegar, hot chili oil), and I like to make a ponzu sauce (soy sauce, dash of sugar, lime juice, and a little water).
...Right?
This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but I hope it does get you started if you’ve never experimented with your vegetables beyond the stock pot. What other ideas do you have to give vegetables the royal treatment?
